The Garmin Venu 2 Plus has been making waves in the smartwatch market, promising a robust feature set for fitness enthusiasts. However, with a hefty price tag of Rs. 46,990 in India, it faces stiff competition from established players like the Apple Watch Series 7. This begs the question: Is the Garmin Venu 2 Plus a worthy investment, or is it simply a niche offering in a crowded market? We delve into its design, software, performance, and battery life to see if it truly delivers on its promise of a comprehensive fitness experience.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus Design and Features
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus boasts a sleek and stylish circular design, featuring a 1.3-inch AMOLED display housed within a metallic bezel. Unlike its competitors, it’s only available in a single 43mm dial size, which might be too small or too big for some users. The watch feels premium in hand thanks to its textured bezel and polycarbonate case. Its three buttons on the right and the speaker on the left contribute to its ergonomic design. The standard 20mm straps can be easily swapped out using the quick-release pins, allowing for personalization.
For those prioritizing health tracking, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus packs a punch. Its metal underbody houses a suite of health sensors for measuring critical parameters like heart rate and SpO2 levels. This design also accommodates the charging contacts, making the charging process smooth and fumble-free.
Weighing in at 51g, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus is noticeably heavier than the Apple Watch Series 7. Despite this, the strap is designed to provide a secure fit and prevent skin irritation. The watch’s 5ATM water resistance rating allows for swim tracking, making it suitable for a wide range of activities.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus Software, Features, and Ecosystem
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus runs on proprietary software and seamlessly integrates with both Android and iOS devices. While Android users can access all its features, iPhone users have limited functionality, including the inability to reply to messages. The smartwatch boasts a built-in speaker and microphone for answering calls, although you might need to hold it close to your ear for clear sound. It also supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing it to connect to known networks independently. However, unlike the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series, it lacks cellular connectivity.
Pairing the Garmin Venu 2 Plus with either an Android or iOS smartphone via the Garmin Connect app is a breeze. The app’s dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of your health parameters, including steps, floors climbed, heart rate, Body Battery, stress level, and sleep details. You can delve deeper into each statistic for a detailed analysis. The app also offers a calendar view for a quick snapshot of your fitness data.
Garmin Connect empowers you to participate in fitness challenges, create custom workouts, and even compete with friends. You can also use it to personalize your watch face, customize quick shortcuts, set activity goals, and toggle various tracking features.
On the watch itself, you can swipe up or down on the home screen to access Glances – widgets that showcase information like SpO2 levels, heart rate, sleep statistics, and more. A dedicated widget aggregates all notifications from your paired smartphone, allowing you to quickly review them. However, interacting with these notifications requires an additional step. While the UI is initially overwhelming due to its navigation scheme, it becomes more intuitive with regular use.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus Performance and Battery Life
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus consistently impressed during our three-week evaluation period. We tracked our daily walks, compared the results with an Apple Watch Series 7 for accuracy, and monitored various health parameters.
The Venu 2 Plus utilizes its built-in GPS for tracking outdoor exercises. Acquiring a GPS signal typically took less than 30 seconds, ensuring accurate distance tracking. The watch consistently recorded 1km for every 1km walked, demonstrating its precision. Step tracking was equally reliable, with the watch displaying 999 steps for every 1,000 manually counted.
Continuous heart rate tracking was accurate, rivaling the Apple Watch Series 7, and the Venu 2 Plus quickly detected heart rate changes during workouts. The SpO2 readings matched those of a medical-grade pulse oximeter, emphasizing its accuracy. While SpO2 tracking is disabled by default, you can enable it for continuous monitoring throughout the day.
Sleep tracking was another highlight. The Garmin Venu 2 Plus precisely captured different sleep phases (deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and waking periods) and even allows for SpO2 tracking during sleep. The watch also monitors stress levels, providing insights that align with our daily experiences. It’s worth noting that the sheer volume of health data can be overwhelming at times, and Garmin could benefit from streamlining data presentation for a more user-friendly experience. Perhaps personalized insights within the app could simplify data interpretation for novice smartwatch users.
Battery life is a significant advantage of the Garmin Venu 2 Plus. With our testing scenario, which involved daily evening walks, smartphone notifications, continuous heart rate monitoring, and sleep tracking, the watch consistently lasted around six days on a single charge. This significantly outperforms the Apple Watch Series 7, which required charging every other day. While continuous SpO2 tracking and the always-on display feature are expected to reduce battery life, the Venu 2 Plus still provides a considerable advantage. The supplied charging cable and a 10W power adapter enabled a 45 percent charge in 30 minutes, with a full charge taking approximately an hour.
Verdict:
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus proves to be a powerful smartwatch for fitness enthusiasts, offering comprehensive health tracking capabilities spanning a wide range of parameters. Its compatibility with both Android and iOS devices provides a versatile solution. The impressive battery life further enhances its value proposition.
However, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus’ Rs. 46,990 price tag puts it in a premium category, potentially limiting its appeal to a niche audience. The lack of LTE connectivity could also deter some buyers, particularly those seeking a fully independent smartwatch experience.
Ultimately, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus is a compelling option for athletes and fitness enthusiasts seeking detailed workout and health data. If you prioritize a simpler user interface with fewer health parameters, the Apple Watch Series 7 might be a better alternative. Budget-conscious users may want to consider the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or the Apple Watch SE, both of which provide robust fitness features at a lower price point.
