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The latest iteration of Garmin's top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a life-saving capability: no-phone communication and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or orbital connections.

This Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding new mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED display in a limited edition. It is the brand's top device and designed to be the single tool required to explore almost any location and track all your movements.

This makes it an very expensive proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED version and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm variant with microLED screen – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.

You do receive a significant functionality for your money, with best-in-class fitness, movement and adventure tracking. Its complete offline mapping of the globe can seamlessly direct you return to the trail if you lose your way absent a phone, and look excellent on the large, sharp and high-luminance display.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. But the 47mm OLED version as reviewed does have an extra day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, lasting a solid eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Texting, Calls and Live Tracking

Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, as with other wearables. However in contrast to competing satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not included for no cost.

Rather, plans start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack position tracking – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or comparable activities – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.

Check-ins and texts via orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans including various quotas of satellite use, increasing to a £50 a month all-inclusive subscription. The watch includes a 30-day trial period 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 can not use it for playing music or similar tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, dispatch texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.

Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a arbitrary phone number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or spoken messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is sufficient to register for texts.

Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of customisable 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 want to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than ideal.

LiveTrack is the handiest function. You can set it up to on its own send a URL to chosen contacts every time you start an activity, so they can follow your live position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race performance, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to be aware of your location in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of good LTE coverage.

These features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the orbital activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.

A on-screen assistance shows you how to find the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is essential to note that orbital service is limited to the US mainland, the majority of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is typically repairable with services available via the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its initial power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin provides disposal programs on recent 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 subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Conclusion

The Fenix 8 Pro builds on a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with orbital communication, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an increasingly impressive adventure tool for those that desire 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 requiring additional gear.

This is quite liberating to be outdoors without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach service to enable the features. At least it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with any make of smartphone and carrier.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, cycling or hiking, but nevertheless desires to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Advantages: LTE and satellite messaging, super-bright OLED display, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and offline commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre diving, physical controls and touchscreen.

Cons: very costly, LTE and satellite functions require monthly payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, basic smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.