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This most recent version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a potentially lifesaving feature: phone-free messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single tool required to venture almost any location and track every activity.

This makes it an very pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED display – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.

You do receive a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically guide you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.

Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking

Garmin operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan rather than relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for no cost.

Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or family can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Location updates and texts via orbital are then charged on top, with higher-tier subscriptions offering various allowances of orbital use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.

After you have completed setup, you simply venture the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.

When you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, only a phone number is enough to register for texts.

Texting on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work OK, although as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the quality is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.

All of these features are available on other Garmin watches 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, position check-ins and emergency SOS.

A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is essential to note that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.

Sustainability

The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling programs 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 service packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Conclusion

This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without coverage.

Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.

It is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly subscription of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a lot of expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.

Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.

Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic wearable functionality compared with competing watches.