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The latest version of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.

The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating cutting-edge mobile tech, along with an available advanced microLED display in a limited edition. This is the brand's premier model and engineered to be the only tool required to venture virtually any location 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 model and reaching a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the regular Fenix 8.

You do receive a significant functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. The full offline mapping of the world can automatically direct you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.

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

Phone-Free Texting, Calling and Live Tracking

The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite subscription service instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other wearables. However unlike competing satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not provided for free.

Instead, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides limitless LTE text and voice messages, call functionality and LiveTrack position tracking – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or similar pursuits – along with SOS orbital SOS messaging.

Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans including different quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day trial period so you can test out the functionality.

After you have got it set up, you just venture outside minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally keep in touch with your relatives and friends.

When you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate back and forth using text or spoken communications, and make voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is sufficient to sign up for texts.

Messaging on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of customisable canned replies you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with most smartwatches, you’re unlikely going to want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can configure to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to be aware of your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked effectively, although the real position has occasionally lagged when moving in and out of good LTE coverage.

These features are accessible on other Garmin devices if you bring your phone with you, but in locations where LTE lacks coverage, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and SOS SOS.

A guide displays you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then sends and receives communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to remember that satellite coverage is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia above 65 degrees north.

Sustainability

The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the customer service site. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.

Cost

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

Verdict

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

Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.

It is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal cost of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to provide the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so functions with any make of smartphone and network.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and orbital communication, high-luminance OLED display, monitors everything with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.

Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite features require ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are sluggish, basic smartwatch functionality compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.