Garmin Venu 2

Garmin Venu 2

The Garmin Venu 2 is full featured smartwatch released in April 2021. The Venu 2 is an upgrade of to the popular Garmin Venu. The Venu 2 is only a small evolutionary improvement over the original. Garmin actually has launched 2 versions of this watch, the larger Venu 2 and a smaller version named the Venu 2S.

Unfortunately Garmin does not disclose the chipset used for the Venu 2. That being said, the watch does not show any noticeable lag and apps load quickly. Garmin has also upgraded the user interface which looks better and is more modern than the original Venu.

This Garmin Venu 2 is using the proprietary operating system for Garmin smartwatches. While there are some available apps, the number is minimal and you do not have access to a large 3rd party app store such as the Google Play Store. This is a significant disadvantage and is common drawback for any smartwatch using a proprietary operating system.

Venu, Venu 2 and Venu 2S Comparison

The following table summarizes the key differences between the original Venu vs the new Venu 2 and the smaller Venu 2S. The key differences are size and battery life.

AreaVenuVenu 2Venu 2S
Size 43.2mm45.4mm40.4mm
Thickness12.4mm12.2mm12.1mm
Band Size20mm22mm18mm
Display Size1.2mm1.3mm1.1mm
Resolution390 x 390p416 x 416p360 x 360p
Weight46.3g49.0g38.2 g
Battery Life5 days11 days10 days
Battery SaverN/A12 days11 days
Music Storage3GB7GB7GB
Health SnapshotNoYesYes
ColorsBlack, Silver, Gold, RoseBlack, SilverBlack, Silver, Gold, Rose
Garmin Venu vs Venu 2 vs Venu 2S

Design

The Garmin Venu 2 has a circular watch face design which is nearly identical to the original Venu. The watch is attractive looking but the plastic case is disappointing at this high price point. The Venu 2 is available in black and silver while the 2S comes in black, silver, gold or rose gold

Garmin Venu 2 and 2S Colors
Garmin Venu 2 Colors and Venu 2S Colors

This Venu 2 is on the larger size at 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm and weighs 49g. The 12.2 mm thickness is on the larger size and could be uncomfortable for some to wear while sleeping. The smaller Venu 2S is more comfortable if you have smaller wrists.

The Venu 2 comes with a 22mm silicone interchangeable strap (18mm for the 2S). The silicone strap is is good quality and is comfortable.

You can interact with the watch using the touchscreen and 2 physical buttons. The touchscreen works very well with no lag. Fonts, menus and icons can easily be read and navigation is not too complex.

The Venu 2 has a 5ATM water resistance rating which allows for swimming and showers. Unlike many smartwatches that exaggerate their water resistance, Garmin watches match their water resistance rating and can be used for swimming and showers.

Screen

While most Garmin smartwatches have unimpressive screens, the Garmin Venu 2 uses a very nice 1.3″ AMOLED touchscreen with 416 x 416 pixels. Only the Garmin Venu and Venu 2 have AMOLED screens. Indoors the display is excellent while outdoors it is acceptable but not great.

Like the original Garmin Venu, the Venu 2 uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to protect the screen. The bezel around the watch should provide some additional protection but it is too early to tell long term durability and how well this screen will stand up to day to day use.

The watch has an always on screen option but this has a significant impact on battery life. The watch allows for custom watchfaces which is a nice feature.

Battery

Garmin claims that typical usage battery life is 11 days, watch mode battery life is 12 days and GPS mode battery life is 1 days. Real world battery life is approximately 6-7 days, while not best in class, is reasonable. Battery life is highly dependent on what features you will be using.

Connectivity Features

From a connectivity perspective, the Venu 2 has good functionality and can receive and respond to notifications from the watch when using an Android phone. You cannot respond to notifications if you are using an iPhone. The watch comes with WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth v4.0 and Ant+. Ant+ allows you to pair optional Garmin devices (foot pod, club speed, bike speed, etc) to your Venu 2.

The Venu 2 does not have a speaker or microphone and does not have the ability to answer or place calls via Bluetooth. This is a surprising omission considering the high price tag of this watch

The Venu 2 does not have a camera and does not have cellular connectivity. On the positive side, it does come with built-in GPS. Like most Garmin smartwatches, GPS connectivity is fast and accuracy while not perfect is fairly good.

Finally, Near Field Communication (NFC) is supported and you can use this smartwatch to make payments using Garmin Pay. While this is a nice feature it only works with certain banks and cards. While coverage is good in the US, it is not that good in other countries. Check the list of banks on the Garmin site to confirm your bank is covered.

