Garmin Venu 2 Plus Review

Garmin Venu 2 Plus Review. The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is the latest iteration of Garmin’s highly successful Venu series, released in 2022. Building on the solid foundation of its predecessor, the Garmin Venu 2, the Venu 2 Plus offers all the same features, with one significant upgrade: the addition of a microphone. This key enhancement allows users to answer calls and access voice assistants directly from their wrist, making it an excellent all-around smartwatch for fitness enthusiasts and those seeking hands-free convenience.

Garmin Venu 2 Plus Review

The Garmin Venu 2 Plus builds upon its predecessor, the Venu 2, with a standout feature—a built-in microphone. This addition transforms the smartwatch, allowing users to:

• Answer calls from their wrist.
• Interact with voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Bixby without having to touch their phone.

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Released in January 2022 at a price point of $449.99 / £399.99 / AU$699, the Venu 2 Plus comes at a slight premium compared to the original Venu 2, which launched at $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$629 in 2021. However, the microphone feature is far from a gimmick, enhancing everyday use of the device in ways that make the extra cost justifiable for many.

Key features include:

• 43mm stainless steel case.
• High-resolution AMOLED display.
• Heart rate, SpO2, sleep, and stress tracking.
• Built-in GPS with Garmin’s signature accuracy.
• Support for animated workouts.
• 5ATM water resistance.
• Contactless payments with Garmin Pay.

2. Design and Build Quality

The design of the Garmin Venu 2 Plus is strikingly similar to that of the Venu 2, with some small yet meaningful changes. While the original Venu 2 came in two sizes (40mm and 45mm), the Venu 2 Plus offers a 43mm case—a middle ground that fits most wrist sizes comfortably.

Materials and Finish

• The case is constructed from stainless steel, giving it a premium feel.
• The silicone band that comes with the watch is soft and durable, though Garmin offers a wide range of bands, including leather, metal, and suede options for more formal occasions.

The watch is available in three distinct colorways:

1. Cream-gold stainless steel with an ivory band.
2. Slate stainless steel with a black band.
3. Silver stainless steel with a powder gray band.

Overall, the 51g weight makes the watch slightly heavier than the previous models, but it remains comfortable for daily wear. Additionally, the 5ATM water resistance rating ensures that the watch can withstand swimming and showering, but it is not suitable for diving or high-speed water sports.

3. Display and User Interface

One of the standout features of the Venu 2 Plus is its AMOLED display, which is bright, vibrant, and sharp. The 416 x 416-pixel resolution ensures crisp visuals whether you're glancing at your fitness stats or interacting with the smart features.

Touchscreen and Navigation

• The touchscreen interface is smooth and responsive.
• Garmin has also included physical buttons to assist with navigation during workouts, ensuring that you can interact with the watch even if your hands are wet or sweaty.

The addition of an always-on display option adds convenience, though it significantly impacts battery life, which we will discuss in the battery section.

4. Fitness Tracking Capabilities

As with all Garmin watches, the fitness tracking on the Venu 2 Plus is top-tier. Whether you’re an athlete or someone just getting into fitness, the Venu 2 Plus has you covered.

Key Tracking Features:

• Heart rate monitoring.
• Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2).
• Sleep tracking with advanced analysis.
• Stress tracking based on heart rate variability.
• Respiration tracking.

The watch supports more than 25 built-in sports apps, including running, cycling, swimming, yoga, Pilates, and strength training. It also includes on-screen muscle maps, which show the muscle groups you’ve worked recently, and animated workout guides for activities like yoga and Pilates.

GPS tracking is excellent, providing accurate location data even in dense urban areas. During our tests, the watch tracked our runs to within a few meters of the actual route, making it highly reliable for outdoor activities.

5. Smart Features and Voice Assistant Integration

The Garmin Venu 2 Plus truly shines in the realm of smart features, thanks to the inclusion of a microphone and speaker.

Voice Assistant Integration

• The Venu 2 Plus supports Siri, Google Assistant, and Bixby, allowing you to make hands-free commands.
• You can answer phone calls directly from the watch, a feature that worked flawlessly during our testing, with crystal-clear sound quality on both ends of the call.

This integration means you can interact with your phone’s assistant for simple tasks like setting reminders, checking the weather, or controlling smart home devices—all without having to pull out your phone.

6. Battery Life and Charging

Garmin claims that the Venu 2 Plus offers up to 10 days of battery life in battery saver mode, or nine days in regular smartwatch mode. However, the always-on display significantly reduces this, as does continuous use of GPS and the SpO2 sensor.

In our tests, with moderate use of GPS and health tracking features, we found that the battery lasted about 6-7 days on a single charge. This is quite respectable for an AMOLED display smartwatch, especially when compared to similar devices on the market.

Charging is done via a proprietary USB cable, which attaches magnetically to the back of the watch. Unfortunately, the Venu 2 Plus does not support wireless charging, which is a feature that some competitors, like the Apple Watch, offer.

7. Garmin Connect: The Companion App

Garmin Connect remains one of the most comprehensive fitness tracking apps available. Upon pairing your watch with the app, you'll have access to an array of features:

• Body Battery: A unique metric that tells you how much energy you have left for the day.
• Detailed health statistics: Including heart rate, sleep analysis, and stress tracking.
• Customizable dashboard: Users can tailor the app to show the data they find most relevant.

Additionally, Garmin Connect offers training plans and integration with third-party apps like Strava, MyFitnessPal, and TrainingPeaks.

8. Comparison with Competitors

When it comes to competitors, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus finds itself up against other fitness-focused smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 7, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, and Fitbit Sense. Here's how the Venu 2 Plus stacks up:

• Fitness Tracking: Garmin leads the pack with highly accurate fitness data, whereas Apple and Samsung excel in smartwatch features.
• Battery Life: The Venu 2 Plus offers superior battery life compared to the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch.
• Smart Features: The addition of voice assistant integration gives the Venu 2 Plus an edge over Fitbit but falls slightly short of the Apple Watch’s ecosystem.

9. Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Excellent fitness tracking capabilities.
• Hands-free calling and voice assistant integration.
• Bright and responsive AMOLED display.
• Good battery life for a smartwatch with an AMOLED display.
• Lightweight and comfortable design.

Cons:

• No wireless charging.
• Limited third-party app support compared to competitors.
• More expensive than the original Venu 2.