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Garmin Venu with AMOLED Display: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

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Update! Head over to my full Garmin Venu In-Depth Review for all the analysis and testing after months of usage!

I suppose one could simply say that the Garmin Venu was simply just a Vivoactive 4 with a really beautiful vibrant display, but then you’d skip reading over the remaining few thousand words and photos of this post. And nobody would want that, despite how precisely true those words were.

So instead, we’ll step back a bit and explain what the Venu is from a feature standpoint. I’ll show you its extremely strong lineage to the Vivoactive 4 (and the Vivoactive 3 of yesteryear), and show you that despite having an AMOLED display, it still has an always-on screen if you want it. So now there’s no required decision between pretty screen and always-on. Though, in some ways, there still is. And I’ll explain how these days on the Vivoactive/Venu lineup, music comes standard. As does a pile of new features related to other workout types like yoga & pilates with animated step by step workout move instructions, 24×7 respiration rate tracking, estimated sweat loss and finally hydration tracking.

Here’s a complete run-down of all the new features in one quick shot:

So with all that, let’s get straight into the newness. Note that I have had a unit for the last couple of weeks. And normally at this point I’d be doing an in-depth review, but simply put this product isn’t ready to ship. So since it’s not ready yet – I’ll wait for final firmware and hope to complete an in-depth review sometime in September.

What’s new:

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As you’ve probably gathered by now, the Venu is a progression of the Vivoactive lineup. It and the Vivoactive 4 share virtually every feature, with the only differentiating aspects of the Venu are those that are specifically display driven. So such things like higher quality animations and better quality watch faces. In discussing the features with Garmin, there are no non-display associated features that are in Venu that aren’t in Vivoactive 4, or vice versa.

The other thing to note is that previously there were separate editions of the Vivoactive lineup – one for music (e.g. Vivoactive 3 Music), and one for non-music (Vivoactive 3); now that’s all under a single umbrella with music – whether you have Venu or Vivoactive 4. On the flip-side, you now have two different sized units, and things cost more. The pricing is as follows:

US Pricing:
Venu: $399
Vivoactive 4/4S US Pricing: $349

EU Pricing:
Venu: €349 & €379 depending on bezels/buttons
Vivoactive 4S: €279 & €299 depending on bezels/buttons
Vivoactive 4: €299 & €329 depending on bezels/buttons

With that, let’s talk all the new offerings in relation to the past model – the Vivoactive 3:

– Music now standard: Including Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and iHeartRadio
– Venu features 1.2” AMOLED display: Super vibrant, lots of colors
– Venu also adds ‘always-on’ mode despite AMOLED display
– Added ambient light sensor tied to new display
– Added new ‘Live’ Watch faces with small animations
– Added secondary button to side: Used for lap, back, menu access
– Added hydration tracking to manually track liquid intake with widget and app
– Added Estimated Sweat Loss post-workout
– Added Respiration Rate for all-day and sleep metrics (and certain workout types)
– Added Breathwork Exercises (way different than simple breathing stress features)
– Added Workout Animation functionality: For Strength, Cardio, Yoga, Pilates
– Added new Yoga and Pilates Built-in workouts: Includes step by step animations
– Added ability to design Yoga workouts in Garmin Connect: Complete with step by step pose animations
– Added ability to design Pilates workouts in Garmin Connect: Complete with step by step animations
– Added PulseOx for 24×7 blood oxygen tracking
– Revamped health stat widget akin to latest Fenix/Forerunner models
– Switched to Sony GPS chipset like remainder of Garmin 2019 unit lineup
– Switched to Garmin Elevate V3 optical HR sensor
– Connect IQ Developers will have access to create live watch faces
– Battery life at 5 days standby, and 6 hours of GPS+Music

As you can see, the vast majority of new features on the watch are far less focused on the swim/bike/run athlete that’s more common in Garmin’s Forerunner and Fenix lineup, and instead focused on a bit more of the lifestyle athlete that may be more varied in their day to day activity – which to be fair, was always the strength/target of the Vivoactive lineup, as this is within that family.

For those not familiar with the Vivoactive lineup, here’s all the baseline features found on both the Venu & Vivoactive 4:

– GPS tracking of activities (no reliance on phone)
– Workout tracking of range of sports including running, cycling, pool swimming, skiing, golf, gym and many more (full list down below)
– Structured workout support via downloadable workouts
– Quick on the fly intervals
– Training calendar support
– Optical heart rate sensor in watch
– 24×7 tracking of steps, stairs, calories, and distance
– Smartphone notifications from iOS/Android
– Garmin Pay for contactless payments

Ok, with all that out of the way, we’ll dive into the details. But first, one more thing:

Yes, the Garmin Fenix 6 Series & Forerunner 945 will get *all* of the new features noted above (except the display of course, and the live watch faces, which require the AMOLED display). For the Fenix 6 series, that update is slated for here in September, whereas for the Forerunner 945, that update is expected this fall.

Hands-On Details:

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For this post I’m mostly focusing on the new things. In my full in-depth review I’ll cover all the basics of using the watch that are more or less the same on every Garmin watch.

There’s a pretty strong chance that if you’re seeing a review on the Venu, it’s going to start with the watch face. That’s logical for two reasons, first of all – it’s by the prettiest thing on the watch, and second of all – it’s the first thing you see.  You’ll see it above in fact. And, if you check out my video, you’ll even get to see the nifty animation in the first 4 seconds of the video. Again, sexy animations sell. Or something like that.

And, there are even more animations you can choose. They are technically called live watch faces, and you can lightly customize some of them:

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Keep in mind that live watch faces do eat into battery, as you might expect. There are also more boring regular watch faces too.

And it’s about at this point that we should mention what I’d argue is Venu’s most important feature: The ability to turn on the always-on display. See, unlike watches from Apple and Samsung, Garmin joins Fitbit in perhaps a new trend of allowing these AMOLED displays to be left on the entire time. Of course, all of Garmin’s previous watches had always-on displays, but it’s not super common in the fancier display market.

With the Venu you can enable a low-power always-on watch face. Garmin claims about 2-3 days in this watch-face mode, but I think it’s actually a bit better than that depending on your nighttime settings:

DSC_6483 DSC_6484

The reason the night settings matter is that when you’re within the ‘Do not disturb’ window at night (that you’ve configured), it’ll turn off the display entirely. This is a relatively smart move that saves battery life and also keeps the watch from becoming a constant flashlight. Here’s what that reduced watch face looks like (it’s slightly different for each one, and essentially keeps the time in the exact same spot as the original watch face):

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Next, there are the buttons. There’s two of them now, versus the previous single button on the Vivoactive 3. It’s a nice touch, and really makes navigation so much more efficient. Folks coming from other Garmin watches will find it far more natural too:

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The upper right button is the start/stop/confirm/enter type button, whereas the lower right button acts like a back/lap/escape function. As well, obviously, the touch screen is how one would scroll up and down in the various menus. Again, works great.

Next we’ll get into some of the new health features, starting off first with the refreshed and consolidated health stats widget. This falls in line with other Garmin wearables and allows you to see things like heart rate, stress, body battery, and breathing rate in one quick glance:

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There’s also the brilliantly pretty looking heart rate graph. This is one of the few places in the watch that the AMOLED display really shines:

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You’ll find yourself a new hydration tracker widget. The way this works is that you define three ‘vessels’ (or cups, as you see them), and each of these are basically custom containers. So Cup #1 could be an 18oz bottle, cup #2 could be an 8oz cup, and cup #3 could be whatever else you want. Anytime you tap on that cup it automatically adds the appropriate amount of tracked liquid. Presumably it’s water, but perhaps you’re going for an extensive bar hopping adventure in Dublin and really want to know how many pints you’ve drunk.

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All of this can be customized to metric instead of cups, by the way. And you can add water within Garmin Connect Mobile and it should merge together (right now that’s not working for me). The whole point of this is largely water tracking. For those trying to lose weight, one of the best ways to support that is drinking lots of water (for a variety of reasons that Google can help on). You’ll see your goal progress (as defined in settings on the app) around the outside, and a little animation when you achieve it.

DSC_6491

Garmin is approaching this feature much like the female menstrual tracking functionality they added this past spring in that it’s technically a Connect IQ widget that’s pre-loaded onto the Venu/Vivoactive 4 watches, but expect to see it expanded quickly.

2019-09-05 10.34.22 2019-09-05 10.34.27 2019-09-05 10.34.34

Next there’s the new breathwork features. Now, unlike typical “slowly breath in and out” features we’ve seen on various watches, this is at an entirely different level of breathwork, often called mindful breathing. For you endurance athletes, think of this like the mother of all structured workouts. And in fact, you’ll find it under the workouts section:

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It’s here you can choose a specific breathing technique:

DSC_6494DSC_6493

Once you’ve done that, it has all the steps listed. Seriously, some of these have repeats that list ‘35x’. Imagine if you had a track workout that said ‘Repeat 35 times’. Yikes.

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And then it’ll guide you through those steps, with the count-down timer around the edge.

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Now in certain activities you’ll also get the new respiration rate data. The new respiration rate feature does not require a heart rate strap, and is working constantly behind the scenes within the optical HR sensor to measure respiration rate (basically, breathing rate). You can see it on a dedicated widget on the watch, or via the health stats consolidated widget:

DSC_6487

And then also see all the trending data on Garmin Connect Mobile within the respiration rate section under health stats. You can slice and dice by day or longer periods, and also get awake and asleep averages:

2019-09-05 10.38.19 2019-09-05 10.38.22

Beyond the above features, the vast majority of items you’ll see is virtually identical to previous Garmin watches. However, just more brilliant on Venu. For example, in the Spotify app, things just look prettier for the album covers:

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And as you saw earlier, for some of the widgets – like the heart rate ones, the trend lines are prettier. Even in the case where the overall widget structure hasn’t changed any, the colors are rendered far nicer than before. Here’s an example side by side of the weather widget on the Venu (left) and Vivoactive 4 (right). This really helps you see the display differences:

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And again, this time for that heart rate graph:

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Now finally, as I noted early on in this post, this isn’t a review. The reason it isn’t is because I haven’t compiled tons of workouts on it or worn it a bunch. It’s because at this juncture I don’t believe the firmware is final, and thus, it’s not representative of the units that will go to consumers. And in the case of both Venu and the Vivoactive 4, I’ve had a far rougher stability experience than I’d find acceptable at this point in time. I’m reasonably confident Garmin will be able to fix the issues I’ve stumbled on, but with an announcement today, they aren’t yet fixed and thus I don’t believe they’re going to be shipping on this specific firmware version. Once I’ve got a final firmware version (the one they’re shipping to consumers with), then I’ll circle back with a typical full in-depth review. The point being, things will likely get better, but as always, it’s plausible they won’t.

Sports-Specific Details & Tests:

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While many of the new features are within the general aspects of the watch (like hydration), a huge pile of them are technically under sports (including the breathing features I talked about in the previous section). We’ll first look at these new features, and then from there dive into a quick accuracy check-up on some runs and such.

But first we’ve gotta talk animations. No, not like Dory and Nemo, but rather workout animations. Other watches, most notably Fitbit, have been doing this for years in the strength and core workout realm. But there have been plenty of others including Adidas and Polar that have tackled this as well. In Garmin’s case there are four workout types (Strength, Cardio, Yoga, Pilates) with some 41 different structured workouts between them. Within that, there are small little animated peoples that you can see the exact steps of the workout.

Here, let me show you. Let’s pick a yoga workout, first by going to the sport menu and choosing Yoga:

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And then by swiping up to ‘Workouts’. It’s here that you’ve got a handful to choose from:

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Pick one of them, Sun Salutations in our case because it’s early morning right now and the sun is rising, and then press to view the 53 steps of the workout:

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You’ll see each step listed with the number of seconds next to it:

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If you tap on a given item, it’ll go ahead and show you a short animation of that action:

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But let’s go ahead and actually start the workout. When you do that it’ll walk you through each step, with a timer around the outer edge of the step, and the inside for the pose itself:

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You can swipe down for a timer that’ll show you a count-down, or just wait for it to buzz for the next step instruction, with it giving the name of the pose, and a pie-chart style countdown clock:

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You can see your heart rate on that clock page above, but also within a regular data field you can set up on a data page:

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In fact, you’ll notice both the stress and respiration rate data fields are actually available there – something new on Garmin wearables and is specific to Yoga. After you’ve finished the workout the summary screen will even list the poses, as well as your breathing rates:

2019-09-05 02.18.03 2019-09-05 02.18.09

Now the overall poses/animations concepts are essentially the same whether you’re in yoga, Pilates, cardio, or strength. Obviously the specifics for each workout are different, but the way the Garmin unit works is the same. With strength training, you’re also getting rep-specific information too.

