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This latest version of Garmin's top-tier Fenix adventure timepiece includes a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.

This Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge cellular technology, plus an optional advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's top device and engineered to be the single tool required to venture virtually any location and track every activity.

This makes it an extremely pricey option, starting at £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 edition with microLED display – nearly twice the cost of the standard Fenix 8.

Users get a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure tracking. The complete offline maps of the world can seamlessly direct you back to the trail if you get lost absent a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is only offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the screen on all the time, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charging.

No-Phone Messaging, Calling and Real-Time Location

The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan tied to your phone provider, like other smartwatches. However unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not included for free.

Instead, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack location tracking – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, biking or similar activities – plus SOS satellite SOS messaging.

Check-ins and messages via satellite are then billed on top, with higher-tier plans including different allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.

After you have completed setup, you simply head out the door without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and overall stay connected with your family and companions.

Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via typed or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to register for texts.

Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken messages and calls perform acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.

LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you begin an exercise, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.

All of these features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.

A guide 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 unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.

Sustainability

The watch is generally repairable with options offered via the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.

Price

The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service plans cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Conclusion

This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an increasingly remarkable outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing additional gear.

This is quite freeing to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it is not dependent on your phone carrier so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still wants to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 is already available.

Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, built-in flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.

Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite features need monthly subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, voice features are slow, basic wearable features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.