The most recent model of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the single gadget needed to explore almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.
This makes it an extremely expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do get a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the display always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, SOS messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.
Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these features are available 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 send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with services offered via the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides disposal programs on new 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 packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any 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, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch features versus competing watches.
