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The most recent model of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or satellite connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier device and designed to be the single gadget required to explore almost any location and monitor all your movements.

This positions it as an extremely pricey 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 twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.

Users get a lot of features for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, sharp and super-bright display.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.

Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location

Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for free.

Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Check-ins and texts over satellite are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions including different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.

After you have got it set up, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.

Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends 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 communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.

Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own send a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring race performance, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.

These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.

A guide shows you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is typically repairable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.

Cost

This Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Verdict

The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.

The result is an even more remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.

It is very liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.

Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.

Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features need monthly payment, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice features are sluggish, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.