The latest model of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece includes a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new cellular tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only gadget required to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
This makes it an very expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or similar pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the support site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
