Garmin Venu 4 Launch Shocks the Smartwatch World – Huge Upgrades, Flashlight & 12-Day Battery Life to Take on Apple & Samsung

• Launch & Price: Garmin unveiled the Venu 4 on September 17, 2025, as its latest flagship fitness smartwatch. It comes in two sizes (41mm and 45mm) and starts at $549.99 (UK £469.99), a $100 jump over the Venu 3’s launch price. Availability begins September 22, 2025.
• Design & Variants: The Venu 4 features a premium metal design (stainless steel case with fiber-reinforced polymer back) and comes in three colorways – Lunar Gold, Silver, or Slate/Black – with either silicone or leather bands (leather costs ~$50 extra). It’s offered in 45mm (56g) and 41mm (46g) case sizes, both with bright AMOLED touchscreens (1.4″ at 454×454 and 1.2″ at 390×390) supporting always-on mode. Notably, Garmin has reduced the physical buttons from three to two buttons on this model, relying more on touch navigation gadgetsandwearables.com.
• Battery Life: Despite slightly shorter battery estimates than its predecessor, Venu 4 still boasts up to 12 days of battery life in smartwatch mode (45mm version) – far beyond typical daily-charge smartwatches. Even with the always-on display, it lasts ~4 days. GPS runtime is ~20 hours (GPS-only), or ~17–19 hours with the new more accurate multi-band GPS mode. (The 41mm version is a bit lower at ~10 days smartwatch use and ~15 hours GPS.) This endurance handily outlasts rivals like the Apple Watch (about 18–24 hours) and Samsung Galaxy Watch (1–2 days) on a single charge.
• Health & Fitness Features: Venu 4 doubles down on health tracking. It introduces Garmin’s new Health Status feature that monitors whether key metrics (HRV, heart rate, respiration, SpO₂, skin temperature) drift from your personal baseline – an early warning for stress or illness. A new Lifestyle Logging system lets users journal daily habits (like caffeine or alcohol intake) and correlates them with sleep and stress data. Advanced sleep tracking now adds Sleep Alignment (how well your sleep schedule matches your circadian rhythm) and Sleep Consistency (consistency of bedtimes) for a holistic view. It also supports HRV status, Body Battery™, Pulse Ox, respiration, menstrual cycle tracking with skin temp for ovulation estimates, and even an ECG app – marking the first Venu with electrocardiogram capability.
• Garmin Fitness Coach: A headline addition is the Garmin Fitness Coach – delivering personalized daily workouts across 25+ activities (beyond just running/cycling). These adaptive, heart-rate-based routines cover walking, HIIT, strength, indoor cycling, rowing, and more, adjusting to your recent training load, recovery, and sleep. Garmin also expanded training tools: training load and readiness metrics, recovery time, triathlon mode and coaching, mixed-session multisport tracking, auto track run detection, race time predictions, heat/altitude acclimation – essentially bringing many advanced Forerunner features into the Venu line.
• Smart & Safety Features: Both sizes include a built-in LED flashlight (white with adjustable brightness and a red safety light mode) – a first for the Venu series. They also have a speaker and microphone, enabling Bluetooth calls from the wrist (when paired to a phone) and voice assistant commands (Siri/Google Assistant) – even some on-watch voice commands (like “start a run” or setting timers) work without needing your phone. Standard smartwatch features are present: notifications, onboard music storage (∼8GB for ~500 songs), Garmin Pay™ contactless payments, and safety tracking (incident detection, live location sharing). The watch has 5 ATM water resistance (swim-proof) and supports all major satellite systems with new multi-band GPS for improved accuracy.
• Comparison vs Venu 3: The Venu 4 is a major upgrade over 2023’s Venu 3. It adds numerous features the Venu 3 lacked – multiband GPS, a flashlight, ECG, more robust training analytics (training load, training readiness, etc.), and new health metrics. The build is more premium (full metal body vs polymer), though it gains a bit of weight and thickness. On the downside, battery life dropped slightly (e.g. 14 → 12 days smartwatch use on 45mm) due to the brighter screen and dual-band GPS, and Garmin removed one physical button gadgetsandwearables.com. The price also jumped by $100, positioning Venu 4 squarely in high-end territory.
• Competitive Positioning: Priced at $549, the Venu 4 costs more than an Apple Watch Series 9 or 11 and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, signaling Garmin’s aim to compete on premium features rather than price. It leverages Garmin’s traditional strengths – multi-day battery and deep fitness tracking – to stand out. Early reviews note that Venu 4 “offers longer battery life and more fitness features” than the latest Apple Watch, essentially becoming Garmin’s “premier fitness smartwatch” to challenge Apple and Samsung in 2025.

Garmin Venu 4: Overview of Specifications & Features

Image: Garmin Venu 4 smartwatch in use, showcasing its bright AMOLED touchscreen and sleek metal design.

Design & Display: The Venu 4 refines Garmin’s design language with a more elegant build. It comes in two case sizes – 45mm and 41mm – both featuring a fully circular AMOLED display (1.4″ and 1.2″ respectively) that’s sharp and vibrant even outdoors. Garmin has reportedly boosted the display brightness to match the vivid screens on its latest Forerunner 570 and Fenix models. The larger model offers 454×454 px resolution, while the smaller is 390×390 px, each with an optional always-on mode. The watch hardware now uses a full metal casing (stainless steel bezel and rear housing) for a premium feel, compared to the Venu 3’s plastic body. This material upgrade, along with the new LED flashlight hardware, explains a slight weight increase (45mm is 56 g with band, vs ~47 g prior).

Both variants have quick-release bands (20mm width) in either soft silicone or leather, allowing easy style swaps. Out-of-the-box color options include a light Lunar Gold tone with bone (off-white) band, a Silver case with citron (pale green) or periwinkle band, and a Slate/Black combo. The watch face is protected by Gorilla Glass (not explicitly stated but likely, given prior models) and the device is water-rated to 5 ATM – safe for swimming and showering.

Notably, Garmin simplified the controls: the Venu 4 has two side buttons (one round “action” button and a flat secondary button) instead of the three-button layout on Venu 3 gadgetsandwearables.com. This change means more reliance on touch for navigation, which some users may find different, but the interface is optimized for it. The top button still covers start/stop and back functions, while the touch-screen handles swipes through widgets, workouts, and maps (though full onboard maps are not included on the Venu series, unlike Garmin’s Fenix line). The second button likely acts as a shortcut (e.g., to access the controls menu where the flashlight toggle resides).

