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This newest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.

This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.

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

You do get a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its full offline mapping of the world can seamlessly guide you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and appear excellent on the large, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.

Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location

The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not provided for free.

Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.

Check-ins and messages over orbital are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans offering various quotas of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.

Once you have got it set up, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.

Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.

Messaging on the watch works fine but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.

LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to on its own send a link to chosen contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, although the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.

All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.

A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.

Environmental Impact

The watch is generally serviceable with options offered via the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.

Cost

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

Verdict

The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.

This is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the features. At least it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all make of smartphone and network.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.

Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.

Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital functions need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.