The most recent model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new cellular technology, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget needed to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
This positions it as an extremely expensive option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – along with SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including various allowances of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
After you have got it set up, you simply venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works 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 expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though 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 most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, though the actual position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial 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.
Sustainability
The watch is typically serviceable with services available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.
This is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable features versus competing watches.
