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The latest version of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or orbital connections.

This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only tool needed to explore almost any location and track all your movements.

That positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.

You do get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading workout, activity and adventure monitoring. The complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking

The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not included for free.

Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE text and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.

Location updates and texts via satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.

Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.

When you text 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 application, you can then message back and forth using typed or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.

Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than fantastic.

LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically transmit a link to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.

These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.

A on-screen assistance shows you how to find 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 crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Sustainability

The watch is typically serviceable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled components. Garmin offers recycling schemes on new purchases.

Cost

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

Verdict

This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.

The result is an even more remarkable outdoor tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.

It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so works with any make of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.

Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.

Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with competing watches.