Had an Garmin InReach SE (cheaper yellow one) for 15 mo. Really like it to keep in touch with my wife, brothers etc. Also great for coordinating bush plane pick up flights, getting weather forecasts from my wife, extending a hunt on the fly with the outfitter 4,000 km away, etc. I see most guides, outfitters, air taxis using InReaches preferentially to Sat phones. No garbled messages, instantly get the coordinates of the other party, etc.
Battery life on my unit is great. Just used 16% of the battery on a 10 day excursion (hunt) in the NWT. I turned it on several times a day to check for messages and send a few out. It is really easy on batteries....but my iPhone 7 paired with it using the Garmin Earthmate app and Bluetooth really burns batteries. I also use the phone as my camera and GPS with the GAIA app and otherwise turn it off. I had to charge it twice on the hunt and my $20 6700mah battery charge pack from Walmart keeps on doing the job.
I have a flexible plan that I can change 12 times per year. If I am hunting off the grid I get the unlimited text plan and otherwise run with a plan to pay by the text...basically having it as an emergency device.
If I was buying today I'd get the Garmin Mini InReach. It does everything I want and weighs half of what the SE weighs, with half the battery life, which would be enough for me.
Good luck with it.