Battery & Charging: Battery longevity remains one of Venu 4’s strongest selling points. The 45mm model is rated for up to 12 days in standard smartwatch mode (with features like all-day heart rate and notifications). Even with the always-on display active, it can manage around 4 days on a charge – enough for long weekends without the charger. GPS usage drains the battery faster but is still solid: ~20 hours of continuous tracking with GPS-only mode, or ~17–19 hours with the more precise “All-Systems + Multi-Band” GNSS mode enabled. (By comparison, the outgoing Venu 3 boasted ~26 hours GPS but without multi-band support.) The smaller 41mm Venu 4S naturally has a bit less stamina – roughly 10 days smartwatch use, and 15 hours of GPS time (or ~13 hours in multi-band mode) per Garmin’s specs. Both sizes support Garmin’s Battery Saver mode to stretch life (up to 25 days by disabling non-essentials). Charging is via Garmin’s proprietary cable (USB) and a quick 20-minute top-up can add nearly a day of smartwatch use thanks to its fast charge capability.

In real-world terms, this means most users can go over a week between charges, a stark contrast to daily-charge devices like the Apple Watch. As Tom’s Guide points out, even after losing a bit of endurance from its predecessor, the Venu 4 “still clocks in at a hefty 12 days in smartwatch mode” – making battery anxiety almost a non-issue for everyday wear.

Health Monitoring: Garmin has packed the Venu 4 with a comprehensive sensor array and new software features aimed at 24/7 health monitoring. The watch continually tracks heart rate (with Garmin’s Elevate optical HR sensor), blood oxygen saturation (Pulse Ox), respiration rate, stress (via HRV analysis), and now wrist skin temperature changes. These metrics feed into Garmin’s familiar Body Battery energy score and stress tracking, but Venu 4 adds more context with the new Health Status feature. Health Status aggregates overnight data – heart rate variability, resting heart rate, breathing rate, SpO₂ and skin temp – to assess if your body’s “baseline” is off kilter. Deviations might indicate you’re getting sick, overstressed, or not fully recovered, allowing proactive rest if needed. This is Garmin’s answer to readiness scores from platforms like WHOOP or Oura. Users get an easy green/yellow/red-type indicator if something is outside their norm.

Another novel addition is Lifestyle Logging, essentially an on-wrist health journal. You can log behaviors like caffeine intake, alcohol drinks, or how much sleep you got, either through the watch or in the Garmin Connect app. The Venu 4 then correlates these inputs with changes in your stress, HRV, and sleep quality – helping illustrate how, say, that late coffee or extra beer affected your recovery and sleep that night. It’s a more holistic approach to health data, encouraging users to connect lifestyle choices with physiological outcomes. As TechRadar explains, “logging naps, caffeine, alcohol and more via Lifestyle Logging offers clarity for outlying data – e.g., if you drank lots of caffeine late, you can log this and better understand the drop in your sleep score”.

Sleep tracking was already a Garmin forte, but Venu 4 enhances it with Sleep Alignment and Sleep Consistency metrics. Sleep Alignment uses your body’s circadian rhythm (derived from HRV and body temp patterns) to judge if you’re sleeping at an optimal time for your internal clock. If you’re going to bed much later than your body expects, you might feel less refreshed even with adequate hours. Sleep Consistency simply tracks how regular your sleep and wake times are over the past week – reinforcing the importance of routine for quality rest. There’s also a Smart Wake alarm that can gently wake you during a light sleep phase within a set window, to avoid the grogginess of being jarred from deep sleep.

Beyond those new tricks, the Venu 4 retains all the health features from Venu 3: 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, abnormal heart rate alerts, all-day stress tracking, blood oxygen monitoring (with user-selectable sampling rate), menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking (now enhanced by temperature-based cycle predictions), hydration and breathing exercises, and the Garmin ECG app. Yes, Garmin has finally included a clinical-style ECG function – the watch can record a single-lead ECG and detect signs of atrial fibrillation or confirm a normal sinus rhythm. This requires using the app and holding your opposite hand’s fingers on the bezel (Garmin’s method for ECG). The ECG feature is pending regional regulatory approvals, but it’s notable as previous Venu models did not support ECG (Garmin debuted ECG on the Venu 2 Plus via updates in limited regions). Now with the Venu 4, Garmin owners in supported countries can get on-demand electrocardiograms, similar to what Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit Sense offer.

Fitness and Sports Tracking: True to Garmin’s roots, the Venu 4 is packed with sport modes and now goes even further with coaching and training analytics. It features GPS tracking (with support for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou satellite networks – and dual-frequency multi-band for maximum accuracy in challenging environments). Runners, cyclists, swimmers, golfers, yogis – you name it – will find a dedicated activity profile. Venu 4 supports everything Venu 3 did (over 30 activity types) and adds more: for example, Garmin confirmed new profiles for triathlon/multisport, HIIT, and others, plus a special Mixed Session mode that lets you combine multiple activities in one go (great for circuit training or brick workouts).

Where Venu 3 primarily offered basic training load feedback, the Venu 4 gets the full Garmin training suite. This means Training Load, Acute Load, Load Ratio (balancing short- vs long-term load), and Training Readiness scores are all now on the watch. Essentially, Venu 4 can tell you how hard you’ve been training, whether you’re peaking or overdoing it, and how prepared your body is for a hard workout on a given day – features previously seen on Garmin’s higher-end Forerunner and Fenix lines. It even incorporates Heat and Altitude Acclimation status for athletes training in hot or high environments.

Perhaps the star feature is the new Garmin Fitness Coach plans. Taking Garmin’s concept of daily suggested workouts to the next level, Fitness Coach provides personalized workouts across 25+ activities – from cycling and running to rowing, strength training, yoga, Pilates and more. Users can opt into a structured plan for a specific goal (e.g. a 5K race, or general fitness improvement), and the watch will then generate an adaptive workout schedule. These workouts are heart-rate or duration based and will automatically adjust each day based on your recent activity, recovery and even sleep quality. For example, if you slept poorly and your readiness is low, the watch might dial down the intensity or suggest a lighter yoga session instead of HIIT. If you skipped a workout or overperformed, the plan adapts as well. It’s like having a coach on your wrist that “holds you accountable” and keeps you progressing safely – indeed Garmin’s VP of Marketing describes Venu 4 as a “personal on-wrist fitness and wellness coach” that provides “data-driven insights into how your choices affect your health and helps you reach your goals”.

