Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro series finally lets you leave your phone at home — sort of

There are a fewer caveats to the cellular and outer connectivity, however.

Garmin conscionable announced its Fenix 8 Pro bid of smartwatches, which adds some cellular and outer connectivity via the company’s InReach tech. The Fenix 8 Pro bid besides adds a MicroLED show mentation that gets a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. The drawback is the watches volition start astatine $1,199.99, with the MicroLED mentation going for an eye-watering $1,999.99.

The large quality present is adding cellular and outer connectivity means Fenix 8 Pro users won’t request to transportation their phones. There are, however, a fewer caveats arsenic Garmin volition beryllium utilizing LTE-M networks. According to its website, that means these watches volition person “a information transportation but not a telephone number, and cannot marque accepted dependable calls oregon nonstop SMS messages.” For those capabilities, you’ll person to either telephone other Fenix 8 Pro users oregon radical who person downloaded the Garmin Messenger app, which was introduced past year.

That said, cellular connectivity does fto you nonstop 30-second dependable messages via the Messenger app, let users to nonstop LiveTrack determination sharing, and entree real-time upwind forecasts. Similarly, outer connectivity volition let users to nonstop and person substance messages via Garmin Messenger and determination check-ins. SOS requests tin beryllium sent implicit some outer and cellular via the Garmin Response center, which volition past guardant that accusation to exigency services, hunt and rescue organizations, and exigency contacts.

And of course, cellular and outer connectivity volition necessitate an progressive subscription, which volition commencement astatine $7.99 per month. Garmin spokesperson Natalie Miller told The Verge that the InReach activation interest would beryllium waived for Fenix 8 Pro owners, and determination volition beryllium a escaped 30-day proceedings for first-time users. But LTE web entree and outer sum aren’t disposable successful each countries. (You tin cheque wherever sum is disposable here.)

Smartwatch connectivity has been 1 country wherever Garmin has struggled to vie with competitors similar the Apple Watch Ultra oregon Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. While Garmin has the amended estimation among athletes for durability, grooming features, and artillery life, Apple and Samsung could connection phone-free experiences and information assurances acknowledgment to cellular. Garmin’s implementation present isn’t perfect, but it makes consciousness fixed the trouble smaller companies acquisition erstwhile negotiating deals with carriers. This method relies mostly connected Garmin’s existing InReach infrastructure and astatine slightest starts to code that gap. Previously, the lone Garmin watches that offered immoderate connectivity was the Forerunner 945 LTE, which was released successful 2021, and its Bounce kids tracker.

On the hardware broadside of things, the Fenix 8 Pro bid volition travel successful 2 sizes: 47mm and 51mm. The OLED versions of the watches volition get an estimated 27 days of artillery life. The 47mm volition outgo $1,199.99 and the 51mm volition outgo $1,299.99. The $1,999.99 MicroLED mentation volition lone beryllium disposable successful the 51mm size, and volition get up to 10 days of artillery life. All 3 watches volition beryllium disposable starting September 8th.