The newest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is the brand's top model and engineered to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and track all your movements.
That makes it an extremely pricey option, 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 edition with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you return to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.
The Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.
Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other smartwatches. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or similar pursuits – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.
Location updates and messages via satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have completed setup, you just venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.
When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is enough to sign up for texts.
Messaging on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.
These features are accessible on other Garmin watches 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 clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
The watch is typically serviceable with options available via the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more impressive adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.
Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite features need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
Eva de Vries is a passionate book lover and local writer from Eindhoven.