For runners, Venu 4’s feature set is especially rich now: wrist-based running dynamics (ground contact time, cadence, stride length without needing a foot pod) are supported. It has Auto Track Detection, so if you do intervals on an outdoor track, it will recognize lane distances and laps automatically. It can even give finish time predictions for races and suggested race-day workouts, and a newly added Garmin Triathlon Coach extends adaptive training plans to multi-sport athletes. In effect, the Venu 4 blurs the line between Garmin’s “fitness smartwatch” and its dedicated sport watches. As DC Rainmaker notes, “this watch is actually just a Forerunner 570 with a different case, a flashlight, and ECG. That means it’s a massive upgrade over the existing Venu 3…a ton of new sport features, especially around running and triathlon”. Serious athletes who previously needed a Forerunner for advanced metrics might now get what they need in the Venu 4.

Despite all these additions, one caveat: the Venu 4 still does not have onboard topo maps (no turn-by-turn map guidance except via breadcrumb trails or connected phone). It does support basic navigation features like Back to Start and can follow courses you send to it (with an arrow interface), but those who want full-color maps would need Garmin’s more expensive Fenix/Epix series.

Smartwatch Functions: The “smart” side of the Venu 4 has also been refined. Both models have a speaker and microphone integrated, something Garmin first introduced on the Venu 2 Plus and continued on Venu 3. This allows you to make and take phone calls from your wrist (via Bluetooth pairing to your phone) and use your phone’s voice assistant (Siri, Google Assistant, or Bixby) through the watch. You can dictate text replies (Android) or query info, hands-free. New on the Venu 4 is support for certain offline voice commands built into the watch – for example, you can tell the watch “Start a running activity” or “Set a timer for 5 minutes” without touching it, and without needing your phone nearby. This is part of Garmin’s improved accessibility features, ensuring even those who can’t fiddle with tiny touch targets can operate key functions by voice.

Another standout is the LED Flashlight built into the watch’s top-right side. Originally seen in Garmin’s Fenix 7X and Instinct models, the flashlight is now in the Venu series. It’s a small but powerful LED that can emit white light at four brightness levels, plus a red safety light mode. Activating it is as easy as a double-press or through the controls menu. This is incredibly handy for runners or walkers in low light – you can use the red light to preserve night vision or signal visibility without blinding oncoming people, and the white light to illuminate your path or find keys in the dark. The Apple Watch, by contrast, only offers a “flashlight” by turning its screen white at max brightness (which drains battery fast). Garmin’s dedicated LED is far more effective and doesn’t disrupt the main display. Many outdoorsy users find once they have a wrist flashlight, they “become addicted to it” for everyday convenience.

Standard smartwatch features are all present: smartphone notifications (with quick replies for Android), a variety of downloadable watch faces and apps via Connect IQ (Garmin’s app ecosystem), music playback (you can sync playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. for phone-free listening with Bluetooth headphones), and Garmin Pay for contactless payments on the go. The Venu 4 has 8 GB of storage, enough for roughly 500 songs plus apps/data. It also now supports connecting to more accessory types via ANT+ and Bluetooth – Garmin expanded sensor compatibility to things like bike radar lights, smart bike trainers, cycling power meters, and even Garmin’s inReach satellite communicator. This means the Venu 4 can double as a bike computer or safety device interface in a pinch.

For safety, it retains Incident Detection and Assistance: if the watch detects a hard fall or you hold the help button, it can send your real-time location to emergency contacts via your phone. There’s LiveTrack for letting friends/family follow your activities live. Garmin also included new accessibility features: a Spoken Watch Face mode will read out the time, steps, heart rate, etc., on demand for visually impaired users. And a color screen filter helps those with color blindness by adjusting the display palette (red/green shift, grayscale, etc.). These inclusive features underscore Garmin’s push to make the Venu 4 usable by a wider audience.

Overall, the Venu 4 emerges as a feature-packed device that merges high-end fitness capabilities with everyday smartwatch conveniences. With multi-week battery life, a bright AMOLED display, advanced health insights, and robust sport coaching, it’s positioned as Garmin’s all-in-one flagship for health and fitness in a stylish form factor.

What’s New vs. Garmin Venu 3: Key Upgrades and Differences

Garmin took two years between the Venu 3 (launched August 2023) and the new Venu 4, and the generational leap is significant. While the outward design language is similar, under the hood the Venu 4 introduces a slew of features and tweaks:

