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The newest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital connections.

This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new mobile tech, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the single gadget required to venture virtually anywhere and track all your movements.

This makes it an extremely pricey option, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly double the cost of the standard Fenix 8.

You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you back to the trail if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen always active, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking

The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, like other wearables. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS communication is not included for free.

Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messaging, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out running, cycling or similar activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Location updates and texts over satellite are then charged additionally, with more expensive plans offering various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the service.

After you have got it set up, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and overall stay connected with your relatives and friends.

Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random phone number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth using text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.

Messaging on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a collection of personalizable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Spoken messages and calls work OK, although as with most smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is less than ideal.

LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a URL to selected contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can track your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically worked well, though the real position has occasionally lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.

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 activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and emergency SOS.

A guide shows you how to find 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 crucial safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite service is restricted to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Sustainability

The watch is generally repairable with services available through the customer service site. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes 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 subscription packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Conclusion

The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.

The result is an even more impressive adventure tool for those that desire to be phone-free. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.

It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries a significant price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.

Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with premier GPS, integrated torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, complete offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.

Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features compared with competing watches.