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The newest model of the flagship Fenix adventure watch includes a life-saving feature: phone-free communication and emergency messaging via 4G LTE or satellite connections.

This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, along with an optional state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. It is Garmin's top model and designed to be the single tool required to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.

This positions it as an extremely expensive option, priced from £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 edition with microLED display – almost twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.

You do get a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, activity and adventure monitoring. Its full offline maps of the globe can automatically direct you return to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the sizable, crisp and high-luminance touchscreen.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the screen on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.

No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location

The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your mobile carrier, like other wearables. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable products, emergency messaging is not included for free.

Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messaging, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while engaged in jogging, biking or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS messaging.

Check-ins and messages via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive subscriptions offering different quotas of satellite usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch includes a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.

Once you have got it set up, you simply head out outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and companions.

When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.

Texting on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of customisable pre-set replies you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can track your real time location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has generally worked effectively, though the real position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE signal.

All of these capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.

A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is important to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.

Sustainability

The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.

Price

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

Verdict

This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an even more remarkable adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without requiring anything else.

It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone provider so works with all brand of smartphone and carrier.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a killer gadget for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and satellite communication, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and standalone voice control, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, buttons and touch.

Cons: extremely costly, LTE and orbital features require ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are sluggish, limited smartwatch features versus competing watches.