Last year I tested three smartwatches with satellite connectivity (including the Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro), but the new inReach Mini 3 Plus offers a different form factor with a larger display for photo messages, longer battery life, improved antenna and satellite support, and a siren. In addition, the Mini 3 Plus is priced $700 less
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Voice note functionality has been important while running to capture my thoughts and experiences to share later. On the Mini 3 Plus, I recorded a few voice notes while alpine skiing to document the conditions on the slopes, details for a couple of nice folks I met on the chair lift, and to-dos that popped into my head when I rode the lifts by myself.
Unfortunately, while you can listen to voice notes on the inReach Mini 3 Plus, you have to manually connect the device to a computer to offload the voice recordings via a file explorer.
Voice commands are also supported on the Mini 3 Plus and are a great option for quickly performing a few tasks without navigation via the buttons or touchscreen. Supported actions include sending check-ins, reading your messages, start/stop activities and tracking, turn on/off the siren, and managing brightness and volume on the device. Simply press and hold the top right (OK) button to initiate voice commands.
I was surprised by how much I used the touchscreen to navigate the device’s features, but I rarely used touch on the tiny pop-up keyboard to enter text for messages. I sent nearly every message as a voice message thanks to the included microphone.
Messaging back and forth with family and friends via voice messaging from a small device like this is an effortless experience that also captures the tone and emotions of the sender better than standard text.
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
The color memory-in-pixel display performs well outdoors and is the type of display I would have preferred on the Fenix 8 Pro smartwatch to achieve better battery life. Color is nice for viewing photos, quickly understanding different weather icons, viewing areas of emphasis on the display (red on the compass to help you track your direction), and discerning features on the maps.
While the messaging experience is outstanding, the mapping and navigation features are fairly basic. If you have set routes or tracks, the experience is fine, but if you are hiking or running without a route, use the Garmin Explore app on your phone for a more detailed mapping experience.
can now serve as my primary communication device while up in the mountains, letting me relegate my phone to capturing photos and videos. The peace of mind with a rugged device with long battery life is worth it and I’m excited to explore more of the outdoors with the inReach Mini 3 Plus secured to my pack.
