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This latest model of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch brings a life-saving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.

This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the only tool required to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.

This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED display – almost twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.

Users get a significant features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. The complete offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charging.

Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking

The company operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS communication is not included for free.

Instead, plans start at £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out running, cycling or comparable activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.

Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans including various allowances of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the service.

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

Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.

Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a collection of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Voice messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is not fantastic.

LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can configure to on its own send a link to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.

These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates 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 transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is generally repairable with options available via the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent purchases.

Price

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

Conclusion

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 SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.

Outcome is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.

It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with any brand of smartphone and network.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.

Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED screen, tracks all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touch.

Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited smartwatch functionality versus competing watches.