This newest version of the premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's top device and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.
This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.
Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the world can automatically direct you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.
This 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 bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Live Tracking
Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.
Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.
Check-ins and texts via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including various quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.
Once you have got it set up, you simply head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth using text or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.
Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than ideal.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s great for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally functioned effectively, although the real location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.
All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight 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 remember that orbital service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services available via the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.
Price
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Conclusion
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want 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 additional gear.
It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works 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, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.
Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited wearable features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