• More Premium Build: The Venu 4 has a full metal chassis (stainless steel) whereas the Venu 3 only had a metal bezel on a fiber-polymer case. The refined materials give a classier look and added weight (+9 grams for the 45mm version). Garmin also simplified the model naming – instead of “Venu 3 (45mm) and Venu 3S (41mm)”, it’s just Venu 4 and you choose the size. The button count dropped from three to two, which may disappoint some who prefer tactile controls, but this aligns with Garmin’s newer interface approach gadgetsandwearables.com.
• LED Flashlight: Perhaps the most visible new hardware feature: a built-in LED flashlight on the watch, which Venu 3 lacked entirely. This addition, borrowed from Garmin’s outdoor watches, sets the Venu 4 apart – users have a handy torch on-wrist for dark situations.
• Dual-Band GPS: Venu 3 had standard GPS (multi-GNSS) but no multi-band. Venu 4 adds multiband/dual-frequency GNSS capability, improving location accuracy in challenging environments like city centers or dense woods. The trade-off is slightly shorter GPS battery life (20h vs 26h), but many will consider the accuracy gain worth it.
• Display & Interface: The AMOLED screens are the same size and resolution on both generations, but Venu 4’s display is reportedly brighter (higher nits), matching the latest Garmin Forerunner and Epix screens. Both Venu 3 and 4 offer optional always-on mode. The Venu 4’s new Garmin “unified” OS (more on that below) also brings a refreshed UI and new watch face options (including large font mode for readability).
• Garmin OS Platform: A subtle but important change – Venu 4 runs on Garmin’s unified software platform that it shares with 2025 devices like the Fenix 8, Forerunner 570/970, and Venu X1. In contrast, Venu 3 was on an older codebase. This unification means faster feature updates and more stability across devices. Essentially, Venu 4 can get new features via updates in sync with Fenix/Forerunner lines more easily now.
• Expanded Training & Sport Features: Garmin leveled up the Venu series by bringing in advanced fitness metrics that Venu 3 lacked. Venu 4 adds the full Training Load suite, Training Readiness score, Load Ratio, Heat/Altitude acclimation tracking, and Race Predictors – none of which were on Venu 3. It also gains Triathlon mode (combine swim-bike-run) with triathlon training plans, plus the new Mixed Sessions profile for multi-exercise workouts. Venu 3 had daily suggested workouts for running/cycling; Venu 4 expands this to daily workouts for 25 activities via Garmin Fitness Coach. In short, many sport features that even some cheaper Garmins had (like track run detection, Recovery Advisor, etc.) but were oddly missing on Venu 3 have now been added. As Forbes put it, Garmin “has leveled up the Venu series by bringing advanced fitness metrics and suggested workouts to the Garmin Venu 4, among other extras.” ground.news It closes the feature gap that Venu 3 owners complained about.
• New Health Features: Venu 3 introduced things like HRV Status and all-day stress, but Venu 4 goes further. The Health Status summary and Lifestyle Logging are brand new to Venu 4. Sleep Alignment/Consistency metrics and smart alarm are also new additions. Venu 3 did track sleep and give a score, but didn’t evaluate your circadian rhythm alignment or how often you shift bedtime. Also Venu 4 is the first Venu with a skin temperature sensor (used for advanced cycle tracking and stress/illness insights) – Venu 3 did not measure skin temp. And of course, ECG app is now on Venu 4, whereas Venu 3 had no ECG capability.
• Accessibility Features: Venu 4 introduces Spoken watch face and health data (text-to-speech for time and vitals) and color filters for color blindness. These were not present on Venu 3. Garmin is clearly aiming to make Venu 4 usable by those with visual impairments or color vision deficiency – a thoughtful upgrade.
• OS & Feature Updates: Because of the shared Garmin OS, Venu 4 is likely to receive future software features in parity with high-end models. Some of the new features (like Health Status and journaling) are actually being rolled out to older Garmins via updates as well. However, certain things like the flashlight and ECG obviously remain hardware-dependent. Venu 3 may get some software updates, but Garmin historically does not backport everything, which has been a frustration for Venu 3 owners.
• Battery Life Changes: The Venu 4’s official battery specs show a small downgrade from Venu 3 in most modes. For example, 45mm Venu 3 boasted up to 14 days smartwatch (5 days always-on) versus 12 days (4 days AOD) on Venu 4. GPS-only went from ~26 hours on Venu 3 to ~20 hours on Venu 4. Why the drop? The introduction of multi-band GPS and a brighter screen on Venu 4 consume more power, and Garmin likely used a similar battery capacity. The 41mm model’s battery life is about the same as the Venu 3S (no big change there). The slight reduction is a conscious trade-off for better accuracy/visibility. Still, the endurance is excellent by general smartwatch standards, and you can manage battery by toggling AOD or multi-band only when needed.
• No Maps & Missing Features: Garmin kept the Venu series distinction – no onboard mapping or Wi-Fi music streaming that higher-end watches have (though it does have Wi-Fi sync for data and music downloads). Also, no LTE/cellular option was introduced; Venu 4, like Venu 3, relies on your phone for connectivity (Garmin’s only LTE watch remains the older Vivoactive 3 Music LTE and some child trackers). The lack of a cellular model means it can’t fully replace your phone for streaming or calling when out of Bluetooth range, something the Apple Watch or some Samsung models offer with LTE editions. Garmin appears to have reserved LTE for specific use cases (or for the future). Given the higher price, some might have hoped for standalone connectivity, but it’s not here.

In summary, the Garmin Venu 4 is a substantial upgrade to the Venu 3 in almost every aspect – from hardware (flashlight, ECG, metal build) to software (coaching, health analytics). It essentially addresses many of the Venu 3’s shortcomings and aligns the Venu line closer to Garmin’s more expensive models. As DC Rainmaker summed up, “there’s no question this is a massive upgrade over the Venu 3… It’s literally a Forerunner 570 with ECG, a flashlight, and a few lost buttons” dcrainmaker.com dcrainmaker.com. The only potential downsides vs Venu 3 are the higher price and slightly reduced battery longevity – but given the wealth of new features, the Venu 4 firmly positions itself as Garmin’s top-tier lifestyle fitness watch.

Garmin Venu 4 vs Apple Watch Series 9 (and Series 11)

One of the first comparisons many will make is how the Venu 4 stacks up against Apple’s ubiquitous Watch. By 2025, the Apple Watch Series 9 (2023) and Series 10/11 are the benchmarks for all-purpose smartwatches, excelling in smart features and integration. Garmin has explicitly aimed the Venu 4 at this competition – even marketing it as a direct rival to Apple Watch. Here’s how they compare in key areas:

