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The most recent iteration of the premium Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.

This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the only gadget needed to venture almost any location and track every activity.

That makes it an extremely expensive option, 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.

You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure monitoring. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and super-bright display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location

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

Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Check-ins and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive subscriptions including different quotas of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.

After you have got it set up, you just venture 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 relatives and friends.

Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly 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 contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.

Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set responses you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following race progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.

These features are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.

A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.

Sustainability

The watch is generally serviceable with options available through the customer service site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.

Cost

This Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Verdict

The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.

The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. 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 quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.

Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require monthly subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.