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The latest iteration of Garmin's flagship Fenix outdoor watch introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free communication and SOS messaging using 4G LTE or orbital links.

This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously outstanding Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile technology, along with an available state-of-the-art microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's top model and engineered to be the only gadget needed to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.

This makes it an extremely expensive proposition, 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 variant with microLED screen – nearly twice the price of the standard Fenix 8.

Users receive a significant features for your investment, with industry-leading fitness, movement and adventure monitoring. The full offline maps of the world can automatically guide you back to the path if you lose your way without a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, sharp and high-luminance touchscreen.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the smaller 43mm version available in other devices, so it is a big watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as tested does have an additional day of smartwatch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charges.

No-Phone Texting, Calling and Live Tracking

Garmin uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service instead of depending on a watch plan linked to your phone provider, as with other wearables. But in contrast to Apple or Google's satellite-enabled devices, emergency messaging is not provided for no cost.

Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or similar a month, which includes limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your friends or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or similar activities – along with SOS satellite SOS messaging.

Check-ins and texts via orbital are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including various quotas of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the service.

After you have completed setup, you simply venture outside without your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and friends.

Whenever you message someone, Garmin dispatches them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or voice messages, and make voice calls. Your recipient is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, only a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.

Messaging on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the small on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It has a set of customisable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with most wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the quality is less than ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to selected contacts every time you begin an activity, so they can follow your live location on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition performance, but it mostly serves as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has generally worked well, though the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.

All of these features are accessible on other Garmin watches if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE lacks coverage, the orbital kicks in on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location check-ins and emergency SOS.

A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then sends and receives messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly straightforward to use and could be a crucial lifeline, though it is essential to note that satellite service is restricted to the US continent, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is typically serviceable with options offered through the support portal. The battery is rated to maintain at least 90% of its original capacity after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any recycled components. Garmin provides recycling schemes on new purchases.

Cost

The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach subscription plans begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Conclusion

This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic outdoor watch in the regular Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – along with satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re without signal.

Outcome is an increasingly impressive outdoor device for those that want to be phone-free. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while running after dark or in the remote areas, the Garmin does so without needing additional gear.

It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability carries a significant price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach plan to enable the features. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and carrier.

The 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 reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Pros: LTE and orbital communication, super-bright OLED display, tracks all activities with premier GPS, integrated flashlight, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.

Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and orbital functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay financial compatibility, speech capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features compared with Apple/Google/Samsung watches.