This most recent model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier device and designed to be the only tool needed to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.
That makes it an extremely expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.
No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and messages via satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans including various allowances of orbital use, 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.
After you have completed setup, you just head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or voice communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish 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 on its own send a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, though the real location has sometimes been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.
All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A on-screen assistance displays you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Sustainability
The watch is typically repairable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.
Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.
It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and network.
This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable features versus competing watches.
