The newest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single tool required to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.
That positions it as an extremely pricey option, 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 cost of the standard Fenix 8.
You do receive a lot of features for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its full offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the display always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location
Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering different quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.
Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the actual location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance shows 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 crucial lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite coverage is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the customer service site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.
The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.
This is very freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.
Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
