This newest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and designed to be the single tool needed to explore virtually any location and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching 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.
You do get a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure monitoring. The complete offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for no cost.
Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages over orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once 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, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message reciprocally via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.
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, location check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide displays you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is important to note that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
The Fenix 8 Pro builds on 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 out of signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.
This is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.
