This latest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only gadget required to venture almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This positions it as an very pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. But unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not included for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in running, biking or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering different quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, although the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to note that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.