• Battery Life: This is arguably Garmin’s biggest advantage. The Apple Watch Series 9 is rated around 18 hours (barely a day) per charge under normal use. Even the newest Apple Watch Series 11 improved that to roughly 24 hours with a larger battery and efficiency tweaks. In contrast, Garmin Venu 4 offers up to 12 days, or about 8–10 days real-world with typical use. Even heavy usage with always-on display will get you 4 days – still several times the Apple’s endurance. In practical terms, an Apple Watch (non-Ultra) requires nightly charging; Venu 4 can go nearly two weeks. This is a game-changer for those who want to track sleep and recovery – something the Apple Watch struggles with if you have to charge it at night. As TechRadar cheekily noted, the Apple Watch’s “meagre battery” means its pseudo-flashlight mode (white screen) isn’t very useful, whereas Venu 4’s real LED won’t faze its battery. Apple has made strides with power-saving modes, but they can’t touch Garmin’s efficiency. The trade-off: Apple’s OLED display and chip deliver more advanced visuals and apps, but Garmin’s simpler OS and transflective widget system (when not in full use) sip power.
• Health and Fitness Tracking: Apple has steadily added health features – it has ECG since Series 4, blood oxygen, a wrist temperature sensor (since Series 8) for cycle tracking, and excellent heart rate accuracy. It also introduced a daily “Cardio Fitness” (VO₂ max estimate) and basic recovery metrics in the iPhone’s Fitness app. However, Garmin still surpasses Apple in depth of fitness tracking. The Venu 4 provides far more granular exercise data (detailed running dynamics, training load, recovery time, etc.) and supports dozens of activity modes versus Apple’s ~ dozen or so built-in workouts. It also gives performance metrics (VO₂ max, FTP for cycling, race predictor times, etc.) on the watch itself, whereas Apple offloads some analysis to apps. For serious training – intervals, long-distance navigation, structured workouts – Garmin is the preferred platform. Apple’s advantage is more on the medical side: it has FDA-cleared irregular rhythm notifications continuously, fall detection integrated with emergency SOS, and a robust health app ecosystem. Garmin’s new Health Status and Lifestyle logs mimic some insights that Apple doesn’t explicitly provide (Apple doesn’t tell you “hey, your HRV and temp are off, you might be getting sick” – it leaves that for third-party apps or user to interpret). Sleep tracking on Apple Watch was historically basic, but by watchOS 9 and 10 it added sleep stages and even a sleep schedule alignment feature. Still, Garmin’s new Sleep Alignment and consistency might be a step ahead in analysis. Both now have on-wrist ECG and can detect AFib; Apple’s implementation is widespread and proven, Garmin’s is new and region-limited so far. Stress tracking is continuous on Garmin (via HRV); Apple doesn’t have a native stress score, though some third-party apps estimate it. Notably, the Apple Watch (since Series 8) measures skin temperature at night to inform its cycle tracking and sleep, which is akin to what Garmin is doing now with Health Status – both are leveraging that metric for wellness insights.
• Fitness Coaching & Workouts: Apple’s approach to coaching is through its Fitness+ subscription – offering video/audio workouts on your devices – and simple daily goals (Activity Rings). The watch itself gives suggested targets during some workouts (e.g., pace alerts) and now has a form of adaptive training for running called Personalized Training in watchOS 10 (it can suggest intervals and adjust a training plan for running). Garmin, on the other hand, provides free training plans and adaptive workouts directly on the watch with Garmin Coach/Fitness Coach, no subscription required. Venu 4’s ability to generate daily multi-sport workouts and a full schedule is more akin to having a personal coach than Apple’s approach, which still expects the user or third-party apps to drive training plans. For a user who wants guidance to prepare for a 10K or improve fitness without paying for a service, Garmin is very appealing.
• Smart Features & Apps: Here Apple reigns supreme. The Apple Watch’s app ecosystem (thousands of apps, tight integration with iOS), its smooth performance, and features like replying to messages with a full keyboard or using a wide variety of third-party apps (from Uber to Spotify natively) are far ahead of Garmin’s ecosystem. The Venu 4 can show notifications and you can accept calls, but you can’t, say, respond to WhatsApp from the watch unless Garmin Connect IQ has a specific app. Apple’s interface is also more polished for things like dictating messages or interacting with smart home controls. Additionally, Apple Watch has features like voice assistant on the watch (Siri can work even without phone on newer models for some tasks), and it’s tied into Apple’s ecosystem (unlocking your Mac, using as camera shutter, Apple Pay with double-click ease, etc.). Garmin has Garmin Pay which works with fewer banks than Apple Pay, and it lacks a web browser, streaming apps, or voice assistant built-in (it relays to phone’s assistant). If you want the full “wrist computer” experience, Apple is the choice.
• Compatibility:Garmin Venu 4 works with both iPhone and Android smartphones, offering a broader compatibility. Apple Watch only works with iPhone – if you have an Android phone, it’s not an option at all. So for Android users, Garmin (or Samsung/Fitbit) is the go-to. Garmin also benefits from a very platform-agnostic approach: all your data is in Garmin Connect, which can sync with things like Strava, MyFitnessPal, Google Fit, Apple Health, etc. Apple is more insular (Apple Health data can be exported or synced in limited ways, but the ecosystem is really meant to keep you using Apple devices).
• Durability & Design: Apple Watches (Series 9/11) have a sleek aluminum or steel case and a square Retina OLED display with sapphire (on steel models) or Ion-X glass (on aluminum). They’re very well-built and now water resistant to 50m (swim-proof) and IP6X dust-proof. However, the rounded square design is distinct – some love it, others prefer a classic round watch look which Garmin provides. Garmin’s Venu 4 with stainless steel and fiber-polymer is robust; it’s tested to MIL-STD like many Garmin watches (for shock, thermal, etc. – though not explicitly stated, Garmin typically has rugged standards). While not as tank-like as a Garmin Fenix or an Apple Watch Ultra, the Venu 4 should handle the usual bumps of workouts. Apple’s standard models aren’t really “rugged” – if you need serious durability, the Apple Watch Ultra is the answer (titanium case, sapphire, 100m WR). But that’s a different price class. For everyday wear, both Apple Watch and Venu 4 can be considered durable enough, but Garmin has the advantage that you don’t need to baby its battery or worry if a hike goes beyond a day.
• Unique Perks: Apple’s latest watches have some unique perks like the “Double Tap” gesture (on Series 9/Ultra 2, a pinch motion to control the watch one-handed), and deep integration with Apple’s ecosystem (seamlessly handoff calls to AirPods, etc.). Garmin’s unique perk is, of course, the flashlight and its rich ANT+ connectivity – you can hook it to bike sensors, heart straps, etc., which Apple doesn’t do (Apple relies on Bluetooth only, which covers most but not all fitness sensors). Garmin also has a solid navigation advantage for outdoors: even without maps, it can import GPX routes easily and give you direction and trackback, whereas Apple’s maps are more limited to when you have phone service or downloaded Apple Maps segments.

Bottom line: If you prioritize fitness and battery, the Garmin Venu 4 is a compelling alternative to Apple Watch. It’s practically built to outlast and out-track the Apple Watch. As Tom’s Guide wrote, the Venu 4 is designed to “rival the Apple Watch… by offering longer battery life and more fitness features.” On the other hand, if you care about a vibrant app ecosystem, advanced smartwatch functions, and you’re tied to the Apple environment, the Apple Watch still has an edge in those areas. And of course, iPhone users who want something that “just works” with iOS may lean Apple Watch, whereas those who want cross-platform flexibility or simply don’t want to charge daily will love the Venu 4. At $549, the Venu 4 even costs more than an Apple Watch Series 9 (which starts ~$399) or Series 11 (~$429), so Garmin is betting that consumers will pay a premium for its ultra-long battery and training tools.

