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This newest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite links.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge cellular tech, along with an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.

This makes it an extremely pricey proposition, 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 – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.

You do get a lot of functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, activity and outdoor monitoring. The full offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you back to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm size available in other models, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.

No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location

Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, SOS messaging is not provided for free.

Instead, subscriptions begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE text and audio messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or family can monitor you while out jogging, biking or comparable pursuits – plus SOS orbital SOS alerts.

Location updates and texts over orbital are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering different quotas of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.

After you have got it set up, you just venture outside without your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or similar tasks, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and companions.

Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to register for texts.

Messaging on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of personalizable pre-set responses you can send to expedite communication. Voice recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the quality is less than ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for monitoring competition progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case an incident occurs. It has typically worked effectively, though the real location has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.

These capabilities are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and SOS SOS.

A on-screen assistance displays you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial lifeline, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is typically serviceable with services offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers 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 optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Conclusion

The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an increasingly remarkable adventure tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring 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 plan to provide the service. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all make of smartphone and carrier.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, physical controls and touchscreen.

Drawbacks: extremely expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are sluggish, limited wearable functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.