Garmin Debuts High-End Sports Watch Ahead of Apple’s New Model

Garmin Ltd. on Wednesday unveiled an upgraded, top-of-the-line rugged smartwatch for hikers, days before Apple Inc.’s expected update to its own high-end timepiece.

The new Garmin model, the Fenix 8 Pro, has a suite of communications tools meant for athletes and other people spending time outdoors, the company said in a statement. The watch uses a combination of satellite and cellular connectivity to summon emergency response teams, send and receive text messages, share location updates, make and receive voice calls, leave 30-second voice messages and load weather forecasts.