This latest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single gadget needed to venture almost any location and track every activity.
That makes it an extremely 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 screen – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts via orbital are then charged additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
After you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set replies you can use to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays 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 surprisingly 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 except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.
Sustainability
The watch is generally repairable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost 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 adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
