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The latest model of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving capability: phone-free communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a special edition. It is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single tool needed to venture almost any location and track all your movements.

This positions it as an very pricey 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 edition with microLED screen – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.

Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. The complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly guide you return to the path if you get lost without a phone, and appear great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.

No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Live Tracking

The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.

Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while out running, biking or similar activities – plus SOS orbital SOS messaging.

Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed additionally, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.

After you have completed setup, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, send texts and overall 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 install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via typed or voice messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is sufficient to sign up for texts.

Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to automatically transmit a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your live location on a map. It’s great for following race progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked well, although the real location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.

These features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position updates and SOS SOS.

A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is essential to note that orbital coverage is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.

Environmental Impact

The watch is generally serviceable with options offered through the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on recent purchases.

Price

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

Verdict

This Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.

Outcome is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring additional gear.

It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.

Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.

Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank support, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus competing watches.