However, where it really starts to get interesting is that you can create your own workout  from Garmin Connect/Garmin Connect Mobile:

2019-09-05 01.06.26 2019-09-05 01.06.21 2019-09-05 01.05.46

Though, at present you don’t see the animations on the device – hopefully things get there.

Let’s switch gears now. Taking a look at accuracy a bit, as well as the new sweat loss functions, and no better way to do that than an interval workout. In my case, I just did a manual workout, though the Venu does support structured workouts. To start a run I simply tap the upper right button once, and select Run from the list:

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The GPS status and heart rate lock will also show up top:

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And if you wanted to execute a custom workout you’d just swipe from the bottom to access the workouts section:

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Then, it’s off I went on my run. In my case, just a couple of loops for a 5-6KM run after a long day driving to the convention halls. Nothing special. The display remains on the entire time I’m in my workout, so I don’t have to worry about waiting for it to illuminate when I glance at my wrist. Beyond that, it works just like any other Garmin watch in terms of showing you your running stats in customizable display pages:

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Let’s start though by looking at GPS accuracy. In this case I’ve got it slated up against the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro (with the HRM-DUAL chest strap), the Suunto 9 (paired to the Polar OH1 Plus optical HR armband), and the Vivoactive 4. Full data set:

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At a high level it looks mostly good, but let’s zoom in on one of those sections that looks a bit wobbly:

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You can see in that on the upper side there’s a unit (the Vivoactive 4) that’s doing some meandering into the convention halls. It did this on one pass, but not the secondary pass.

As for the Venu though, it matches the other tracks perfectly, and most notably – matched where I actually ran each time:

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In general, this roughly matches what I see for the Venu and Vivoactive 4 in terms of GPS tracks. For the most part it’s good, but there’s also some runs where it’s a bit wobbly. Which I suppose is sorta the gist of things on the Sony chipset across the board, including Suunto and Polar (in fact, if you look at the linked data set, you’ll notice the Suunto 9 cuts a corner in the parking lot a bit too).

So what about heart rate accuracy? We’ll dig into that too – this compared against the HRM-DUAL chest strap and the Polar OH1 Plus optical HR sensor.

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Ahh yes, the good ol’ classic evening fall run chest strap lack of connectivity (despite wetting it). It’s rare, but this night was more akin to a fall evening than a summer one, with cooler temps, and you can see that green line of the chest strap lagging. Though, from an optical heart rate standpoint all the units were very close on the intervals.

If we zoom into one, we do see the laggyness of the Venu & Vivoactive optical HR sensors though:

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You can see the delay of both in comparison to the chest strap and Polar OH1, which more quickly adapt to the increased heart rate through each interval. But the delay isn’t horrible, at least compared to some. Keep in mind the graph directly above makes this look much longer than it really is, so ensure to look at the timescale.

Again, in my full review I’ll go through more data sets and dive into all the nuances. But the above dataset is largely representative of what I’m seeing across the board for accuracy (both good and bad).

Finally, the last new feature to touch on is sweat loss. After you upload an activity to Garmin Connect it’ll show you the estimated sweat loss leveraging the known outside temperature, your weight, humidity, and general black magic. You can see for this short 27-minute run, it was 163ml of liquid (lower right-hand corner of right screenshot):

2019-09-05 00.37.11 2019-09-05 00.37.04

Ultimately, I suspect for most customers of the Vivoactive series units, this probably isn’t too much of a concern. But where it could be more interesting is on the higher end watches (which it’s coming to shortly) in terms of longer endurance workouts. At this point I haven’t done any weighing pre and post workout to validate this, but maybe if I get some nice warm days I will.

Wrap-Up:

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When Garmin first talked to me about the AMOLED display on the Venu, I was concerned they’d be leaving behind all the features that made a Garmin watch…well…a Garmin watch. The longer battery life and the always-on display. But it turns out they’ve balanced that pretty well. From the first day I’ve been using the Venu, I switched it into always-on display mode, and have been pretty good with it. Sure, it still turns off the display at night, but I can press a button to see the time pretty easily. All this while largely keeping battery life to the point where I only need to charge it 1-2 times a week depending on exact activity/usage.

All that said, I feel like Garmin sorta punted on actually taking advantage of the display. Sure, the 4-second long watch-face animation is cool, but realistically it gets old after a few days. Beyond that – there’s virtually nothing else that embraces it in a significant way. Yes, there are the new workout animations – but those same animations are there on the new Vivoactive 4 too – just not as bright and colorful. There’s no other aspect of the watch that actually visually takes advantage of the display in any uniquely Venu way besides being crispier (which, to be fair is appreciated). As I noted early – the workout completion screen is probably the most glaring example of that.

Garmin’s watches are all about the workout, and yet the Venu has the lamest and most boring workout completion screen possible. No other Garmin device is as plain-Jane monochromatically boring at this one upon completing that workout. No map outline like Garmin’s other new watches, and certainly not a full-color map like the Apple Watch displays. No nifty brilliant display graphics to perhaps show heart rate zones or anything else. Anything, really…just anything would have been better on that screen.

But hopefully that’ll come in time. And I suppose for now they just need the watch to be a bit more stable first, before they start adding more features. Like I said at the start of this section – while I was concerned that the Venu and its swanky display might undermine Garmin’s reputation around battery life – that’s turned out not to be the case. And perhaps now I fall on the other side of the camp: Now it’s actually time to leverage it. Just a tiny bit more.

With that – thanks for reading, and stay tuned for an in-depth review down the road!

Found This Post Useful? Support The Site!

Hopefully you found this review useful. At the end of the day, I’m an athlete just like you looking for the most detail possible on a new purchase – so my review is written from the standpoint of how I used the device. The reviews generally take a lot of hours to put together, so it’s a fair bit of work (and labor of love). As you probably noticed by looking below, I also take time to answer all the questions posted in the comments – and there’s quite a bit of detail in there as well.

If you're shopping for the Garmin Venu or any other accessory items, please consider using the affiliate links below! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. Even more, if you shop with TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40! The Pro's Closet has been a long-time partner of the site here - including sponsoring videos like my cargo bike race, as well as just being an awesome Colorado-based company full of good humans. Check them out with the links below and the DCRAIN40 coupon!

And finally, here’s a handy list of accessories that work well with this unit (and some that I showed in the review). Given the unit pairs with ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart sensors, you can use just about anything though.

This is a dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart cycling cadence sensor that you strap to your crank arm, but also does dual Bluetooth Smart, so you can pair it both to Zwift and another Bluetooth Smart app at once if you want.

This is one of the top straps I use daily for accuracy comparisons (the others being the Polar H9/H10). It's dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, and in fact dual-Bluetooth Smart too, in case you need multiple connectons.

Seriously, this will change your life. $9 for a two-pack of these puck Garmin chargers that stay put and stay connected. One for the office, one for your bedside, another for your bag, and one for your dog's house. Just in case.

This speed sensor is unique in that it can record offline (sans-watch), making it perfect for a commuter bike quietly recording your rides. But it's also a standard ANT+/BLE sensor that pairs to your device. It's become my go-to speed sensor.

This wifi-connected scale will track your weight and related metrics both on the scale display and in Garmin Connect (plus 3rd party apps like TrainingPeaks). It'll also then sync your weight to your watch/bike computer, to ensure accurate calorie data.

The HRM-PRO Plus is Garmin's top-end chest strap. It transmits dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, but also transmits Running Dynamics & Running Pace/Distance metrics, stores HR data during a swim, and can be used without a watch for other sports. Also, it can transmit XC Skiing Dynamics as well.

And of course – you can always sign-up to be a DCR Supporter! That gets you an ad-free DCR, access to the DCR Quarantine Corner video series packed with behind the scenes tidbits...and it also makes you awesome. And being awesome is what it’s all about!

Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible. And lastly, if you felt this review was useful – I always appreciate feedback in the comments below. Thanks!

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308 Comments

  1. Nik Om

    I don’t know why.. but there are no comments.. So for the first time.. I get to say..

    FIRST :-p

  2. Ian Marchant

    You mention the vivoactive 4, but you don’t have any review /first look yet. Is that still to come?

  3. Pdone

    Actually the Samsung Galaxy Watch has an always on display option. It gets 1-2 days with that option enabled.

  4. Nedim

    The one-two death-punch for MARQ series. First fenix comes out with bigger displays and then venu with always-on color display, proving it can be done. So one ends up with a smaller passive screen for many times more money. Just sad product decisions and missed opportunities.

    Back to the venu — nice job, I am sure it would bit off significant apple watch share at $199 or $249.

  5. tfk, the5krunner

    “I suppose one could simply say that the Garmin Venu was simply just a Vivoactive 4 with a really beautiful vibrant display”

    love it.

    I think you are being harsh on the Venu for what it is now; probably rightly so. My question is looking to the future. Clearly Venu 2/3/4/5 will spread the prettiness. What do you think that this move towards ‘prettiness’ will do for Garmin in the longterm ?

    • Benedikt

      The prettiness will draw people into the Garmin ecosystem and will help to hold them. Im wearing the 945, but would immediately buy a Veru if it had OWS and I hadn’t killed my tech-savings when buying a Sony Alpha 7 III with some lenses.

    • I think it’ll have a higher prettiness factor.

      My bet is if they can stretch the AMOLED to 5 days with faux always-on (like it is on this), then you’d see a lot of watches head that way.

      I’ve primarily been using Venu as my daily driver since the day Fenix released (except during show-time at Eurobike, since it wasn’t released yet), and then alternating the other wrist with either a Fenix 6 or VA4, with the last 5 days or so being double Venu/VA4. I have to say, the Venu screen is really growing on me. I just wish Garmin would do more with it.

      I’ll also say it wasn’t until earlier today that I switched to the NYC Live Watch Face (the one seen in the post and video), previously I’d been using the colored smoke one. I mention this because I noticed they roughly match time of day to time of timelapse image. So night = night. Apple does the same, but it’s a nice touch.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      As mentioned in your preliminary testing, where you able to get the reported 5 days? Was it able to intuitively pickup any activities you were performing?

    • I’ve been using it in always-on display mode, so I haven’t tried the 5-days aspect of non-always on display.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      That is good to know. I was debating between this and the VA 4. The display on the Venu looks solid and very attractive. The only issue is the battery life. Getting a first hand review from you make a big difference. Also I am new to Garmin so not too sure how the OS works generally and if there is an AI theme to the pre programmed workout. My last Smart watch was able to detect my routine and guess the reps. Is there a feature like this on the Garmin?

    • Ro

      Hi,
      I just got my Venu and wondering how to get the NYC live watch face? I couldn’t find it on Garmin IQ. And yea.. I just returned my Vivoactive 4S for the prettiness factor!! 🙂

  6. Chris

    So how does the display compare to the display on the Apple Watch?

  7. David

    I know it will never happen but I really wish they would add open water swimming. It is the only thing missing for me and I cannot really justify the jump to a Fenix or tri watch.

  8. Jimmy

    Is it possible to charge the watch while in an activity like the Fenix series?

  9. JB

    Any sensor support expected for cycling? Cadence/power? Bluetooth or ANT+? Thks

  10. John

    For the love of God, change your shoes or turn your gear off in connect. You don’t have to live like this, we can hold a fundraiser to get you new sneakers. ???

  11. Paul

    So on the Fenix 7 we might see an amoled display ?

  12. ArtY

    Will there be any difference in battery life between Venue and Vivoactive 4?

  13. Jordi

    I might have missed it, but how many data fields per page? Four?

  14. Paul

    Hi there, I have a Vivoactive 3, and the only thing I can think of that is missing on it are the Firstbeat data fields of “training load” and “Training status”. I didn’t see them mentioned in the review, but was hoping that they are hidden there somewhere.
    Am I in luck?
    Thanks

    • Paul

      Ahhh, I just linked through to Firstbeat, sad panda 🙁

    • Paul B

      Me too. I’m now torn as I was about to pull the trigger on the 6 Pro, and I definitely would miss the training load/status stats. I also looked at the firstbeat page and was disappointed to see its not included. Would you still get to see these metrics in Garmin Connect, even if the watch doesn’t support it? I could live with that….

