I still believe that in most cases and most places, the only really essential navigation device is a good map.
However, in June of 2021, I purchased a Garmin 66i. This is an inReach rescue device and a top tier Garmin GPS device put together as a single unit. I bought it to get the inReach device, but thought it would be fun to also play with one of these "new fangled" GPS devices.
NOTE: It is August 2, 2025 and the unit seems to have failed. See below under "busted". Dead after 4 years of use. This now sells for $420, so that is about $100 per year.
Given the functionality of an inReach device, they are currently the clear choice. Everyone I know who once carried a "SPOT" device has now upgraded to an inReach.
I'll not here that once I got the OSM (Open Street Map) maps on the 66i, it was like an entirely different unit. As far as I am concerned, doing this is essential.
Tom's backpacking pages / tom@mmto.org