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The latest model of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor timepiece brings a life-saving feature: no-phone messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an optional advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's premier device and engineered to be the single tool required to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.

This positions it as an very expensive option, starting at £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 double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.

You do receive a lot of functionality for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can automatically guide you return to the path if you lose your way absent a phone, and appear excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, omitting the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a large watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an extra day of smartwatch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charging.

Phone-Free Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location

Garmin operates its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital service plan instead of relying on a watch plan tied to your mobile provider, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-capable devices, emergency messaging is not included for free.

Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position sharing – so your contacts or family can monitor you while engaged in running, cycling or comparable activities – along with emergency orbital SOS messaging.

Location updates and messages over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive plans offering various allowances of orbital usage, increasing to a £50 a month unlimited plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can test out the service.

After you have got it set up, you simply venture the door minus your phone and the watch will connect to LTE. You can not use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you can place and receive calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your family and friends.

Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can reply to directly to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally using text or spoken messages, and initiate voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger app, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.

Messaging on the watch works adequately but composing texts on the small on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a set of personalizable pre-set replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can set it up to automatically transmit 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 monitoring race performance, but it mostly acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has generally functioned well, although the actual location has occasionally been delayed when moving in and out of strong LTE signal.

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

A guide shows you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, however it is important to note that satellite service is limited to the US continent, the majority of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.

Environmental Impact

The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the customer service portal. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any reused materials. Garmin offers recycling schemes on recent purchases.

Price

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

Verdict

The Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the standard Fenix 8 and adds LTE for messaging, calls and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.

Outcome is an even more impressive outdoor tool for those that desire to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone keep an eye on you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.

It is quite freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality 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 dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For everyone else, it is a lot of money when the superb Fenix 8 is already available.

Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, high-luminance OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in torch, phone and offline commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touch.

Cons: very expensive, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, limited Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech features are slow, basic wearable functionality versus competing watches.