    • Unfortunately they don’t show up in Garmin Connect either.

    • Denise Nilsson

      And, from someone not… technically advanced so to speak, is there no chance that Garmin will add this function later on? Is that just an “update” or some specific function that’s not in this watch?

  15. Donald Edwards

    Love Garmin products, but this is the thing that always makes me hold out for the next release. Really fancied the new Fenix 6, but now feel I should wait to see if they get released with a new brighter screen. Same thing with the Edge 1030, can’t help but feel they are about to update that given the 530 & 830 releases, so no point in buying now.

    • rz605

      Was about to ask as well – does that mean the Fenix 6plus or 7 would have a nice high-res display?

    • No, this is the first Garmin with AMOLED display and it will remain like this for a while. There won’t be any Fenix or Edge with AMOLED display for now

    • Jon

      I think there is less demand for a Fenix with AMOLED display. The battery performance there is probably more important. I certainly have no need, or even desire really, for a brighter screen than I’ve got now. Crisper text would be nice, but not at the expense of any battery life.

    • firstmithrandir

      Yes and No.

      I have at the moment Fenix 3 HR and I am really dreaming about getting some fancy AMOLED watch to go to the city and for the parties.

      Of course change for Fenix 6 could already improve this situation a lot, but still I am thinking about buying some second nice looking watch.

      Wanted Samsung for functionality, but I think that it is not good enough on basic sport tracking, at least it was like that last year. Apple, no my world, I do not think that it is good on sport measurements either and too much integration dependent on their ecosystem.

      Maybe I should get Fenix 6 and get Fenix Venue for more casual city trips. Always-on nice looking screen is a very cool feature!

    • Srinivasan Ramanathan

      I am looking to exactly do the same..coming from a fenix 5 but have Had to scale back on multisport..thinking of using venu as everyday watch and switching to the fenix5 for those ocean swims and any multisport events

  16. Antonis

    I’m getting confused with Garmin’s lineup.
    Features are spread on different models, on various price ranges.

    • Davis

      Second that^^^

      Their product lineup is frustrating. They need to simplify and give customers a clear choice based on their needs.

    • GLT

      I imagine the current line up has so much duplication because they want a Garmin device to address every market segment they would like to see growth in.

      Apple Watch has a nicer display, therefore there is now a Garmin device with a nicer display. If the display quality was specifically causing lost sales to Apple, then there ought to be less of that after Venu.

      Long-time Garmin users that seek specific features can probably be trusted to weed through the all Garmin choices & ignore the lifestyle marketing pulling new customers into the new product lines.

    • On one hand I agree with you, it’s super confusing.

      On the other hand, their quarterly/annual financials disagree with us, since they’re selling more units than ever before and making more money than ever before (in Fitness/Outdoor).

      The only question is if they could make even more money with a simplified lineup.

  17. DK

    Does the Venu/VA4 implement the Auto-MaxHF feature from other watches and calculates it on her own?

  18. Torbjørn

    I am a Fenix and a Forerunner person myself, but I have to say I really like the way Garmin are e going with this watch, as well as Polar with their fancy Ignite. One of the biggest problem in our society is related to public health, and I think these types of watches can be a great motivation for a lot of people.

    Thumps up!

    Btw. Do I understand you correctly of the animations will come to Fenix 6?

  19. JR

    Does this mean that the LTE experiment was a failure?

    • Paul

      Probably, it was linked to one carrier in the USA, I believe using the “alternative” technology to the GSM standard (CDMA?). Basically to sell in the rest of the world Garmin need a GSM eSIM, and then you get the whole lot of pain that comes with that, battery life, registration, carrier billing, phone pairing etc etc.
      I think Garmin will be a few years from a successful implementation, it’s taken Apple 3 or 4 iterations to get their watch useful, and sharing a phone number and data plan.

    • No, it was simply a test to see the interest on something like this for further down the road

    • Paul

      I have to admit I’d love to see a Garmin Vivoactive 5 with a GSM sim in it, but then it would take the networks in the UK three or four years to support it, as new devices mean new registration computers.

    • Jason

      When I got my VA3 music, I thought hard about getting the 4G/Verizon version. I could almost justify the $400 watch price tag (now it’s $300)

      What turned me off was the monthly fee from Verizon. I get that it’s a ‘device’ and they wanna charge as much money as they can, but the only reason I actually wanted the 4G version of the watch is in case of emergency, without my phone, the watch would do incident detection, or I could manually send an emergency text to my contacts.

      I wouldn’t actually use 4G data for anything else, besides a few texts per month. Maybe even less (only an emergency text.)

      With the “IoT” and wearables, you’d think manufacturers and phone carriers would work to get the monthly price down to a basic $2/ month or something. I have 4 watches in my house (wife/kids) and I would pay roughly $10/month to have all of them able to send an emergency alert via 4G. Verizon now charges $5/month with the VA3 for 250GB data. Pretty close to working out for me.

      I do hope Garmin can come out with a Venu type watch with a bit longer battery life, AND 4G compatible, just for emergency txt messages when you don’t have a phone. I think I’d go for that kind of setup!

  20. Fer

    Hi Ray,
    Thanks for the review!
    With all these releases, I’m hoping Garmin will also release the Descent MK2 (or whatever is called) soon. Do you have any news on that?
    Maybe you have already tested it but you cannot say it… in that case, just reply “I don’t have that info” ;-P

    Thanks!

  21. Ryan Gardner

    Do they have animations for strength workouts too? There are soooooo many strength workouts available there I can’t imagine they have animations for all of them, but it would be really cool if they did.

    It’d be cool to have animations for something like a runner 360 ( link to coachlevi.com ) or for the strength-and-mobility workouts from Jay Johnson – link to coachjayjohnson.com because that’d help remind me what exactly it is I was supposed to if I haven’t done one for a while.

    • Yup, animations for strength too. I don’t know exactly how many animations they have, but it’s an enormous crapton. Like, many pages of scrolling in the app to get through them all.

  22. MitchD

    Great review as always! Just received my Fenix 6 yesterday, any hints if some of the new metrics and widgets will make their way to the F6?

  23. amy

    Hi Ray, I’d like to hear from you the triathlon (Swim/bike/run) features at this watch, as am considering to replace my 735XT. Any thoughts when your review is likely published? Tks

  24. Sean

    Any chance we’ll see the hydration tracking and respiration rate added to the Fenix 5 lineup? I would like to track daily hydration intake for general lifestyle tracking. I enjoy it (and respiration rate) tracking on my new 830 and could see some use for lifestyle tracking as well.

    • That’s actually a good one, I’ll ask. I know the plan for hydration specifically was more broad than the other bits, since it was largely tied to CIQ versus the watch.

    • Striff

      I 2nd this, for the Fenix 6 range as well. Be very useful

    • Martin Steen Mortensen

      I had hoped to see the hydration widget being widely available.
      It is now in the CIQ store, but the only compatible devices are: Captain Marvel, First Avenger, Venu, and Vívoactive® 4/4S.

      I really hope that this will be broadened as older watches should be technical capable of running it.

    • Robyn

      You can still track it in the App. On your home screen, click “Add Data” and you’ll see the Hydration option. I’ve been doing that since I have a VAHR. But yes, it would be more convenient on the watch itself!

    • Martin Steen Mortensen

      I wrote Garmin support to ask if the hydration widget would come to FR645 and they would not give an answer to the question.
      Instead, I have submitted a request to Garmin for the feature and suggest that everyone interested does the same. This is in the hope that sufficient requests might make them prioritize the development.
      Link: link to garmin.com

  25. Ebenezer

    I was considering the Garmin as a replacement for my wear os smart watch fitness tracker. Aside from the great display screen. How was the battery life during your preliminary testing. Was it better than the vivoactive 4? It the watch able to predict and track a workout in the gym.

  26. Ebenezer

    I was considering the Garmin as a replacement for my wear os smart watch fitness tracker. Aside from the great display screen. How was the battery life during your preliminary testing. Was it better than the vivoactive 4? It the watch able to predict and track a workout in the gym. In your opinion which is the better choice of the two?

    • Frank-enstein

      See Ray’s writeup above.

      Battery life is less than va4, due to the screen technology.

      Battery life on venu seems slightly better than Garmin’s advertised claims.

  27. runner-33

    Having immature software at that stage is legit as long as they don’t ship it to customers. What I don’t get is that they are showing visible software flaws in their promo videos. Look at that timer numbers overlapping at 0:38 s

    link to youtu.be

    (Vivomove 3 video, didn’t find matching post)

  28. acousticbiker

    Thanks, Ray. I really hope this foreshadows an upgrade of their transflective displays to the higher resolution. Any word on that?

  29. Barney

    Is the battery life with always on still 5 days? Or is the quoted life for the intermittent display? Think I could live with 5 days for the always on (3 days realistically with workouts) but not vice versa..

    Thanks for the pre-review by the way!

  30. Ralph O'Reilly

    Garmin have entered that phase where they need to release new items that no one needs or wants. In so doing they are swamping their support and development staff. The public are confused as to what to buy. Existing customers will be shunned as updates become rare and rarer as they release yet more incremental HW they need to support.

    Garmin are doomed. Watch this space.

  31. Brandon

    I don’t understand the pricing on the VA4.

    It’s the same price as the 245M.

    Seems like they’re trying to compete with themselves in the same segments?

    • I wouldn’t disagree.

      Semi-interesting though is that neither Venu or VA4 are subject to map restrictions, which is an unheard of move for Garmin. Said differently: USD pricing is gonna get funky this fall.

    • Christian Koehler

      General public wants a touchscreen.
      Many running enthusiasts don’t want that for good reasons.
      There is room for both, even at the same price.
      I think many runners would rather switch to other brands if Garmin tried to force them into more expensive options just for the buttons. 245 is more than enough for serious marathon training.

  32. John

    Hi Ray

    Does it have swimming HR from the OHR like the Fenix 6?

    Thanks

  33. Andras

    Hi All,

    My question is that do Venu can connect to Ant+ or BLE footpods? Like MilestonePod /Stryd? If yes, able to display running watts? Miniscule detial, just interested. It’s the first time I’m poised to change my everyday watch from FR935 to Venu 😉 Had Apple watch, but the daily charging was insane, sold it…

  34. CS Lee

    Thanks for the post. What is the battery life for GPS time (no music)? And does it allow you to turn off all the animations in all modes (including watch face and workout modes) to save battery juice? Just want to have that vibrant display not not really need the animation feature.

  35. Gary

    I noticed with my older Vivoactive watch the heart rate sensor protrudes from the backplate and put an indent in my wrist (discomfort results). I went to the Vivoactive 3 and the sensor is barely protruding from the backplate and the indent problem went away (Looks like it came back with the music version)

    Both the Vivoactive 4 and the Venu have the protruding sensor again. Is it uncomfortable?

  36. Davis

    Does the new Fenix 6 do the respirator rate without a heart rate strap as well?

  37. John

    How about alert tones? Does it have them or only vibration?

  38. Hello, thanks for your Review.
    I have purchased the Forerunner 245 a month ago. In every Video/Text i read about the new watches (Fenix6 + Venu + Vivoactive 4) i read that the Forerunner 945 get all Features. But what about FR245?

    Thanks for an answer if my watch is “obsolate” after one month 😉 I hope to get some of the new features!

    Regards and thanks for an answer,
    Thomas

  39. Paul Griffin

    How would this fair as a Multisport watch for long course triathlon versus Fenix 3/5. Forget 6, price prohibitive for now.

  40. inSyt

    Hey Ray. When a pixel is black on devices that have AMOLED displays. it means they’re turned off. Unlike LCD or IPS displays, there is no backlight with AMOLED. Instead, because each pixel produces light, black pixels that don’t are effectively “off.” Hence the use of a lot black by Garmin.

  41. Scott Grissom

    In your Vivoactive 4/4s review you posted the watch battery times for different scenarios and I was hoping to see the comparable numbers for the Venu because of the different screen. Was there much of a difference between the Vivoactive 4/4s and the Venu?

  42. Rui Pereira

    “The point being, things will likely get better, but as always, it’s plausible they won’t.”

    You really mean “plausible” or maybe “possible”?

