The newest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or satellite links.
This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and designed to be the only tool needed to explore almost any location and track all your movements.
This positions it as an very pricey option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.
Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
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 back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice messages and calls work acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to on its own send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the real location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view 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 vital safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone provider so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice features are sluggish, basic smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