Garmin Venu 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 (and Watch 6 Classic) are among the top Android-centric smartwatches in 2025. They run Google’s Wear OS with Samsung’s One UI skin, providing a strong app catalog and tight integration for Android (especially Samsung phone users). How does Garmin’s new Venu 4 compare?

• Battery Life: The Galaxy Watch 6 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, rated for up to 40 hours (about 1.5 days) of use per charge under ideal conditions (without always-on display) us.community.samsung.com eu.community.samsung.com. In real-world use, many users get about 24–36 hours on the 44mm model and slightly less on the 40mm, depending on features used techradar.com phonearena.com. This is a typical “daily charge or every other day” scenario – better than Apple’s one-day stamina, but nowhere near Garmin’s multi-day promise. The Venu 4’s 12-day battery absolutely dwarfs the Galaxy Watch’s endurance. Even if you use always-on mode on Venu 4 (4 days), that’s still more than double Samsung’s. For someone who hates frequent charging or wants to track sleep continuously, Garmin has a clear edge.
• Display and Interface: The Galaxy Watch 6 has a gorgeous AMOLED display as well (1.3″ or 1.5″ depending on model, at high resolutions ~432×432 or higher). Samsung even offers the Watch 6 Classic with a physical rotating bezel, which is beloved for scrolling through menus. In terms of UI, the Wear OS on Samsung allows rich interactive watch faces, third-party app widgets, etc. The Venu 4’s AMOLED is comparable in brightness and clarity, but Garmin’s UI, while improved, is still more utilitarian and less flashy than Samsung’s. The touch response and animations on Galaxy are very smooth thanks to more powerful processors. But interestingly, Garmin’s choice to drop to two buttons makes it a bit more like the Galaxy Watch’s minimal button approach; Samsung has two buttons as well and relies on touch/bezel for navigation.
• Health Sensors: Both watches offer 24/7 heart rate, SpO₂, stress tracking, sleep, etc. The Galaxy Watch 6 has some sensors Garmin doesn’t: notably, Samsung includes a Bio-Electrical Impedance (BIA) sensor to measure body composition (body fat percentage, muscle mass). Garmin Venu 4 does not have body composition analysis. Samsung also has an ECG and can measure blood pressure (with cuff calibration, in select countries) via that sensor – a unique feature Apple and Garmin lack. Garmin counters with a skin temperature sensor and the ability to log lifestyle factors, which the Galaxy Watch doesn’t explicitly do (though third-party apps could). Sleep tracking on Samsung is decent and it gives a sleep score and animal sleep symbol, but Garmin’s is often considered more detailed. Stress detection is on both; Samsung uses heart rate variability data as well and can prompt breathing exercises like Garmin does.
• Fitness and Sports: Here’s where Garmin pulls ahead. The Galaxy Watch 6 is great for casual fitness – it auto-detects some exercises, tracks runs with GPS, and offers basic metrics (pace, distance, heart rate zones). It even has training programs through Samsung Health for some goals, and the new Watch 6 added personalized heart rate zones and better running coaching than previous models. However, Garmin is far more advanced for sports. Venu 4 offers many more activity profiles (e.g., triathlon, trail running, skiing, etc., which Samsung lacks), more metrics (VO₂ max, training load, etc.), and robust integration with platforms like Strava without needing a phone. Samsung’s watches can record workouts and sync to Strava too, but they might not capture as much detail. For example, Samsung doesn’t natively do structured intervals or advanced running dynamics. Garmin’s also more reliable in terms of GPS accuracy, especially with the new multi-band – some Samsung Watch users note that GPS can be less accurate or slower to lock than Garmin’s, as Garmin devices use very optimized GPS chips and even preload satellite data.
• App Ecosystem and Smart Features: The Galaxy Watch, running Wear OS, has Google’s app ecosystem: you can install Spotify (with offline music), Google Maps (you can navigate on your watch), Google Assistant, WhatsApp native app, and many more. This gives Samsung a huge advantage in smart features over Garmin. You can respond to messages easily (there’s a keyboard, voice, or preset replies). You have Google Pay/Samsung Pay tap-and-go. Essentially, a Galaxy Watch can act as an extension of your smartphone, or even do some tasks independently if you get the LTE version (e.g., stream music or receive calls without your phone nearby). Garmin’s Venu 4 lacks such third-party app support (Connect IQ has some apps but very few mainstream ones). It also has no cellular option, so your phone needs to be in Bluetooth range for connectivity. So, if you want smartwatch apps, the Samsung is far superior.
• Voice and Assistant: Galaxy Watch 6 has Google Assistant and Samsung’s Bixby available on-wrist. You can do things like control smart home devices, ask for weather, dictate messages directly with Assistant – all from the watch. Garmin Venu 4 has a microphone but no built-in assistant; you can trigger your phone’s assistant (which is a bit less convenient). On Android, that effectively can be Google Assistant, but it’s not quite as seamless as having it run on the watch itself. For example, if your phone isn’t around, the Garmin can’t execute voice queries, whereas an LTE Galaxy Watch could with Google Assistant on board.
• Compatibility: Galaxy Watch works with Android only (Samsung dropped official iPhone support for their watches when they went to Wear OS). Garmin works with Android or iPhone. So Garmin is more flexible in that sense. If a user switches from Android to iPhone, the Galaxy Watch becomes a paperweight for them, whereas Garmin would still function (with Garmin Connect app on iOS).
• Durability: Both Venu 4 and Galaxy Watch 6 have 5 ATM water resistance. The Galaxy Watch’s build quality is good (aluminum or stainless for Classic), but Garmin’s might handle bumps better due to a slightly raised bezel protecting the screen. Neither is as rugged as a dedicated outdoor watch (though Garmin’s experience with outdoor tech might give them an edge in durability tests). For instance, the Instinct or Fenix series are rated to MIL-STD-810, whereas Samsung doesn’t advertise that except perhaps on its “Pro/Ultra” models. That said, average users will find both survive gym sessions and runs just fine.
• Special Features: Samsung’s Body Composition measurement and blood pressure monitoring (if available in your region) are unique selling points the Garmin lacks. If those metrics are important to you (tracking body fat or checking BP without a cuff), Galaxy Watch is one of the few that offer it. Garmin’s unique features: the LED flashlight is one – Samsung watches do not have a physical flashlight, only a similar screen flashlight to Apple. Also Garmin’s safety features like incident detection might be more robust – Samsung does have fall detection and SOS, but Garmin’s been refining incident alerts for cyclists/runners for longer.