  43. Mick

    How is the visability during daytime activities? One of the advantages of the VA3 was that you could see the display really clearly sunny days without destroying the battery life. By going with AMOLED I imagine they must have to jack up the brightness to get things visible on bright days, killing the battery life

  44. Bob

    That bezel is sooo ugly. Reminds me of a Rolex knockoff

  45. PeterF

    53 steps for a sun salutation, seriously? I’m counting 9, excluding samasthiti (mountain pose) at the beginning and end. Or 17 when doing salutation B.

    Also very curious how many people will still use these “watch directed workouts” after the novelty wears off after three weeks; I would also question the practicality of having to keep an eye on your wrist all the time, while you’re moving through the poses/exercises.

    Quite frankly, I’m underwhelmed. Both by what’s being offered and by the new pricing.

    • Marcel

      Disagree here… if you already know the pose, you just do it, but the watch still gives the timing and sequence of poses. If you don’t know them, like me, you’ve got an instruction video on your wrist and don’t have to mess around with video’s on your phone to learn it.

  46. Mark

    I’ve come from owning Android watches in the past with OLED screens and then moved onto the Vivoactive and now Fenix 5. Yes, the OLED screens are prettier but I really don’t miss having to charge my watch every 2 or so days. Reading the Fenix 5 watch in direct sunlight is much easier, on the OLED watches I would have to cover the screen sometimes because the screen wasn’t bright enough. I went overseas once and initially worried I forgot my charger, it lasted me the full 8 days I was there with battery to spare. Don’t think I’ll be switching to OLED anytime soon.

  47. Gregory S

    Man, if they could have a Fenix OLED version, I would love it for the map clarity and maybe, just maybe they could fit more of the notification data like emails on the screen for easier viewing

  48. Craig Jackson

    What is Underwater wrist-based heart rate? Does the Venu sync with Garmin HRM Swim?

  49. Any support for power meters directly in apps or via IQ metrics?

  50. JuhoV

    I’m currently on VA3. I do use it as a sports watch (mainly crossfit and cycling) but the number one reason I updated from VAHR was the rounded design as I wanted to stop wearing classical, mechanical watches and start using smart watches as dress watches. VA3 with its Quick Release bands has been great for this aside from one thing… The display isn’t as vibrant and crisp which makes watch faces look fake (in case you are trying to fool everyone into thinking you are wearing a mechanical dress watch). So in this regard Venu is a tempting alternative. I did assume (because of OLED and the screen burn-in factor that goes with it) that it would not have an always-on display but apparently it does, at least a faux one. Too bad they went with the VA3 screen size of 1.2 inches as I always felt the screen should be a bit bigger (like VA4’s 1.3 inches) to accomadate today’s watch trends. Venu also seems to retain the 20mm Quick Release band size whereas VA4 goes to 22mm. That’s of course nice for those of us who have bought several 20mm bands for VA3.

  51. Anatoly

    Greetings,
    As VA3 owner and being new to Garmin ecosystem I’m curious about existing device support.
    Ray, do you know if VA3 will still receive any updates like bug fixes or new features? What is usual timespan for models to be supported?

    • Not sure on future VA3 software plans. Typically Garmin continues to provide software fixes for quite some time (many years usually), however new features tend to taper off pretty quickly after the next version comes out. Often though we’ll see Connect IQ feature updates continue though.

    • Anatoly

      Thanks.
      Can you, please, give an example of Connect IQ feature which may get updates? Is it something like widgets? I thought built-in ones are part of device firmware.

    • Roughly twice a year we see large CIQ update shifts, usually in April, and usually around now or October. These tend to come out of the Connect IQ Summit (April), and the ANT+ Symposium (late September/early October).

      Most of it is behind the scenes bits that then enable app developers to do cool stuff. If you look at the Vivoactive 3 firmware release notes/change log, you’ll see those shifts to supporting a new CIQ version every once in a while: link to www8.garmin.com

  52. Robotron2084

    Great write up as always, definitely the best Garmin resource on the web. I think this could be an upgrade path from my Vivoactive 3.

    From a size point of view, it’s basically the same as the VA3 (0.2mm difference). The new VA4 sounds too large for my skinny wrists and the VA4S seems small enough to compromise battery life. On paper this is spot on for me.

    Only minor complaint I have about it is that the knurled bezel looks a little tacky – A turned finish with some minor hour marks like the original VA3 looks much smarter.

    A few questions regarding the posted battery life:

    Is the GPS time for the Venu (20 hours) based on DCR’s real life experience or Garmin’s own data?
    Is it 20 hours of GPS tracking with 1 second HRM active?
    If I’m tracking a bike ride, is the display always on during this 20 hours of GPS coverage?
    If so, does it show a normal 4 field display (like the VA3) or some low power minimal data screen?

    I’m interested as my Vivoactive 3 will realistically get 8 hours or so in GPS mode (Garmin claim 13) so a day out on the bike just about works. I’d prefer better GPS life if possible. If it gets a real world 12 to 15 hours of GPS tracking with HRM/notifications on I’ll be happy. I’m not really bothered about battery life with music.

    I’ve never seen any of the major battery drain issues that have been discussed in the Garmin forums but their own published data is wildly optimistic.

    I’m not bothered if I have to charge every few days, if I’m going for a big ride out I’ll make sure it’s 100% before I set off.

    • 1) 20hrs is Garmin specs – I’ll look at my files and see if that holds up
      2) 1-second versus not doesn’t impact battery life, just storage space
      3) Unclear on whether workout always-on is a part of that, I’ll ask.
      4) Normal data fields

    • Robotron2084

      Thanks for that, much appreciated.

      When the VA3 is locked and you wake it by pressing the screen or button (to see the time in the dark for example), it puts a great big padlock icon in the centre of the screen, obscuring the time.

      I’ve got around this by using a watch face that has the time off to the side.

      Does the Venu still do this or is the locked indication a little more subtle this time round?

  53. Lukasz

    Hi Ray,
    First thing that comes to my mind, when I see Amoled display is – it can be seen with polarized sunglasses on.
    Most of other screens can’t.
    The questio is is you ever tried to test watch screens with polarized glasses.

    I use them all the time for cycling, but also casuallly.

  54. Jean-Paul

    What kind of glass does it have and how is it scratch-proof?

  55. Andrea Pennisi

    A couple of questions:
    – Do you suggest it for running and exercising at home?
    – Does it support Stryd? and external belts?

    I like it.

  56. JuhoV

    If you had to double a sports watch as a dress watch (or at least a watch you can wear when doing other things than sports), would you go for the Venu or VA4? I have a VA3 and everytime I go out, I swap a leather band and use a nice analog watch face. However, the screen of VA3 looks a bit low-res and washed out. I know VA4 has a slightly higher res (and a slighty higher screen estate) but I’ve understood that you think VA3 and VA4 are pretty much the same in terms of screen aesthetics. Would Venu be a better choice or does it look too bright and vibrant (if compared to a mechanical watch)?

  57. Robyn

    I am SUPER excited to see this! For me, it’s not about the display being “pretty”—it’s about the display being readable. As an athlete with low vision, color contrast is a constant struggle for me with all of these devices. My #1 frustration with my VAHR is that 90% of the time I can’t READ it. I have held out on upgrading in hopes that Garmin would address this issue, and it looks like they finally have with the Venu. I will sacrifice a day or two of battery life for a more readable display in a heartbeat.

    In addition, I’m happy Garmin is finally adding hydration tracking (not sure why it took so long). Now I won’t need a second app for that, I can get the full picture in Garmin Connect.

    Looking forward to your in-depth review, but I’m setting aside my coins now!!!

  58. Hey! Love your reviews. Does this give you a recovery time estimate and overall exertion score – like the aerobic. anaerobic ones from the Forerunner Series?

    Thanks!

    • Found my answer! It does NOT contain training status, load, or effect. Major bummer. Dealbreaker for me.

    • Sorry, yeah – none of those things are in the Vivo lineup unfortunately. 🙁

      I do think at the $399 price point, especially after today’s Apple Watch announcement around S3 pricing, that Garmin needs to re-evaluate some of these metrics at $400. If we were talking $250 or even $299, sure, I get it.

    • Yes I agree. I’ve grown pretty dependent on those for any real sports tracking. I guess we’ll have to wait until the other Garmin lines are updated with AMOLED screens.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      I think that is a good point. Selling if for $400 is a bit of an over kill for me. But I can say the extra battery life beats Apple based on your preliminary always on numbers. I do hope the come up with something to justify the price tag though

  59. Lars

    Regarding Always on. Today Apple Watch got Always On. Samsung has actually got that since 2014.

    A great first look and as always Ray is way ahead of the rest of the gang

    • Robotron2084

      Apple’s always on gives 18 hours tops, so not even a full day including sleep tracking. Also, their GPS won’t last an 8 hour ride either.

      Nice watches, but not designed primarily for sport.

  60. David

    Compared to the Vivoactive 3 how is the display when in sunlight? The only display I have ever known is Garmin so I’m not familiar with the AMOLED displays like the Apple watch or the Venu. Could you still see the screen without glare when running or biking? Seems nice but I may stick to the more traditional Garmin displays for functionality purposes.

    • Zero issues with Venu in super bright sunny days. I’ve tried it lots of places recently on gloriously sunny days without issue. It helps that the screen auto-brightens when you wrist-raise.

  61. DVExplorer

    Still no Asian region language support in US models I assume? I don’t need the entire watch interface to be in other languages than English but it’s a shame that all the notifications I receive in some other languages, say Chinese, turn into little squares and are completely unreadable.
    I don’t remember seeing any other major Brand modern electronics in the past decade WITHOUT multi-language support covering most common languages globally, except for Garmin.

    • Piyush

      Totally agree. I receive most of my notifications in Hindi and I only see the boxes with question marks on the watch. How difficult would it be to display other language characters?! At least, for Chinese, there is another supported model. I seem to be out of luck

  62. Bob

    I echo the questions on visibility in direct sunlight. I hope Ray covers this in the full review.

    • There’s no issues there with visibility in direct/bright sunlight. It probably helps that the watch automatically bumps up the brightness from always-on level to a higher level when you turn your wrist.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      This is a nice feature and it seems the Venu is becoming a better choice. Are we still looking at a late September release?

    • I believe so. I’ll say that in the last 7 days things have gotten super stable for me with a few new software releases (for Venu specifically). Zero issues since last weekend.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      That is good to know. I am waiting for in dept review of this things. This will drive my decision and purchase. So far how is the watch fairing giving you daily use?

    • It’s definitely growing on me, now that it’s been stable. I’m really digging the display clarity/brightness.

      It certainly won’t be my forever watch due to lack of advanced features, but as a daily driver the last few weeks, it’s nice. Just a hard pitch to most folks at $399 versus the competitive options.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      I agree and I wish Garmin will reconsider the price tag. For me though I am a casual runner so most of those advance matrix will not be a deal breaker for me. What will matter most is the battery. No I am excited about your review and your take on it

  63. Steve

    What are “quick on the fly intervals” referenced in the whats new section? I thought the on the watch interval trainer was only available on the forerunner series. Thanks for the invo

    • There’s two things:

      A) There’s three pre-loaded interval workouts that you can do (‘Mixed Intervals’, ‘Quarter-Mile Repeats’, ‘Run/Walk’) – You can’t tweak these, you just do them as-is
      B) You can download any custom workouts you want to the watch from Garmin Connect.

      What you can’t do is the full interval generator on the watch itself like some Forerunner units. You have to do it from the phone.

    • Steve

      Interesting. A nice feature add. Thanks!

    • Kelly

      The lack of the ability to quickly configure intervals directly on the watch is the only thing that has been keeping me from the Vivoactives/Venu. This is a feature of the FR line that I can’t live without. Maybe you could pass that on to garmin 😉 because I would definitely make the switch if that feature were there.

  64. How long is the delay for the screen to turn on when you raise your wrist, if you are not using always-on mode? On my Fitbit it’s between 1-3 seconds, which is pretty annoying, especially in the middle of a workout.

    • Chris

      Hi Mitch,
      The delay for the screen to wake-up and display is 2-3 sec; indeed annoying.
      But the good thing of the Venu is to have the display Always On during workouts.
      And I must say, that works great!
      Kind regards, Chris

  65. Rokas

    Ray, amazon states availability for 16th of Sept. What are the odds of getting a review prior to that?:)

    Also – when is it going to appear on the comparison tool?

  66. James Liu

    Hi Ray,

    Can’t wait for your in-depth review. Quick question though.

    Does it have breadcrumbs option and alert me when I’m going on a wrong direction if going from Point A to Point B?

