inReach Mini, Fenix 5X & general questions

Former Member over 5 years ago

Hello,

I like to travel light, but just last year I got lost in a Canadian forest, amongst the bears, and it made me a bit frightened. So I've been thinking about an inReach. I've had a few Garmin Fenix watches, and I love my Fenix 5x. I'd consider the large inReach, but as I'd like to keep this watch, I've been thinking about getting the inReach mini instead.

Can you leave it plugged into a USB Power bank?
Do you think it's worth waiting for a second revision of it, to sort any issues?
Have any of you been completely satisfied with it?
How difficult is it to replace the battery? Lithiums lose a lot of their maximum capacity as they age (unless they're kept at 40% in storage).

I haven't noticed such a positive response to the inReach mini compared to the larger models, so I'm a bit cautious of it.

0 twolpert over 5 years ago

Yes, you can keep it plugged in to a USB power bank. Depending on your use case, this may or may not be necessary on a continuous basis. However, the Mini does have lower battery capacity than the SE+/Explorer+, so some means of recharging on long trips may be necessary.

There is no telling when or if there will be new hardware for the Mini. Garmin does keep the firmware updated on a regular basis.

The battery is not user-replaceable.