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This newest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone communication and emergency messaging using 4G LTE or satellite links.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the only gadget required to explore virtually any location and track all your movements.

This makes it an extremely expensive option, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the price of the regular Fenix 8.

You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and outdoor monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location

Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-enabled products, emergency messaging is not provided for free.

Rather, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in jogging, biking or similar activities – along with SOS orbital SOS alerts.

Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.

After you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.

When you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using typed or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.

Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following race performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, although the actual location has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE signal.

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

A guide shows 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 lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is typically repairable 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.

Price

The 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).

Verdict

This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re without signal.

The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.

This is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with all make of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.

Cons: very costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank support, speech capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.