    Also, is there any way to load Openstreetmap on Venu?

    Thanks.

    • No course/routing following. However, we have seen Connect IQ apps fill some of that void in the past.

      No way to load maps on it either.

    • James Liu

      Thanks for letting us know.

      Just curious to know what CIQ apps you’re referring to?

      Btw, since it can store 500 songs as per garmin specs, can’t we use that space to load maps?

      Thanks.

    • There’s no map functionality on the Vivo lineup, so it’s not so much a matter of space, but rather there’s no code there to render/etc the maps.

      DWMap is a good example of one CIQ app.

  67. So the main difference with Vivoctive 4 is the screen?

  68. Ebenezer A. Awolesi

    No sure which is more never racking the arrival of the watch in 2 weeks or Ray’s review of the watch.

  69. Steve

    Any info on if/when Apple will allow non-apple watches to have more control over notifications and/or custom text replies? I could see Apple forever limiting this type of feature from third parties to keep the AW differentiated. Would certainly be a consideration in choosing between AW and Venu. Thanks!

  70. Stephan

    I have a bit of a problem deciding which watch to go for. Still have the Forerunner 920xt (former triathlete) but these days spend more time playing tennis, or the occasional run but sometimes other stuff like last weekend when I cycled from London to Paris. I’d like an upgrade to also have the benefit of pulse ox and other functions (busy job). Would go for the Apple watch (as it just has many day to day functions too) but I’m an android user… Which Garmin watch would you recommend or am I better advised to switch to the apple eco system… Thanks so much !

  71. KDeWeerd

    Any idea on Storage capcity, as in how many songs will it be able to hold. I find listings online for Vivoactive 3 (500 songs) but no numbers for the Vivoactive 4 or Venu.

  72. Gary

    Hey there, I’ve never had a Garmin, just Fitbit & Samsung Galaxy Watch so forgive the simplicity of this question. Could the Venu in your opinion be able to take on more Firstbeat readings with software updates as time goes on or is that down to hardware restrictions/sensors within the watch?

    I like the look of a lot of the Firstbeat stuff on Fenix but notice only 5 of them included on Venu, seems a big price to pay for whats on offer?

    • As far as I can tell, none of the FirstBeat features on the Fenix lineup rely on special hardware that isn’t present on the Venu. But I doubt Garmin will add new features to the Venu. They’re using the software as a differentiator for the higher price point, even though there’s no technical reason for it to be limited to the more expensive device.

    • It could add more features, but realistically it won’t likely.

      Historically speaking Garmin sometimes adds in new physio-type features from FirstBeat onto units later on, but we don’t see a ton of that at the mid-range. Still, since Venu is quite new, it’s far more plausible than something like the Vivoactive 3.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      Do you still think the release will be happening soon?

  73. robotron2084

    Today’s announcement of the new Huawei Watch GT2 makes the Venu look overpriced.

    I know technically it’s comparing a smartwatch to a sports watch but the distinction between the two isn’t clear cut anymore.

    The GT2 seems to do everything the Venu does and more, with better battery life, a very good graphics processor for a watch (look at the watch faces and UI on it compared to Garmin’s offerings) and at 2/3 of the price.

    Maybe the faces on the Venu will be slick, so far they look pretty basic like a normal Garmin, maybe they’re not fully taking advantage of that lovely OLED screen yet.

    • I agree that Garmin’s devices are overpriced compared to their smartwatch competitors (although perhaps not compared to “sports watch” competitors like Suunto and Polar). The Huawei Watch GT2 does look pretty awesome, but will we even be able to buy it in the US?

    • Ebenezer Awolesi

      I think all Huawei products are currently banned from the USA. So getting one will be difficult. Anyone interested will have to get it from eBay or another third party supplier .

      I wish Garmin will lower the price a bit and include more firstbeat features in this watch. It will make for a better product.

    • robotron2084

      I didn’t realise they were banned in the USA, I assume that’s down to privacy issues with their phones.

      Has anyone here use the original model (Watch GT I assume) with an iPhone? I know it won’t do as much as an Apple watch but does it give the same kind of functionality as a Garmin in terms of notifications etc?

  74. Antonio

    Just wondering about the blue color. The one shown here looks a different shade than on Garmin’s site, like more blue than grey/granite. Is this a pre-production unit with a different color? Thanks for the great info.

    • Hi Antonio,

      I think it is a pre-production unit of the Garmin Venu, unless it is an issue with the colors of the camera.

      Waiting to see the price before the Black Friday and Christmas, Garmin Venu looks amazing! See you and thanks for the review.

    • It’s a final production unit. The colors are as accurate in the photo/video to what it looks like in real life, it’s one of those blue/grey colors that seems to vary depending on what’s around it. Sometimes it looks more grey, other times more blue.

  75. Ebenezer A. Awolesiq

    Love those words “final stages of production”. Which only means your In dept review Is on the way.

  76. Tim Collins

    I have received my Venu, the third product in the Vivoactive line I’ve had, and probably something like the 20th Garmin sports device I’ve owned. What do I think? Well, the ‘always on’ feature of the display simply doesn’t work. No matter which watch face you use, it will display the ‘non active’ (ie just the time) aspect for a few hours, then will return to the Apple Watch style of blank display unless you move your wrist. But unlike the Apple Watch (or even the previous Garmin watches I’ve had), it is so insensitive that usually, it fails to turn the display on unless you hit the watch. Hard. Or press one of the buttons. This is not what I expected and paid for. Not impressed so far.

    • Any chance that the “few hours” happened to coincide with last night? That what it sounds like.

      If so – that’s because when you were setting up the watch there’s the (default) option to turn off the display at night within your do not disturb hours, so that it doesn’t act like a bright light at night, and doesn’t waste battery. You can tweak those hours and that function.

      Hold lower right button > Settings icon at bottom > System > Do not Disturb, by default I think the hours are 10PM to 6AM.

      Also, I presume in settings you have the timeout set for ‘Always on’, and not long/etc.. Further, if you need or want to change sensitivity, it’s in the same spot. I use mine as ‘Always on’, and sensitivity ‘High’, which seems to work really well for me (and I believe are the defaults).

    • Tim Collins

      Hi Ray – thanks for getting back to me. I’d turned off the ‘do not disturb’ Setting, enabled ‘always on’, and set the brightness to 50%. I left the sensitivity on ‘high’. I’m a long haul airline pilot, so regular, repeatable days don’t apply to me! It may be I’ve got my expectations wrong, or I’ve misapplied a setting, but I thought I was pretty good at working in the Garmin environment. I’ll see how it goes, and what the inevitable software updates bring, but as yet my whelm is underdone!

    • GARY BRETT

      Have you had chance to test out the Venu workout HR tracking as yet? I’m thinking of jumping from galaxy watch to the Venu due to dreadful fitness tracking but don’t want to be in the same place again.

      Do Garmin’s or Venu in particular track HR/Calories burnt well during intense workouts, I only do indoors so GPS not an issue for me.

      Besides your initial underwhelm is the screen clear and sharp, easy enough to navigate etc?

      Thank you

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      How long have you had it and what is the battery like?

    • Tim Collins

      Gary: the HR tracking is excellent. However, I would not rely on it to automatically detect exercise sessions and increase its sample rate to what you’d need to track those sessions. It’s always worth, in my experience, manually starting the session in the watch.

      Ebenezer: I’ve had the watch a few days. It was fully-charged on the evening of 27 September. It’s now at 57%, with ‘always on’ selected. Notwithstanding the display issues I raised above, the battery life seems better tan on my Vivoactive 3, though that device is now around three years old and the battery is past its best!

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      Tim so it seems the battery is better than advertised in the always on mode.

    • Tim Collins

      It looks good so far. I haven’t used it in GPS mode yet, but I will get to do so over the next few days. We’ll see how it does then.

    • Tim Collins

      Yes, which is what Ray also said in the review.

    • GARY BRETT

      Thanks Tim, much appreciated. I always set workouts manually, it was more the actual HR tracking accuracy I have problems with, Galaxy Watch without fail flat-lines every single workout for 20 minutes or so and undercounts calories burnt by 200/300, not very helpful at all.

      Thanks again, glad to see its a decent fitness tracker..

    • Tim Collins

      Gary: interestingly, unless my fitness has improved somewhat in the last week or so, the Venu appears to give slightly lower heartrate readings than the Vivoactive 3, but it tracks well for me, and seems to be very close to the various HRM straps I have.

      Ray, having just worked through the night I can confirm that the watch ignores the ‘do not disturb/sleep’ settings, and the face goes blank between 2300 and 0700 despite having been set to ‘always on’. Whether or not this is a software issue, it’s bloody annoying when sitting in a dark flight deck and I can’t see the time without attacking the watch with calculated violence!

    • Thank you for all of the details and post. I’m no expert but I believe if you go into the settings of the watch, User Setting, Normal Bed/Wake Time, and adjust those numbers – you should be able to correct the always-on turning-off issue – or at least see if it reflects the same times.

    • And also – the settings of the watch within the CONNECT app, that is. This is not the same place where you toggle ‘receive notifications’ or whatever. I believe you can set for 12:00/12:01 Bed-Wake and see. That would be frustrating to me as well.

    • Tim Collins

      Hi Hunter. Interesting – good thought. I’ll have a try of that and see if at at least affects this behaviour. Another annoying issue is that the watch does not vibrate with notifications, despite being set to do so. It’s surprising how much I relied on that with the Vivoactive 3, and how much I miss it!

    • Hunter Marshall

      I hope it actually fixes the issue. You could always test it by setting the bed/wake time to 5 minutes from whenever you are free to do so (so like now), sync the watch, and see if it clips off the screen/notifications. Otherwise it is certainly a bug that has to be fixed. Keep us posted!

    • Tim Collins

      So, you’re right, Hunter – the times in Garmin Connect override whatever is set in the watch. Even though it’s set to ‘always on’ and ‘do not disturb’ is off, the watch will turn off the display at the time set in Connect. So I’ve set it to a one-minute period at a time I’m normally asleep (hopefully!). I cannot get vibration to work, and also the watch will not allow me to use my phone as a music source, despite what it says in the manual. Lastly, even though I’d set everything up a few days ago, and my phone and watch were talking to each other, Connect decided it couldn’t see the watch anymore and I had to reinstall it! Including all the widgets and IQ apps I’d already installed…

    • Tim Collins

      To add, I have reported these issues to Garmin (and a plea for some more inspiring watch faces!), so we’ll see what they come back with.

    • Hunter Marshall

      Oh lord. You’ve had quite a time! If it ever does that in the future, losing the ability to “see” the watch, I always close apps and power off the watch, turn on airplane mode (or turn off phone completely), and then power back on everything and see if it works. Reinstalling everything is such a pain!

    • Tim Collins

      Yeah, I’ve had this before and turning the phone/watch/Edge (or whatever device) off and back on generally fixes it, but not this time. I suspect that the several timezone changes over the last two days while trying to fix things may have complicated the situation!

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      Sounds like a software issue. Hopefully all this gets fixed before it is released. It has been 4 weeks since it was announced and will think there an eminent release

    • Tim, where did you get your Venu from? It’s still listed as unavailable on all of the websites I’ve looked at, and Garmin’s ETA has now gone *up* to 5-8 weeks ?

    • Rokas

      It was briefly available on amazon until stocks depleted. Grabbed the last one myself, should be with me mid next week 🙂

    • Tim Collins

      Amazon UK. It was pre-ordered back in early September, originally expected in mid-October, but it turned up on 27 September. Looks like I was lucky!

    • Question for Ray/Tim –
      When using always on and receiving a notification – does it auto-appear on the watch, or only when you touch the screen? Does the always on keep the screen locked from those items, unless activated manually/by hand?

      Also – seeing about 2 days of battery life using always on?

    • Tim Collins

      Yeah, good question! Without vibration working (still haven’t solved that), it’s difficult to know. I suspect that notifications don’t show when the watch is in display-saver mode. As for battery life, now I have a number of IQ apps installed, the display always on (with a sleep time of 1 minute!), PulseOx enabled, and brightness of 50%, I’m getting about 2.5 days to a charge. I suspect turning PulseOx off will add around 36 hours, but as I spend a lot of my life at 40,000ft (6500’ cabin alt) I’m interested in how that works. I also have an IQ app constantly watching HRV, as I have an ectopic heartbeat and I’m trying to work out if this will give me (and my cardiologist) useful data. So I’m working the device hard, and can forgive the shorter battery life for now.