In essence, the Galaxy Watch 6 is a better all-around smartwatch for everyday tech features, while the Garmin Venu 4 is a better dedicated fitness and health tracker. If you are an Android user who wants a device that can do a bit of everything (mobile payments, voice assistant, apps, fitness, etc.) and you’re okay with charging every day or two, the Galaxy Watch 6 is an excellent choice – and it’s significantly cheaper (the GW6 started around $300-$400 depending on size and LTE) compared to the Garmin’s $549 price tag. However, if you prioritize battery life and advanced training tools, and you don’t need third-party apps on your watch, the Venu 4 offers enormous value in those areas. It’s like a personal trainer that you wear, whereas the Galaxy Watch is more like an extension of your smartphone on your wrist.

One might say Garmin Venu 4 is for the fitness enthusiast or outdoor adventurer who occasionally uses smart features, and the Galaxy Watch is for the tech-savvy user who occasionally does workouts. It really depends on your use case. Importantly, since the Venu 4 now includes a lot of training metrics, it has encroached into territory that the Galaxy Watch simply doesn’t cover – making it a standout choice for serious training while still looking stylish enough to wear as a daily smartwatch.

Garmin Venu 4 vs Fitbit Sense 2

Fitbit’s Sense 2 is a health-focused smartwatch that, while launched back in late 2022, is still a relevant competitor in the wellness wearable space (Fitbit has since been integrated more into Google’s ecosystem, but no direct Sense 3 has come as of 2025). The Sense 2 emphasizes stress management and long battery life, somewhat akin to Garmin’s wellness angle. Here’s how it compares:

• Health Sensors & Features: The Fitbit Sense 2 and Garmin Venu 4 actually have some overlap in health capabilities, but each with their own twist. Sense 2’s claim to fame is its cEDA sensor – continuous ElectroDermal Activity for stress detection. It can sense minute changes in skin conductance throughout the day to gauge stress responses. Garmin Venu 4 doesn’t have an EDA sensor (no Garmin does); instead, Garmin infers stress from HRV and heart rate patterns. Both watches track stress, but Fitbit’s approach is more direct physiologically, giving all-day stress notifications and prompts to log mood. Fitbit also includes an ECG app for afib detection (like Garmin), and a skin temperature sensor for nighttime tracking (Garmin has this too). Fitbit’s cycle tracking uses that temp data similarly for menstrual health insights. A key difference: the Sense 2 does not have blood pressure or anything (some confuse it with Samsung’s, but Fitbit doesn’t do BP). It does have SpO₂ (as most do) and all-day heart rate. Fitbit’s app gives you a Daily Readiness Score (if you subscribe to Fitbit Premium) which is conceptually similar to Garmin’s Training Readiness or Body Battery – it tells you each morning if you’re ready for a high activity day or should recover. Garmin provides similar insights free (Training Readiness on Venu 4, Body Battery metric, etc.). Both track sleep stages in detail and provide a sleep score. Fitbit arguably pioneered consumer sleep tracking and still does a great job – the Sense 2 will give you a sleep profile (like comparing your patterns to an animal chronotype if you use it for a month) and insights in the app. Garmin now matches many of those features and adds Sleep Alignment info that Fitbit doesn’t explicitly show. One area Fitbit stands out is mindfulness: the Sense 2 integrates stress and mindfulness – it can prompt you to do an EDA scan (essentially a guided breathing session with electrodermal feedback) if it senses you’re stressed. Garmin has breathing exercises but doesn’t auto prompt based on stress spikes. Fitbit’s app also logs your mood alongside stress so over time you see stress vs mood correlations; Garmin’s new Lifestyle Logging is akin to that but for lifestyle factors (caffeine, etc.) rather than mood journaling.
• Fitness and Exercise Tracking: Fitbit’s focus is more general wellness than hardcore fitness. The Sense 2 has built-in GPS, so it can track runs, walks, bike rides without a phone – but the sports modes and data are much more basic than Garmin’s. Fitbit offers about 20 exercise modes (running, cycling, yoga, etc.), with standard metrics (time, pace, calorie burn, heart zones). It does not give advanced metrics like VO₂ max (Fitbit does estimate a “Cardio Fitness score” in-app which is basically VO₂ max, but the watch doesn’t display it live), no training load, no recovery advisor, etc. The Venu 4, as detailed, has a plethora of sport modes and training analytics. If you’re a casual workout person who just needs to log that you did 5km and see a heart rate graph, the Sense 2 is fine. But if you want to improve performance or follow a structured plan, Garmin wins hands down. The Venu 4’s Fitness Coach and adaptive workouts have no equivalent on Fitbit’s platform (Fitbit Premium offers workout videos and suggested exercises in the app, but they’re not dynamically generated by the watch based on your recovery). Fitbit’s strength was never in detailed sports tracking; it shines more in daily activity, step challenges, and being an easy-to-use tracker. One notable omission: Fitbit Sense 2 controversially removed support for third-party apps and music storage that the original Sense had. It doesn’t allow you to store songs or use apps like Spotify on the watch. Garmin Venu 4 does allow music downloads and has an app ecosystem (though smaller than Wear OS). So in a twist, Garmin might actually be more capable than Fitbit in some “smart” aspects like music, which historically was opposite.
• Battery Life: Fitbit Sense 2 is quite good on battery – advertised up to ~6 days on a charge amazon.com. Users often get around 4-5 days if using always-on display or lots of notifications, but can stretch to a week with light use. This comfortably beats Apple and Samsung, but is still only about half of what Garmin Venu 4 can do (12 days). Still, both are in a league where you’re charging maybe once or twice a week, not nightly. If you enable Sense 2’s always-on display, it drops to ~2-3 days support.google.com – similar proportion as Garmin’s drop from 12 to 4 days. Both charge relatively quickly. So in battery, Garmin leads, but Fitbit is no slouch and far better than typical smartwatches.
• Smartwatch Features & Apps: Fitbit Sense 2, since being absorbed by Google, now has Google’s ecosystem integration: it supports Google Wallet for payments and Google Maps turn-by-turn directions on-wrist (rolled out in updates). It also has Alexa built-in (oddly not Google Assistant at launch), so you can talk to Alexa on the watch for basic queries or smart home control. Garmin doesn’t have a built-in assistant, as mentioned. Fitbit’s notifications handling is decent – Android users can respond with voice or quick replies (iOS users read-only). Garmin offers similarly quick replies for Android. However, Fitbit deliberately removed third-party apps from Sense 2. You can’t install Spotify or Starbucks app or any of the old Fitbit OS apps – they gutted that to streamline the watch and improve battery/lag (the original Sense had a small app store but it was underutilized). Garmin’s Connect IQ is limited but at least open to developers (you can add data fields, widgets, some apps). So neither is an app powerhouse, but Garmin’s not far behind Fitbit here. Both can control phone music, both have some watch face selection. Garmin has Garmin Pay; Fitbit has Fitbit Pay (now also Google Wallet) – both support a number of banks, though Fitbit’s might have less adoption now that Google Wallet is primary. One big difference: data ecosystem. Fitbit stores your detailed data on their cloud, and historically required a Premium subscription (about $10/month) to see 90-day trends or some advanced metrics like Readiness or detailed sleep analysis beyond 7 days. Garmin gives you all data and trends free in Garmin Connect, no paywall. For example, Garmin’s new Health Status and training readiness are included, while Fitbit’s Readiness (similar concept) is behind a subscription after a free trial. For a buyer, this is important: Garmin’s high price is one-time, Fitbit’s lower price ($299 at launch, often now ~$199 on sale) might be followed by $80/year subscription if you want the full feature set.
• Price: As mentioned, the Fitbit Sense 2 launched at $299 but often is discounted to around $200 now, given its age and competition. It’s roughly half the cost of the Garmin Venu 4. Granted, Garmin’s offering much more in terms of build (metal vs plastic) and features for that higher cost. But for someone on a budget who just wants solid health tracking, the Sense 2 is a value pick. At $549, Venu 4 is in luxury smartwatch territory. That said, some might justify Garmin’s price by the fact that you don’t need a subscription for full functionality, whereas to get the most out of Fitbit (like those readiness scores, detailed analytics), you’d be nudged towards Fitbit Premium eventually.
• Durability and Design: The Sense 2 is a squarish watch with aluminum case, a nice AMOLED display (336×336 pixels, 1.58″) and Gorilla Glass 3. It’s lightweight and slim. It looks more like a wellness tracker watch, whereas Garmin Venu 4 looks like a traditional watch with its round face and stainless accents. Both are 5 ATM water resistant. The Sense 2 has a physical button (after user feedback over the capacitive button of original Sense). It’s comfortable for small wrists. Garmin’s 41mm option is similarly targeted at smaller wrists with style (that Lunar Gold version likely appeals to those who might cross-shop a Fitbit). Overall, Garmin’s style is more classic, Fitbit’s is a bit more techy-minimalist.
• Community and Gamification: Fitbit has an edge in social features – many people love Fitbit for its step challenges, badges, and community competitions in the Fitbit app. Garmin has some challenges and badges as well in Garmin Connect, but Fitbit’s user base and social engagement is historically larger in the general population. If a user is motivated by friends and family all on Fitbit, that ecosystem pull is strong. Garmin’s user community skews toward athletes and enthusiasts sharing on Strava, etc., rather than casual step competitions.

