Garmin has announced the latest version of its compact satellite communicator, the inReach Mini 3 Plus, adding voice and photo messaging to the well-known SOS and tracking device.
The Mini 3 Plus, unveiled in Southampton in December, is aimed at people heading beyond mobile-phone coverage, including those on remote dive trips and liveaboards. It features a colour touchscreen plus built-in speaker and microphone so users can exchange short voice messages, texts and photos over the Iridium satellite network.
According to Garmin, the device can run for up to 330 hours in 10-minute tracking mode, allowing it to stay powered across multi-day or multi-leg expeditions without regular recharging.
Susan Lyman, Garmin’s vice president of consumer sales and marketing, said: ‘We understand just how important it is to stay connected during both short and long adventures, and that’s why we are excited to bring even more communication tools to the inReach Mini 3 Plus.’
New communication features
The main additions over previous models centre on how users can keep in touch:
- Voice messaging: two-way 30-second voice messages sent directly from the device.
- Voice message transcription: incoming voice messages can be displayed as text on-screen when it is not practical to listen to audio.
- Touchscreen texting: text messages up to 1,600 characters, emojis, reactions and group chats can be sent from the device.
- Photo sharing: when paired with the Garmin Messenger app, users can receive photos from home and send images from the field.
- LiveTrack location sharing: friends and family can follow progress with distance, time and elevation data.
SOS support and tracking
As with previous inReach models, the Mini 3 Plus can send an interactive SOS if the user gets into trouble. Alerts go to the Garmin Response centre, where a 24/7 team co-ordinates with local search-and-rescue providers and the user’s emergency contacts.
Photo and voice messages can also be shared during an SOS, giving coordinators extra context about what has happened. Garmin says its Response team has supported more than 18,000 inReach incident responses in over 150 countries.
The unit is built to IP67 standards, with an impact-resistant design and operation in extreme temperatures. When paired with the Garmin Explore app, users can plan trips, follow courses to a destination and navigate back along a recorded track.
The inReach Mini 3 Plus is available now with a suggested retail price of £439.99. More information is available at www.garmin.com.