    • Without vibration working?! That is interesting – I must’ve missed that notification – can you elaborate? Like it isn’t buzzing when you receive a notification? How about with pre-set alarms? Thanks so much for the thorough and quick responses. I am leaning towards a switch from the 245 to this for the display.

    • Tim Collins

      I cannot get it to vibrate in any scenario – alarm, notifications, whatever. It just refuses to do it. Whether it’s a problem with my individual device, or a software thing, I don’t know. I’m awaiting a response from Garmin.

    • Hunter Marshall

      That is a major problem! And definitely a production issue. You should likely send it back. That should definitely not be happening.

    • Tim Collins

      Yes, it probably will go back – but not until I know they can replace it! At the moment, that seems unlikely for a few weeks.

    • so sorry for the frustrations – that is definitely defective.

      If you get a chance – would it be possible for you to test if your notifications automatically appear on the watch in always on? Like have someone text you when you can watch the watch? That is big for me.

      Thanks so much for continual updates!

    • Tim Collins

      Hi Hunter, yes, I’ve managed to tie Garmin down – they agree it’s faulty, and it’s going back. Unfortunately, they estimate the replacement not being available till sometime in November. As for the notifications, I can confirm they appear immediately even when the watch face is in ‘power-saving’ mode. They are only suppressed when either ‘do not disturb’ or the sleep period is active.

    • Hunter Marshall

      Omg I’m so sorry to hear about the replacement timeframe! Thank you so much for the update – that helps so much to know. Now: time to start Tim’s Venu Review Site! Ha. Thanks again.

    • Tim Collins

      Haha! No worries, Hunter – and I have a fine selection of alternatives while I’m waiting for the Venu to come back, including one or two analogue devices with hands and clockwork! As for the site, I think Ray does a fine job!

    • Hunter Marshall

      Got it! Made an initial thoughts Video. Thank you so much Tim for all of your guidance – helped me make the change from the 245. Crossfittracking.com

  77. Ebenezer A. Awolesi

    Tim, what I did like to know is the visibility outdoors in sunlight. I think Ray had referred to some software adaptability – corrects for the increased sunlight.

    • Tim Collins

      Ebeneezer: the visibility outside seems fine. I was in the sunshine in Barbados yesterday, and had no problems. It’s certainly as good as the Apple Watch. But I’m not a runner, and I don’t have a vast amount of information displayed on the watch at any one time. You may find an LCD display is more user-friendly than the OLED one of the Venu if you need to gather a lot of information from a quick glance at the watch in bright sunlight.

      Gary: you’re in the best possible place to research that! Ray’s site is full of the kind of information you need. However, my take is this: the Vivoactive 4 offers exactly the same functionality as the Venu for a good bit less cash. The Vivoactive 3, which you can still find online, offers almost as much for a LOT less cash. The Venu is a bit of a vanity item; it looks a bit nicer than the Vivoactive, and the display is pretty, but there’s no need to splash the cash if those things aren’t important to you.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      Tim, not a an outdoors person so not a requirement for me. Just wanted to know how it holds up outdoors to direct sunlight. Most AMOLED watches I have had in the past were difficult to view in direct sunlight.

      So it seems aside from the issues you have raised above, you are pleased with the watch so far? I will like to get one, but still waiting for an official release. My main concern is the battery life, visibility.

    • Tim Collins

      Battery life seems to be much better than I expected. Not quite what the VA3 gave me on purchase (about 10 days), but certainly 5, maybe 6, days is achievable. The sunlight thing I think you’re going to have to try for yourself when you can get hold of a watch to sample, but for me it’s not a problem. Am I pleased with it? More than I was when I first posted in this thread, but there are definitely issues that need addressing. I’ve no doubt they can and will be, however. I think it’s an exciting and credible alternative to an Apple Watch which will suit active folk better than the fruity product does, and the potential seems good.

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      I can live with 5-6 days in an always on mode, if that is what you are getting. Good to hear someone is enjoying the product. Am sure most of the issues will be sorted out. I wonder if Garmin has a beta program…

    • Ebenezer A. Awolesi

      I can live with 5-6 days in an always on mode, if that is what you are getting. Good to hear someone is enjoying the product. Am sure most of the issues will be sorted out. I wonder if Garmin has a beta program…

  78. Gary Brett

    I appreciate this may not be the best place to ask but you all seem well versed with Garmin fitness products.

    For someone who only does gym work, HIIT, circuit training, weights, treadmill and swimming is their a Garmin product I should be aiming for.

    I’d like solid HR tracking, RHR data, stress data, calories burnt, sleep stages, am I ready to train again that sort of stuff. I think Fenix6 probably offers too much for my needs, Venu looks good but awaiting more reviews, any other products I’ve missed?

    Coming from Galaxy Watch, nice screen and analogue watch faces would be nice too?

    Thank you

    • Tim Collins

      To add a bit more, Gary. Garmin have hugely improved the sleep tracking features of their devices, but they may be a little short of the capabilities of some others. I find the HR tracking and RHR data to be very solid. Calories? Well, that’s a big subject, and if you want to track it properly you need more than any one watch! However, I’m happy with the data my Garmin devices give as part of my efforts to reasonably accurately do the ‘calories in – calories out’ calculation. I’m still overweight, though, so take from that what you will! The things I appreciate most about the Vivoactive/Venu line are the GPS tracking, which in my experience is excellent, and the ability to add apps to fit your specific needs through the IQ store. Also the pool swim tracking, which is remarkably good. You mention stress data; I have no idea how good that is. I don’t do stress – I never found a use for it, so I don’t allow it in my life. Whether Garmin devices give an accurate or even useful measure of stress, I really can’t say. But they do attempt to track it. What’s not so good? I think the apps that attempt to track weight training and gym circuit work are a bit of a waste of time – you’d be better and quicker writing it on paper! However, developments in the VA4 and Venu suggest they’re working on this, so I’m prepared to be surprised with future updates. Hope this is useful!

  79. Ebenezer A. Awolesi

    It seems bestbuy has the black listed as available.

  80. Gidon Eshel

    Thanks for a super informative review. Now how do you think the display compares to that of the Apple Watch? Thank you!!

  81. Liz Stevenson

    Any insider scoop on when the Venu will actually be released? See that Garmin keeps pushing the release date further on their website.

  82. Tim Collins

    And to show it’s real…!

    • Naskar

      Could you post your impressions regarding battery life? I’m very interested in gps+mp3 consumption.

      Thanks!

    • Tim Collins

      Battery life seems to be very contingent on what features you have activated. With just the default settings, and without using music or GPS, it’s quite possible to achieve 6 days or maybe more. Using on-board music isn’t a huge hit on its own, but GPS (as with any watch) will certainly drastically reduce the available up time. I haven’t pushed it to that extent (and I’m sure Ray has, and will have mentioned it somewhere), but I’d guess that GPS and music together will bring it down to 10-12 hours, maybe less. And your display settings (brightness, always on, notifications) will affect that too. All I’d say is that if battery life is really important to you (you do Ironmans, for example) go for an LCD watch like the Vivoactive 4. Mind you, if you’re doing Ironmans, you probably want a Fenix 6! The Venu is fine for my needs. I have the Edge 1030 for long-lasting bike use.

    • Naskar

      Thank you for your feedback!

      I don’t do Ironmans, I go running almost every day and I would like to use the watch the full day, so the vivo line seems great to me. It looks like the VA4 is having any kind of issue with battery… people are getting worse numbers than yours… So lets wait till Ray’s full review!

      Thanks again!

    • Tim Collins

      No worries, Naskar. I haven’t been looking at any issues the VA4 might have had, but my VA3 certainly originally had more than enough life to record a 2-hour bike ride and then carry on working for the next day or two. After 3 years, that battery life is maybe 60% of what it once was, but it’s been used pretty much every day of those 3 years.

  83. Hunter Marshall

    I was able to get one and put up some thoughts – nothing like Dr Ray – just something fun in spare time
    link to crossfittracking.com

    • Tim Collins

      I checked out your review, Hunter, and I agree with most of it. The stress/body battery thing doesn’t bother me – I see that as fluff, to be honest! Not having Training Load is a real disappointment. I use it on the Edge 1030, and find it really useful. However, Physio TrueUp should mean that that info is available via the Connect App. I will hopefully get to check that soon as I’m finally back in UK for a couple of days and, if I can get a weather break, I’ll get out on the bike and use the Venu to track it.

    • Yes I am wondering about the continuation of Training Load on Connect, but I’m not sure it will continue to track it since the Training Effect (Anarobic/Aerobic Effect) isn’t tracking on the Venu. And the Stress/Body Battery is so helpful! I am going to continue to watch it – I do think it’s a good gauge of physical depletion – especially across a week (with less than necessary sleep). It will trend downwards so you can see how debilitated you are by week’s end, and can adjust training based on it. You haven’t had Body Battery on VA3, right?

    • Tim Collins

      No, it’s not shown on the VA3, and – for obvious reasons – it’s not part of the Edge suite of data. I haven’t looked into how Garmin calculate stress, or calibrate the ‘body battery’, but as someone who works in what’s regarded as a stressful environment, which also often requires me to work all night, I found that the numbers or even trends given are unrepresentative of how I feel. For instance, I worked all night Monday-Tuesday, crossed several time zones on my way back from Atlanta, was on my knees by the time I’d driven two hours home (arriving about 11am), and my body battery graph showed me at 83%, having ‘recharged’ overnight. I can’t take that kind of ‘data’ seriously!

    • Tim Collins

      As for Training Load, I did do a couple of Sufferfest turbo sessions in the hotel gym while I was in Atlanta. The only data I could track with the Venu was heart rate, though I could enter distance and other data by editing the Activity in Connect. That isn’t enough, apparently, for Connect to calculate Training Load – though TrainingPeaks manages to do so!

    • Haha – no kidding. That is not worthwhile data. And that’s frustrating – the previous devices (245, 645, VS4) tracked it pretty well. A long day, or little sleep, reflected a totally depleted Battery. I never used Stress tracking alone bc I didn’t find it helpful, either.

      And yes that’s what I feared with the Training Load – I think it is a total package with devices offering it, and not included in those not.

      I wish you could just return the device you bought (from Amazon, right?) and have BestBuy send you another one – they seem to have stock all across the country here. But I’m sure UK living probably makes it impossible!

    • Tim Collins

      It’s interesting that those other devices have worked well for you. I suspect that my largely sedentary job combined with the assumptions the stress and body battery algorithms use – and the fact that my RHR is <45bpm, and rarely exceeds 80 unless I’m actually committing exercise – means that it’s unlikely to work for me. As for the replacement, I’ve already had one revision bringing the arrival date forward, so I’m hopeful that it won’t be too long. I don’t have to send the old one back until I’ve received the new one, so it’s all good!

  84. Update! Issues abound unfortunately for me. I looked back through my previous device use – 645, 245, VA3, VS4, VS3 – and the stress is very different – I’m getting periods of normal range and periods of very unreasonable low range.

    And then the worst happened. Doing a hike yesterday I couldn’t get it to stop TURNING OFF/Resetting when I would start the activity. Like full on shutting down. I eventually got a regular Cardio without GPS to work. And then at the top of the mountain I was able to manually power down and after 3-4 tries get it to track a Walk w GPS. And it’s now resetting randomly in watch use.

    So hoping it’s just a defective unit. BUT – with Tim’s no -vibration issue (PLUS his having to Hard Reset unit to resync) and now this – ARE THEY DELAYING RELEASE/FUTURE SHIPMENTS UNTIL LAUNDRY LIST OF BUGS ARE CORRECTED? It seems so strange that shipment times have stayed excessively long on the direct site (but I’m no expert), and now this.

    Posting a video of updates thoughts in a bit

    • Tim Collins

      That doesn’t sound good. I’ve just received my replacement, so we’ll see how that does!

    • Ebenezer

      Hunter it seems early adopters are having issues with the Venu. I might have to wait a bit longer to see how this plays out. Will the rumored google smart watch change the landscape? No I am thinking about going for the Fenix 6s pro instead.

    • Hunter Marshall

      Interesting – others are having the same issues, Ebenezer? And Tim you’ve got to share at each step along the way.

      I do find it super strange that the availability is still 5-8 weeks on Garmin’s site, even after 6 weeks or however long it’s been since launch.

      And the 6s would be awesome and have a bunch more functions, but for a bit too many extra dollars.

