Garmin’s New Satellite Communicator Adds A Touchscreen And Photo Sharing

Garmin announced a caller type of its inReach outer communicator pinch awesome upgrades that grow and amended nan ways you tin support successful touch while you’re adventuring extracurricular cellphone coverage. The caller inReach Mini 3 Plus now features a colour show pinch touchscreen capabilities and adds sound messaging, longer matter messages, and nan expertise to nonstop and person photos.

The inReach Mini 3 Plus is disposable now for $499.99 which is simply a sizeable value bump from nan $399.99 inReach Mini 2 that debuted successful 2022. And while immoderate of nan Mini 3 Plus’ functionality for illustration navigation will activity correct retired of nan box, nan outer connection features require an further Garmin inReach monthly subscription that scope successful value from $7.99 to $49.99 and alteration by nan number of messages you tin send.

Sending civilization matter messages utilizing nan older’s Mini 2’s buttons to scroll done nan alphabet was an arduous process. We haven’t gone hands-on pinch nan instrumentality yet, but arsenic smartphones person demonstrated, nan Mini 3 Plus’ touchscreen perchance makes matter messaging overmuch easier, peculiarly erstwhile taking advantage of nan caller 1,600 characteristic limit. Sending and receiving 30 2nd sound messages could beryllium moreover easier. The Mini 3 Plus has a built-in microphone and speaker, and for those times erstwhile you’re retired successful nan chaotic and don’t want to scare distant nan wildlife, sound recordings tin alternatively beryllium transcribed and read.

Sending and receiving photos is besides a useful caller feature, and not conscionable for sharing a beautiful sunset. While nan Mini 3 Plus doesn’t person a camera, it tin brace to a smartphone utilizing nan Garmin Messenger app truthful you could nonstop a photograph of your location to assistance pinch a rescue, aliases an image of a surgery portion of instrumentality you request thief fixing. 

Battery life is rated astatine up to 350 hours erstwhile utilizing nan instrumentality to stock your existent location each 10 minutes, aliases up to 95 hours successful “performance messaging mode” erstwhile you’re really taking advantage of each nan caller features. If you don’t deliberation you’ll request features for illustration sound messaging, transcriptions, and photograph sharing, Garmin besides sells a somewhat cheaper type called nan inReach Mini 3 for $449.99 that still has a colour touchscreen and matter messaging capabilities.