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This newest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: no-phone communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.

This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED display in a special edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the single gadget needed to venture almost any location and monitor all your movements.

This positions it as an very pricey proposition, 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 – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.

You do receive a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The complete offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and appear great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking

The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike competing satellite-capable products, SOS communication is not included for no cost.

Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or comparable activities – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.

Check-ins and messages over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. 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 the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your family and friends.

Whenever you text someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then message back and forth via typed or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.

Texting on the watch functions adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work OK, although as with most wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not fantastic.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can configure to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, although the real position has sometimes been delayed when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.

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

A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, however it is essential to remember that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.

Sustainability

The watch is typically serviceable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides recycling programs on recent purchases.

Cost

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

Verdict

The Fenix 8 Pro takes a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.

Outcome is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that want to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.

It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach plan to provide the features. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and network.

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

Advantages: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.

Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial support, voice capabilities are sluggish, basic wearable features compared with competing watches.