The latest model of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor watch introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital links.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the only tool required to venture almost anywhere and monitor every activity.
That makes it an extremely expensive proposition, 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 variant with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.
Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, although the real location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for 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 maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.
The result is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. Fortunately it is not dependent on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.
Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality versus competing watches.
