What you need to know
- The Garmin InReach Mini 3 is an SOS satellite communicator handheld that weighs 4.4 ounces and lasts up to two weeks per charge.
- It lets you send or receive 30-second voice clips, text using a 1.9-inch MIP touch display, send photos via your phone, or transmit your LiveTrack location.
- It adds new features like Voice Commands, multi-band GPS, and a passcode.
- It doesn't support cellular connectivity and requires an InReach satellite subscription starting at $7.99/month.
As exciting as it was when the Fenix 8 Pro added LTE and satellite in a compact wearable device, its $1,200+ price tag made it a tough sell, and its small size limits areas like battery life. Now, Garmin is launching the InReach Mini 3 Plus, an SOS satellite handheld communicator that may be a more practical option for serious backpackers who spend time in cellular dead zones.
Unlike past InReach models like the Messenger Plus or Mini 2, the InReach Mini 3 Plus has a touch display that spreads across most of its body, in addition to the usual nav buttons. This will make menuing and sending messages on the device significantly easier, where before you had to tap through letters one at a time.
The Mini 3 Plus packs in a mic and speaker, letting you send short voice messages or record voice memos via the device, then hear your loved ones' replies, all over satellite. It can also send photos, though you'll need your phone to capture and upload them to the Messenger app.
The Fenix 8 Pro, by contrast, can only send text messages, check-ins, and SOS alerts — no photos or voice memos. And while the InReach Messenger Plus can send voice memos, too, you have to use your phone, while the Mini 3 Plus works even if your phone battery dies.
Garmin uses the mic & speaker to enable voice commands, too, letting you trigger certain features like check-ins or turning on LiveTrack without needing to use the touchscreen. We're curious to see how well this feature works, as voice commands can be hit-or-miss on Garmin watches.
Like most InReach devices and GPSMAP handhelds, the InReach Mini 3 Plus has an SOS button that sends an emergency message and your GPS location to a 24/7 Garmin Response team. What's new is access to the touchscreen to make replies to responders easier, as well as multi-band GPS frequency for more accurate location data.
It's also the first InReach device we know of to have an MIL-STD-810 rating for thermal, shock, and water damage, with an IP67 rating instead of IPX7 for the Messenger Plus and Mini 2. This should help it survive falls, though the display only has "chemically strengthened glass."
Outside of emergencies, you can have the Mini 3 Plus send LiveTrack location data to trusted contacts. Garmin says it'll last for 350 hours (about 14 days) with ten-minute check-in intervals, or 95 hours in "performance" mode with more frequent messages.
In terms of what the Mini 3 Plus can do besides satellite messaging, you can sync it with the Garmin Explore app, where you'll create GPX courses for you to follow with turn-by-turn navigation. You can also check weather forecasts or satellite imagery using the app.
The Garmin InReach Mini 3 Plus starts at $499.99, or $449 for a version without photo and voice messaging. If that price feels a little high, the InReach Mini 2 is $150 off with a leftover Cyber Monday deal, down to $249; the InReach Messenger Plus is also $150 off if you want photo and video messaging via your phone.
