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The latest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.

The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the only tool required to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.

That positions it as an very 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 variant with microLED display – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.

Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other models, 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 display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.

No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location

Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, as with other wearables. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.

Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE text and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in jogging, cycling or similar activities – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.

Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.

After you have got it set up, 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 are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your family and friends.

When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message back and forth via text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.

Messaging on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable canned responses you can use to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.

All of these capabilities are accessible on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE does not reach, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.

A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the line of sight to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.

Environmental Impact

The watch is generally repairable with options available through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.

Price

The Fenix 8 Pro costs 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).

Conclusion

The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.

It 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 monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.

Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.

Drawbacks: very expensive, LTE and orbital features need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, limited wearable features versus competing watches.