Garmin Venu 2 Garmin Pay
Garmin Pay

Health and Fitness Features

The Venu 2 comes with 8 sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Ambient light, Compass, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Pulse Oximeter (SpO2), Temperature. These cover quite a bit of fitness functions and even some health areas. These sensors allow you to track the following 12 metrics: Blood Oxygen Level, Calories, Distance, Fitness Level, Heart Rate, Incidental Fall, Menstrual Cycle, Sleep, Steps, Stress, Swimming, VO2 Max.

A new feature added is the Garmin Health Snapshot which runs a 2 minute analysis on heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen level, respiration and stress. This generates a report on the Garmin Connect app and can be shared.

Garmin Venu 2 Health Snapshot
Garmin Health Snapshot

Heart rate accuracy, is good but not perfect albeit fairly accurate for a smartwatch. Sleep tracking is also quite good. While tracking and data capture is good for this watch, the on watch metrics are displayed poorly or in the case of sleep tracking not at all. You will need to use the app to view and utilize the data. Also included are 20 different sports modes.

Also included are 25 different sports modes. The strength training mode shows which muscles are being worked out exercises in the program.

Garmin Venu 2 Advanced Strength Training
Garmin Venu 2 Strength Training

There is also an animated workout option which shows you how to correctly perform exercises. The animated workouts currently cover cardio, strength, yoga, Pilates and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts.

Garmin Venu 2 Animated Workouts
Garmin Venu 2 Animated Workouts

Garmin Connect App

The Garmin Venu 2 uses the Garmin Connect app, which is very good particularly for fitness and sports tracking. The app is not cluttered, easy to navigate and works quite well. Overall this arguably the best health and fitness app available today. Many people put up with the rudimentary watch experience and enjoy the excellent app. You can see how the Garmin Connect app ranks on our Smartwatch Apps Page.

Known Issues

As this watch has just recently been released, there are no common known issues.

Verdict

The Garmin Venu 2 is a small improvement over the original Garmin Venu. Decent battery life, excellent app and NFC with Garmin Pay are positives. Limited 3rd party apps, no speaker or microphone are biggest drawbacks. The price is also quite high given the plastic case and some of the drawbacks.

Specifications

General

Read Review
Watch Type Full Featured Smartwatch
Gender Unisex
Release Date April 2021
Operating System Proprietary - Other
App Garmin Connect
Supported Devices Android 5.0+, iOS 11.0+
Processor Not Disclosed

Design

Shape Circular
Case Size 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm
Case Material Plastic
Weight 49g
Strap Width 22 mm
Strap Material Silicone
Interchangeable Strap Yes
Watch Colors Black, Silver
Input Touchscreen, 2 Buttons
Water Resistance 5 ATM

Screen

Screen Size 1.3"
Screen Type AMOLED Touchscreen
Resolution 416 x 416
Pixels per Inch Not disclosed
Always On Yes
Custom Faces Yes
Screen Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Battery

Typical Usage Battery Life (Days) 11
Watch Mode Battery Life (Days) 12
GPS Mode Battery Life (Days) 1
Charging System Dock
Capacity Not Disclosed

Features

Notifications Recieve Notifications and Respond
Bluetooth v4.0, ANT+
Bluetooth Calling No
Bluetooth Music Yes
Speaker No
Microphone No
Camera No
Cellular No
GPS GPS (US), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU)
Near Field Communication (NFC) Yes
Payments Garmin Pay
WiFi Yes
Voice Command No
Memory 7GB
Sensors Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Pulse Oximeter (SpO2), Temperature
Tracking Blood Oxygen Level, Calories, Distance, Fitness Level, Heart Rate, Incidental Fall, Menstrual Cycle, Sleep, Steps, Stress, Swimming, VO2 Max
Sport Modes 25
Automatic Workout Detection No
Warranty 12 Months

Summary

Unique Features 75 animated workouts
2 minute Health Snapshot
Advantages Good fitness and sports apps
Can respond to notifications
NFC with Garmin Pay
Nice AMOLED screen
Disadvantages Limited third-party apps
No speaker or microphone
High price
Verdict A small improvement over the original Venu. Decent battery life, excellent app and NFC with Garmin Pay are positives. Limited 3rd party apps, no speaker and no microphone are biggest drawbacks.

Published: April 25, 2021

Garmin Venu 2 - WatchSmarty
Garmin Venu 2

The Garmin Venu 2 is full featured smartwatch released in April 2021. The Venu 2 is an upgrade of to the popular Garmin Venu. The Venu 2 is only a small evolutionary improvement over the original. Garmin actually has launched 2 versions of this watch, the larger Venu 2 and a smaller version named the Venu 2S.

Product SKU: Garmin Venu 2

Product Brand: Garmin

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 400

Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01

Product In-Stock: SoldOut

Editor's Rating:
6.6