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This newest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure watch brings a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to venture virtually anywhere and track every activity.

This positions it as an very expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and reaching a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.

You do receive a significant features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and adventure tracking. The complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.

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

No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking

The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not provided for free.

Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.

Check-ins and messages over satellite are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions including various quotas of orbital usage, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.

After you have completed setup, you just venture outside 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 make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.

When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.

Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, although the actual position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of strong LTE coverage.

All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.

A guide shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on new purchases.

Cost

The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription 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 regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re without coverage.

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

This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and network.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.

Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features require ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable features versus competing watches.