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The latest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost any location and monitor every activity.

This positions it as an very pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.

Users receive a significant features for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.

This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.

Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location

The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency communication is not provided for free.

Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while out running, biking or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.

Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including various quotas of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.

After you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your family and companions.

When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth using typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to register for texts.

Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.

LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual position has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.

These features 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 check-ins and SOS SOS.

A on-screen assistance displays 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 easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the support 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 materials. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new 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 service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Verdict

The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.

Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.

This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.

Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.

Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.