      Keep sharing what you hear! DYING to hear how Ray’s experience has been! He may know something from Garmin directly.

    • Tim Collins

      Hi Hunter, yes, I’ll keep everyone up to date as I go on. At least I have working vibes now!

      One thin I have noticed is that editing the Garmin Venu-specific watch faces is incredibly frustrating. Each watch face allows some variation in hands style and colour, and the adding of up to four data fields. Particularly with the hands style and colour, the process of swiping to switch between styles usually fails and you return to the ‘choose face’ page. FWP, but bloody annoying.

    • Chris

      Yeah if after 6 weeks, introduction still sits on 5-8 weeks; that is strange.
      It could also mean that they are finding so many issues, they simply don’t know when it will be available for mass ordering.
      I am a bit afraid they will want to make late November/early December at whatever quality…

      Will continue to follow your updates as the Venu appears to be a nice watch.

    • Tim Collins

      Chris, I’m on my second Venu. When I returned my first one (which I received in September), Amazon told me a replacement could take 4 weeks. I had it in less than a week. Amazon UK are showing next-day delivery is available on the black Venu, but a month’s delay on the blue one.

    • Chris

      Hi Tim,
      Fast replacement (like a week) sounds good but has the watch improved?
      Appears to me you are still having issues.
      I truly hope Garmin uses the 5-8 weeks to drastically improve their Venu (like the AOD and the vibration, there may be more).
      No Amazon in the Netherlands and not purchasable from Garmin’s site yet.
      KR, Chris

    • Tim Collins

      Ok, I’ve just returned from an epic 9-day ride from SF to LA through the Sierras. I didn’t use the Venu for tracking the rides (I have an Edge 1030 for that) but I have some observations.

      For some reason, Garmin Connect can’t cope with both the Venu and the 1030 supplying (different) data at the same time. The result is it kicks the Venu off – but not in a sensible way. The Venu frequently reconnects and then disconnects, and the constant and continuous stream of notifications is infuriating. Indeed, I deinstalled and reinstalled the Venu in Connect several times in a vain attempt to sort this, but I was unsuccessful. As well as annoying, this had a significant impact on battery life, and I was achieving around 36 hours – with no music or GPS use – while this behaviour existed. I can confirm that, without this confliction, the Venu has returned to around 3-4 days battery life.

      In the Californian sunshine, the Venu struggled with visibility. There probably isn’t a harder test for this, and I know companions with other Amoled watches suffered equally, but it’s a fact that there is a limit to the Venu’s readability!

      This may be related to the Connect problems, but True-up seems not to work. Indeed, syncing the Venu often fails to communicate the data recorded by the 1030 to the Venu; it can sometimes take several syncs and some hours before data is available on both devices.

      These problems seem to be with Connect rather than the Venu, but it’s all part of the experience.

  85. David

    I found the garmin venu to be a good competent watch with one huge drawback.

    The new update in software version 3.40 forces the always on display to be minimalistic and simple. The Apple Watch 5’s AOD pops – it’s the same watch face but dimmed with some complications frozen (I think). It’s great. The Venu’s attempt to save battery life with the new update has caused me angst. Before 3.40, the display was dimmed. It operated like the Apple Watch and popped with a gesture. Now, it’s this simplistic face with no real pizazz.

    I wish Garmin would revert to the prior version (battery life for the few hours I tested it on the pre-3.40 version was fine).

    Anyone else buy a Venu and have the same experience?

    • I’m not sure I follow – it’s always been reduced (at least from a live watch face) to a simplistic one in battery saver mode. You can see it in the post above where I talk about it at launch. I don’t think that’s changed any.

    • Dave

      Hi,

      My experience has been that the third party watch faces were dimmed pre-update 3.40. The new update changed this so that the third party watch makers had to use a very simple monotone display. Another user posted the same experience in his review (2:40 mark in the youtube video below).

      link to youtube.com

      Anyway, thanks for your diligent efforts over the years. You love what you do, and it shows!

      Best,
      Dave

    • Hunter Marshall

      Hello Ray! Yes straight out of the box any of the watch faces from Connect IQ would simply go dim in always on mode, but with the 3.4 update they attempt to go dim in always on mode (or to an alternate always on design type), but eventually the screen turns off. Someone messaged me to say that when looking at the developer options that Garmin limits always on to three minutes unless the developer has a moving always-on watch face, and there’s some sort of pixel limitation. That’s why Crystal is the only one that works – in always on mode the dimmed time moves every one minute. This is apparently to limit burn-in, but the Garman built-in always-on watch faces don’t move, so it’s all a bit ironic.

  86. Hunter Marshall

    This just in. When changing the watch face you are no longer forced into the Garmin pre-installed watch faces and left to scroll all the way to the right to choose your Connect IQ downloaded watch faces. It will currently take you to the current watch face and you can scroll from there.

    Also – there have been reported battery drain issues with the release today of 3.5. Anyone noticing that please comment.

  87. Tim P

    I sure hope not. I am getting epic battery life using my venu without always on but simply gesture. I’m on day 6 with 39 percent left with a workout every day. It’s actually better than my returned vivoactive 4.

    • Hunter Marshall

      That’s great then! Wow. I am burning through only about 30% in a day with always on and a 1 hour workout myself.

  88. Jesper N

    Does anyone know if 3.5 solves the vibration issue??? Can’t seem to find a full changelog anywhere….

  89. Rob Durie

    Hi, thanks for the review. I have a particular interest in the pulse ox feature. I have a lung disease and would like to monitor my SpO2 during sleep and exercise. My understanding is that there is a difference here between the Venu and the Vivoactive 4, in that the Venu is 24/7 and the 4 is not. Can you confirm pls. Thanks a heap. It is very difficult to get accurate info on SpO2 monitoring, e.g., I know the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 measures oxygen saturation, but I have no idea whether it is continuous, sleep only or spot checks only as on galaxy phones. A list of devices with this capability and its implementation would be extremely beneficial for anyone with lung issues. I know the measurements are only indicative but they are useful nevertheless.

    • Hunter Marshall

      Great question, and your situation sounds difficult. The Pulse Ox can be used All Day, just ‘During Sleep’, or not at all (‘Off’).

      At first mine wasn’t seeming to get readings throughout the day but it actually improved as I used it more.

  90. Cerdan

    Hi!! thank you for all those details!!
    I’ve the garmin vivoactive since 4 or 5 y don’t remember… and love it but I’m a bit tired and wanted to find another alternative.more usable in my working girl life, less sporty look.
    I’m so attracted by the venu but a bit stress of the battery I found nowhere a test on the capacity on a GPS (like running, or climbing or whatever) WITHOUT music. I personally don’t care about the music and wanted to see what about the battery capacity on a tracking activity. can you please help me ?

    The true is that even ftzer 4.5 y my Garmin is really battery saving, I charge it only once /10 to 12 days and recording activity all day or two days. I’m able to make very long sport trip without any fear of it like stop functionning during it.
    Before buying this new babes I really wanna be sure it will survive at list 6 to 7 hours of activity recording (without Music)

    • Chris

      Like you, I don’t care about music either, just all the basics for inside and occasionally GPS outside. You may want to check Robotron2084’s post on Sept 6th (and DCR’s answer), wait for Garmin to publish more details once the Venu is available (though their specs may be on the optimistic side) or for DCR to publish a full review once the Venu is released (probably the most realistic figures you will get). Success!

    • GARY BRETT

      What is concerning me most is the fact that here in the UK, Garmin haven’t released it direct yet but many stores have it available on the shelf. When I asked Garmin they said no expected release date as yet, keep checking back.

      That coupled with a lack of online reviews is making me think there may be issues with the hardware/software, at least in the UK and I’m now swerving toward the Polar Ignite for half the price.Guess its personal choice between the Polar sleep/Fitspark or Garmin’s first-beat inclusions.

    • I completely agree – I think there is some sort of build/distribution issue with the watch. BUT – I can share thoughts on all of the above – I tested it and the Polar Ignite both extensively.

      First off – I have never used Music as I don’t own Bluetooth headphones. So there’s that – but I haven’t done an extensive battery drain on a run specifically. In all my testing of it it drains like 2% across an 8 hour sleep, and about 28% across a day with one hour activity, or approximately 30% every 24 hours. I found the battery to be (considering all of the other AMOLED offers) to be excellent – but you’re still talking 3 days to full drain, give or take. I DID use always on during this time, and received ALL notifications to the watch.

      Now the Polar Ignite I loved, with a few caveats. On the positive it was the first AMOLED sports watch, period. I could get 3-4 days on a charge, the sleep tracking was excellent (in my opinion better than Garmin’s bc it incorporated respiratory rate into overall recovery score, which Garmin does not, nor does it on Body Battery, that’s just stress related), it had one of the best Optical Heart Rate sensors (like the best, for me), and was excellent at workout evaluation and had training load (or whatever they call it versus Garmin, which they do NOT include on the Venu) – and all at a super affordable price ($229) in my opinion. BUT – it did have some issues. You don’t have always on (which I like) and to see notifications you have to use a wrist raise gesture, which didn’t always work. That was the main issue I found. Otherwise it was close to the perfect AMOLED (or whatever other screen type, not sure if AMOLED but quality) sports tracking watch. I actually liked that it had a more simple software set-up – you don’t have a bunch of screens and/or widgets – it’s just a great sports tracking watch with a better than the rest screen.

      Now – the Venu was excellent at what it did. The screen is beautiful, and if you’re a current Garmin user you’ll find it a-ma-zing to have the natural Garmin functionality in a quality screen. They handled the always on great, notifications, etc great. But you lose workout evaluation (training effect aerobic and anaerobic) and training load, and at a much higher price ($399).

      So – both offer great options. I loved the Venu as far as the AMOLED experience went, but the Polar was the better TRAINING watch for the reasons listed.

      Hope this helps!

    • GARY BRETT

      That’s fantastic, really great feedback on both devices, I’m coming from Galaxy Watch so any decent fitness tracking is appreciated however small, if you have had one I guess you’ll know what I mean.

      I can actually get the Polar for £130 in the UK compared to £329 for the Venu so assumed it must be a better watch, I never use music, rarely use the calling facilities and just want it to track gym work, HR based burnt calories & good HR zones to get an idea of my fitness levels and allow me to improve.

      The Ignite sounds like it may be a good match for me as does the Venu as I do like First -Beats thinking a lot.Would be nice if the Vantage M had the ignites features but I guess its too close to the same price range, maybe the V will get them soon.

      Anyway thanks, really appreciate the feedback, helps me a lot.

    • GARY BRETT

      Actually Ive just read the Vantage V is getting Fitspark and sleep features in December, from what i read though thats more a running watch as opposed to a gym tracker (weights, HIIT, cross training)

      Another option though 🙂

    • Yes I think sleep features should have been in recent update already for V and M – but I tested M (similar screen as V) and thought it was hands down the worst as far as backlight functionality goes – just couldn’t effectively see it very easily. The V is def a running watch – at least all of the capabilities are running focused – all of the higher end (and higher price-tag) features are, so if you’re not primarily a runner it’s not worth it in my opinion – at all.

      And I’ve tested the Galaxy Watch and either are a very good fitness related upgrade! If you have any interest in effort/exertion evaluation – in addition to overall training load tracking (how much work you’ve been putting in on 7 day tracking and longer) you should go with the Ignite – the Venu just gives heart rate output for things you’re doing.

    • GARY BRETT

      Ahh Ive just clicked who you are now, your the man who does the Youtube videos, Id been watching them for a few weeks now so thanks for that!

      I’ve just taken the leap and bought the Ignite through my insurance company, £140 for the black/copper so lets see how it goes, at ££189 cheaper than Venu its got to be worth a go and as we said its a massive upgrade on the Galaxy watch!

      Thanks again for your input

    • Chris

      You’re making things more difficult Hunter 🙂
      I suppose any Polar (but also the Ignite) works with some sort of Polar app (like Garmin Connect for my Edge bike computer)?
      And the Polar app and Garmin Connect are not meant to synce with each other, are they?
      Or do they sync their data into the Health app (I have an iPhone)?

    • Baha – sorry for the added difficulty – we all know it when debating between these devices because there’s no clear winner!

