The latest iteration of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the only tool required to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.
This positions it as an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking
Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not provided for no cost.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive plans including different allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.
Once you have completed setup, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not ideal.
LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.
These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate 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 crucial lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is typically serviceable with options available via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.
Price
This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.
This is very 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 monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.
Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch features versus competing watches.
