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This newest iteration of Garmin's premium Fenix adventure timepiece brings a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro builds upon the already outstanding Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, plus an optional state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. It is the brand's top model and engineered to be the only tool needed to explore almost anywhere and monitor all your movements.

That makes it an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £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 regular Fenix 8.

You do get a lot of features for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping 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 super-bright touchscreen.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively offered in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size available in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an additional day of smartwatch battery life despite the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.

No-Phone Texting, Calling and Real-Time Location

The company operates its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than depending on a watch plan tied to your phone carrier, like other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not included for free.

Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can monitor you while out jogging, cycling or similar activities – plus SOS satellite SOS alerts.

Location updates and messages over satellite are then billed additionally, with more expensive plans including different allowances of orbital use, climbing to a £50 a month unlimited subscription. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can test out the functionality.

Once you have completed setup, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable activities, but you can make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.

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

Texting on the watch works fine but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to on its own transmit a URL to chosen contacts every time you begin an exercise, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily acts as a tool for someone you rely on to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally functioned well, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.

All of these features are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to transmit texts, position updates and emergency SOS.

A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly straightforward to use and could be a vital lifeline, however it is essential to remember that orbital coverage is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees latitude.

Sustainability

The watch is typically repairable with services offered via the support site. The battery is certified to maintain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers disposal programs on recent purchases.

Price

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

Verdict

This Fenix 8 Pro builds on a excellent adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – plus orbital messaging, check-in and SOS SOS for when you’re out of coverage.

The result is an increasingly impressive 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 remote areas, the Garmin does so without requiring anything else.

It is very liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that capability carries quite a cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the monthly fee of the inReach service to enable the service. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when running, cycling or trekking, but still wants to be locatable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, complete offline maps and navigation, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.

Cons: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, limited Garmin Pay financial support, speech features are slow, basic smartwatch functionality versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.