      And yes Chris – all sync with their respective iPhone apps – Polar with Flow and Garmin with Connect – and all do so effectively. Garmin has a bit more depth to their health/wellness, but it all comes down to whatever you need it for. And I forgot to mention that FitSpark is a little silly but actually can be a useful measure for a daily guide – Garmin doesn’t have anything like it really. The sleep metrics are much more in depth on the Polar side (also bc they actually give you the variance of values – HRV, time between beats average, etc) but use these metrics in the sleep recovery versus just HRV that Garmin uses for Body Battery – which I do find helpful as another measuring device. I’m still just chapped that Garmin left out Training Effect of workouts and Training Load for $400 cost – because Ioved the screen and experience using it so much.

      And that’s awesome Gary! I hope you love it! And yes that’s me – very novice stuff – I don’t know how to edit a video to save my life but hated not finding any crossfit specific reviews of any real kind out there. Mine are pathetic I’m sure, but wanted to do something bc I love all the device options out there.

    • Chris

      After heaving read all of this I also purchased the Ignite.
      Be it my first Smart/Sport watch I have nothing to compare it to.
      One thing though I found yesterday while performing Indoor Strength training: the heartbeat runs half a minute behind. Recognisable?

    • Gary Brett

      Not sure I’ve noticed to be honest, I had mine set for circuit training whilst doing weights as it’s part of my 60 minute session.

      Even if it was behind I doubt I would actually know, what makes you think its reading late?

      I’m actualky really surprised at how good the ignite has been on tracking HR and daily activities. The nightly recharge is an amazing feature too, really insightful in my opinion and making me look at changing my sleep preparation.

    • Chris

      Hi Gary, The reason to believe it is running behind is that while finishing my squads, the HB reads around 120-130 moving up to 140-150 just 20-30 sec later. That is weird, as I finished the squads and am resting and waiting for my HB to go down where it goes up instead.

      I always do this at the end of the day and find myself having a low ANS reading after the night. I am curious how to positively influence that low reading. Are you saying you can do that? Is there an article (link perhaps) on that?

  91. Ruth

    In the swimming mode in Venu watch can heart rate be used? How accurate are the laps measured? Thanks

  92. Dean Dunn

    Had my Garmin Venu for a couple of weeks. It’s my first smart watch and first fitness tracker. Although I cycle I’ll be using it for general fitness tracking and gym use.

    So far I’m really happy with it. Screen quality is good, although the stock watch faces aren’t great IMHO. Battery life is good. I’m getting about 5-6 days battery life.

    Things I like include the stress level and body battery although not sure how much real science is behind either of these. Being able to track a gym activity is great and Garmin Connect sync to myfitnesspal is useful.

    Sleep tracking is good as well as I have extremely variable sleep patterns due to my work. Being able to monitor this should help.

    I do think it is too expensive at £329 (UK), although I’m sure it will come down in price.

  93. The AMOLED of the Venu does make a significant difference compared to the Vivoactive 4 and 4S, but for someone more involved in outdoor sports activities, the later are better choices especially with the slightly longer battery life.

    • Chris

      Hi Smarteatchchart,

      Assuming it would last a long day activity (like 12 hrs), it wouldn’t make a whole lot of difference if you have the chance of charging every day (night), right?

      KR, Chris

  94. Daniel

    Hi,
    Can the home screen (live watch face?) be customized by adding widgets?
    I like having a WF that shows date/time + steps and floors climbed.
    Thanks

    • Dean Dunn

      Yes. I’ve got mine setup to show steps and battery. You have 2 data fields, one at the top of the screen and one at the bottom you can customise.

    • Daniel

      Thank you, Dean
      I’m hesitating between the Venu and the Huawei GT2, which has 14 days of battery and a beautiful larger screen (1.39″). It does not display climbed floors as such but rather as altitude. Annoying.
      Don’t know whether it’s sold in the US.
      So on the one hand a Garmin product vs a larger screen and battery.
      The GT2 is about 30% cheaper.
      Both are weak in the “smart” features compared to the Samsung watches.
      The sports features in both watches are more than I require.
      GPS seems to be accurate in both.

    • Dean Dunn

      GT2 was the other watch I considered. Decided to go with Garmin due to its ecosystem and commitment to fitness tracking i.e. Garmin Connect has been around for a long while.

      GT2 is nice, but more of a fancy watch plus other functions. I’m very happy with the Venu (apart from price).

    • Daniel

      Dean,
      How long does the battery actually last (assuming no GPS)?
      I had a Samsung Gear S3, where I had to charge almost every 3 days (AOD off, watch turned off every night) – it was extremely annoying.
      This is what’s causing my hesitation (the massive GT2 battery). Also it has a speaker and microphone, whicj come in handy at times when you can’t pick up the phone.
      On the other hand, as I wrote above, a Garmin (quality) product vs a chinese watch, no ecosystem, etc.
      Also, can you detail a bit about the messaging/smartwatch stuff on the Garmin? Is it possible to view/read full messages? (AFAIK it’s not possible to reply from the watch other than pre-defined messages).
      Thank you again.

    • Dean Dunn

      I recharged it on 23rd and it’s currently showing 62%. I leave the screen off (touch to display), no pulse ox. So pretty good.

      Messaging is good, it shows full messages. I’m using it with WhatsApp, FB messenger, reddit, Gmail and a few other apps. No replies, but I haven’t looked to see if you can send any.

    • Daniel

      Have you done any sports since that last charge? ie taken daily long walks? Or is it an “office” usage?
      And do you keep the watch on at night?

      Thank you again.
      ?

    • Dean Dunn

      Over 10,000 steps each day, I keep the watch on 24×7 unless I’m charging it. Did 70 mins activities first day after charging. None since then.

    • Daniel

      Thank you, Dean.

  95. POLL: Is everyone else hitting refresh on his main page every few minutes to see when the Venu review drops?! Maybe it’s just me….

  96. Daniel Wisniak

    Hi,

    Purchased a Venu and am trying o find a watch face that’ll display the date&time , battery status, steps & floors climbed.
    None of the built-in WFs provide all that info.
    Tried creating one with the watch face maker, impossible to have all that info together.
    Am I missing something?

    Further, I looked in the ConnectIQ store, none of the WFs there provide what I need.
    Is there any other alternative to create the required WF?

    With my old Samsung Gear S3 there were hundreds of options, and I even paid a couple of $ to have a custom WF made for me (large fonts and all the required stats and layout).
    Is there a similar option with Garmin watches?

    Thanks.

    • Chris

      Hi Daniel,

      Try Lachesis (Light) by Garmin.
      With the free data fields you can exactly set what you need, using the Garmin Connect app.
      On top of the text it also has graphical representation for two data fields, by means of growing or decreasing rings.
      In my case (see pic) I have battery and steps in text as well as graphically represented.

      You can find it here:
      link to apps.garmin.com

      Enjoy!

      KR, Chris

    • Daniel Wisniak

      Thanks, Chris.
      The fonts are not large/bold enough for my eyes (w/o glasses).
      Here’s the WF that was custom made for me for the Gear S3 and was very comfortable for me (disregard the variety of colors).

    • Tim Collins

      You have four optional data fields on each watch face, as well as time. On mine, I have battery, date, HR, and steps. Your selection would fit.

  97. Daniel

    Hi,
    Has anyone succeeded unpairing the Venu with an iPad.
    Much easier to browse the IQ store in a larger screen.
    I’ve out the Venu in pairing mode, installed and opened the Connect app on the iPad, but it can’t find the Venu.
    This iPad is already connected to other devices and is discoverable.

    I get an error message saying the iPad can’t find the Venu.

    Thanks

  98. Emmanuel Domingos

    Can i trust in 20h battery life in gps only? it’s the key factor for me. Did someone push the battery until it drain on gps only (without music).

  99. Seksit Atta-Ekanan

    I really need to know about the low power always on display. It is on par graphically with Vivoactive 4 or does it display just the clock and very very dim?

  100. Paul

    Well i hope the Venu is a good choice and there is not to many bugs. I ordered it on Amazon monday, couldn’t resist at the 100$ off the price.

    Hoping the in-depth review would not make me regret my choice…

  101. Michael

    Hi
    Can the garmin Venu be used in a sauna? Im currently using my fenix 3 regularly in a sauna with no issues.
    Regards
    Mike

  102. Josh

    Does this watch offer navigation from a gpx file?

    If not which garmin watches do?

    Thanks

  103. Kevin

    Hi I am a fenix 5X owner. I’m considering buying the Venu. I love the display!! Just not sure I could handle losing V02 and sapphire glass? Thoughts? Or should I just go 6X pro???

  104. Paul Ainsworth

    I am having constant problems with Notifications. All the settings are correct. Sometimes I get them and mostly I don’t. As usual the support from Garnin is shocking! Keep getting asked for the same info but they don’t actually do anything. Such a shame because apart from that the watch is great but can’t rely on it to tell you if you’re receiving a call or text. I paired my old vivoactive and ran with both. The vivoactive got them all. I saw one reply from garmin saying the connect app must be open all the time! Well when I do this all that happens is I get constant notifications saying watch connected and then disconnected. This can’t be true as sometimes it works without the app open. I think it’s something to do with switching modes. Eg out of DND or into an activity. Very frustrating. Waiting to see what garmin say but have no confidence.

  105. Sasa

    Hi DC, considering Venu and current low prices from for Fenix 5s Plus series, what would be your recommendation? In my country, Venu goes for 300€ while Fenix 5s Plus goes for 400€. I know that the Fenix 5 Plus was top of the line, but does Venu delivers more or less everything like 5s Plus.

    Thanks!

  106. Paul Ainsworth

    Well nearly six weeks on and nothing from Garmin. Have sent two emails to chase them. Ignored! Interestingly I am now getting lots of emails advertising new products. Perhaps this is their strategy. Just fob you off and hope you buy the new version every year.

    I also got an email survey about the service I received which was worded as if the issue was fixed. It was one question.

    Garnin are a joke!

  107. D

    Hi, can you load gpx file on Garmin Venu?

  108. Paul Ainsworth

    Well after four months of Garmin doing nothing I have finally returned the watch. Garmin are just doing nothing. I have sent so much information to them but had nothing back. They clearly know about this issue. The net is full of stuff about it.

    Oh well bye Garmin!! You’ve lost me as a customer.
    Waiting to see if apples new watch will have better gps.

  109. Samai

    Thanks so much for the nice tutorials.

    I just got the Garmin Venu some few days ago after using the Garmin Vivosmart HT+ for about two years and I am happy with it.

    One thing I think is missing on the Venu is the Move Alert Bar or if it’s still there I can’t figure out how to activate it. It alert only with vibration and a short MOVE message. I am used to the Vivosmart Move Bar and would love to have a kind of Alert Bar on my Venu. Is there any way I can set that or it’s only Move Message and Vibration Alert?

    Thanks in Advance.

  110. Anna

    There is no information about the color of that one on the pictures. Could You write the number or name of the “blue” one? Thank You

  111. ¿Cómo se compara la pantalla con otras

  112. Daniel

    Hi,

    I purchased the Venu over 1 year ago, based on this review and am happy with it (the contender was the Huawei GT2, due to the 14-day battery).

    I set AOD=OFF srom the beginning, in order to conserve battery life.
    I tried several WFs until I found one that provided me with the parameters that I track throughout the day.
    Last week I installed a new WF which is also very good for me. But I immediately noted that there seemed to be some sort of weird shading in some places.
    I contacted the developer and he pointed out to me that the previous WF had apparently caused burn in on several places in the screen, and also provided screenshots where it could easily be seen that this is indeed the case.
    I find this strange, as as I’ve stated AOD=OFF and so even the cululative daily display time shouldn’t be causing this.

    Has anyone else encountered screen burn-in?
    Is there any way to correct this w/o replacing the screen?

    Thanks

  113. Linda

    Wow! What a Super Great Read!!!!!
    I’ve been watching you tube videos to get my Garmin Venu up and running, and to become familiar with it. I needed a slow down and to read a bit.
    This was absolutely perfect in every way. It supplemented my video learning’s, it gave me new information, it helped me know I bought the right watch/fitness tracker for me, and it gave me the space to just play with my Venu and be confident with it.
    I did realize I agree with DCR that Garmin could have utilized the great new amoled technology for the screen by juicing up the exercise screens with some basic graphics like maps and heart rate zone graphs. Yep.
    I’m coming from a plain Galaxy 714b, and I’ve enjoyed the graphics of their exercise screens.
    Really Great Read!
    Great info written well to easily grasp!
    10 Thumbs Up!

  114. Don Nixon

    How to set correct time? My venue gps smartwatch displays incorrect time. How do I reset it?