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The newest iteration of the top-tier Fenix outdoor watch includes a potentially lifesaving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS messaging via 4G LTE or orbital connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro enhances the previously impressive Fenix 8 by adding cutting-edge mobile tech, plus an available advanced microLED display in a special edition. It is the brand's top model and designed to be the only gadget needed to venture virtually any location and track all your movements.

This makes it an very pricey proposition, priced from £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 display – nearly double the price of the regular Fenix 8.

Users get a lot of features for your money, with best-in-class workout, movement and outdoor tracking. Its complete offline maps of the globe can seamlessly direct you back to the path if you get lost absent a phone, and look excellent on the sizable, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.

The Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, not the more compact 43mm size found in other devices, so it is a large watch for larger wrists. But the 47mm OLED model as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life even with the display on all the time, enduring a reliable eight to nine days between charges.

Phone-Free Messaging, Calling and Live Tracking

The company uses its own inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of depending on a watch plan linked 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 equivalent a month, which provides unlimited LTE SMS and audio messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or family can keep an eye on you while out jogging, cycling or comparable pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS messaging.

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

After you have completed setup, you simply venture the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable tasks, but you are able to make and take calls, send texts and overall keep in touch with your relatives and companions.

When you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a random number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger application, you can then communicate reciprocally using typed or voice communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin account to use the Messenger application, just a phone number is enough to register for texts.

Messaging on the watch functions adequately but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is time-consuming. It includes a set of personalizable canned responses you can use to speed things up. Voice recordings and calls work acceptably, although as with the majority of wearables, you’re not going to wish to use it for lengthy conversations as the quality is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the most useful function. You can configure to on its own transmit a link to chosen contacts whenever you start an exercise, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s excellent for following competition performance, but it primarily serves as a utility for someone you rely on to know your location in case something happens. It has typically worked effectively, although the actual position has occasionally been delayed when transitioning in and out of strong LTE signal.

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

A guide displays you how to locate the line of sight to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was surprisingly easy to use and could be a crucial safety feature, though it is essential to remember that satellite service is limited to the US mainland, most of Canada, and the majority of Europe except for regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.

Environmental Impact

The watch is typically serviceable with services offered via the support portal. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of weekly charging. The watch does not contain any reused materials. Garmin offers disposal schemes on recent 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 packages cost from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Conclusion

This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with satellite communication, location update and emergency SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an increasingly impressive adventure device for those that want to be unplugged. If you want to have someone keep an eye on you from afar while exercising after dark or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin accomplishes this without needing anything else.

It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that functionality carries quite a price, both in terms of the substantial cost of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to provide the features. Fortunately it isn’t dependent on your phone carrier so works with any brand of smartphone and network.

The Fenix 8 Pro is a killer device for someone who dislikes being burdened by their phone when jogging, biking or hiking, but nevertheless wants to be trackable and contactable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the superb Fenix 8 already exists.

Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, monitors everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone voice control, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre waterproofing and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touchscreen.

Drawbacks: very costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing subscription, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, speech features are sluggish, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.