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The newest version of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor watch brings a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and emergency alerts via 4G LTE or orbital links.

This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, plus an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a special edition. This is Garmin's premier device and engineered to be the only tool needed to venture almost anywhere and track every activity.

That positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the standard Fenix 8.

Users get a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor monitoring. Its complete offline maps of the world can automatically guide you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life even with the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.

Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking

The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, as with other smartwatches. However in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, emergency communication is not included for free.

Instead, subscriptions start at £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and audio messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Location updates and texts over orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including various allowances of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.

Once you have completed setup, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can place and receive calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.

When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate back and forth via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.

Texting on the watch functions fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can send to expedite communication. Spoken recordings and calls work acceptably, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition progress, but it mostly acts as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned well, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.

These capabilities are available on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, location updates and SOS SOS.

A guide shows 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 straightforward 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 the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Sustainability

The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the support site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling programs on new purchases.

Price

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

Conclusion

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

The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you remotely while running after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without needing anything else.

It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier gadget for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.

Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with premier GPS, built-in torch, voice and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.

Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions require ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are slow, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.