Swiss firm Garmin has introduced a GPS smartwatch with satellite and cellular connectivity so athletes and adventurers can leave their phone behind and still stay in touch.

The Fēnix8 Pro series features the firm’s InReach technology for satellite and cellular connectivity and has a high-resolution micro-LED display to improve readability.

“Fēnix 8 Pro is changing the game for smartwatches,” said Susan Lyman, Garmin (www.garmin.com) vice president. “This new lineup is full of breakthrough innovations, bringing life-changing InReach technology to the wrist to help keep athletes and adventurers in touch with their family and friends and introducing the first-ever ultra-bright micro-LED display to a smartwatch so users can see their maps, stats, health and wellness metrics and more like never before.”

The satellite communications are powered by technology from Californian firm Skylo Technologies.

“This is what satellite connectivity should feel like – seamless, invisible, available when you need it,” said Tarun Gupta, chief product officer of Skylo Technologies (www.skylo.tech). “We’re proud to help Garmin unlock a new category of devices that are lighter, smarter and connected when it matters most. Whether you’re scaling peaks or hiking on trails, Skylo helps keep Garmin customers connected, even far from cellular coverage.”

Designed for those pursuits that make it impractical to carry a phone, Fēnix 8 Pro uses InReach technology (www.garmin.com/en-GB/inreach-technology-for-watches) to let explorers exchange messages and send location check-ins. Wearers can send and receive text messages with those using the Garmin Messenger app on their smartphone or compatible Garmin smartwatch. And they can send location updates to family and friends so they can keep track of trip progress.

It can be used to make phone calls, send voice messages, share LiveTrack links and view weather forecasts when connected to an LTE network. Users can access current weather conditions and multiday forecasts to stay prepared for what’s ahead.

When an SOS is triggered, Fēnix 8 Pro will send a message over satellite or cellular connectivity to the Garmin Response centre, where emergency response coordinators are ready at any time. From there, Garmin Response will communicate with the user, their listed emergency contacts, search and rescue organisations, and other available local resources. They provide updates to users and emergency contacts on the response effort, including confirmation when help is on the way, and remain available as the incident is being resolved. With nearly two decades of experience, the Garmin Response team has supported more than 17,000 InReach incident responses in more than 150 countries on all seven continents.

Offering brightness in detail, the micro LED has more than 400,000 individual LEDs delivering up to 4500nits. The result is a display that produces rich colours and high pixel densities with wide viewing angles and better readability, even in direct sunlight.

All models are dive-rated and have leakproof metal buttons, a metal sensor guard cover, AMOLED or micro-LED touchscreen displays, and titanium bezels, plus an LED flashlight to help in dark environments.

Built for wherever the adventure leads, Fēnix 8 Pro (www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1701921/pn/010-03198-00) is loaded with Garmin’s performance, navigation, health and wellness, and connected features, including endurance score, hill score, daily suggested workouts, preloaded TopoActive maps, dynamic round-trip routing, ECG app, sleep coach, Garmin Pay, safety and tracking features, and more.

The AMOLED version comes in 47 and 51mm sizes, and gets up to 27 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. Fēnix 8 Pro micro LED comes in a 51mm size and gets up to ten days of battery life in smartwatch mode. Both models are available to purchase this month with prices starting at $1200.

• Garmin has announced the Edge 550 and 850 (www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1630737/), compact cycling computers to help riders better prepare and train for an event or goal. By tracking their progress through adaptive coach plans, cyclists can feel their best going into race day. In-ride, smart fuelling alerts offer custom nutrition and hydration recommendations while real-time weather overlays keep riders informed from start to finish.

Boasting a bright and colourful display, they are also responsive and feature fast, smooth map redraw while navigating. And with up to 36 hours of ride time in battery saver mode and up to 12 hours in demanding use cases, these cycling computers can support cyclists through their longest rides.