In summary, the Fitbit Sense 2 is oriented towards holistic health tracking and stress management for the everyday user, with a simple interface and good battery, while the Garmin Venu 4 is a more advanced fitness tool that also covers holistic health but in greater depth (and expects users to be proactive with the data). If you’re someone who mainly cares about tracking sleep, steps, heart health, stress, and you want a straightforward device that just works with minimal tweaking, the Sense 2 is a solid, affordable option – plus it has some Google integration now (maps, wallet). However, if you want to venture beyond basic tracking – say you start training for a half-marathon, or you want to delve into heart rate variability graphs and fine-tune your workout regimen – the Garmin will meet your needs where the Fitbit likely will not. Also, Garmin’s lack of recurring fees for full features is a big plus for many.

One could say Garmin Venu 4’s strengths relative to Fitbit are its richer data and sport features, premium build, and ultra battery, whereas Fitbit’s strengths are simplicity, price, and a focus on stress/mindfulness. Depending on whether you see yourself as a casual health user or an aspiring athlete, that will guide the choice.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Garmin Venu 4

In evaluating the Venu 4 overall, it’s clear this watch excels in several areas, while having a few trade-offs. Here’s a breakdown of its key strengths and weaknesses for prospective buyers:

Strengths

• Exceptional Battery Life: The Venu 4’s battery performance is class-leading for a color touchscreen smartwatch. Getting up to 12 days of use means you can wear it 24/7 (including sleep) without constant charging. Even heavy GPS workouts or always-on display only modestly dent its longevity. This makes it far more convenient than most competitors (which typically last 1–3 days) and ensures you capture complete health data day and night.
• Comprehensive Fitness & Health Tracking: Garmin has packed in top-tier fitness features – from multi-band GPS for accurate tracking to advanced training metrics (Training Readiness, Load, recovery, etc.) previously limited to its sports watches. The new Fitness Coach offers unparalleled on-device workout guidance across many activities. On the health side, monitoring of HRV, SpO₂, respiration, stress, and now skin temperature gives a very holistic view of wellness. Features like Health Status and Lifestyle Logging add context to your body’s data that few other platforms provide. In short, for someone serious about improving fitness or understanding their health, the Venu 4 is a powerful tool.
• Build Quality and Design: With its sleek metal design, high-res AMOLED display, and available leather bands, the Venu 4 looks and feels like a premium watch. It can be worn at the gym or the office with equal ease. The two size options (41mm and 45mm) and multiple colorways mean it can fit a variety of wrist sizes and style preferences. It’s also durable – 5 ATM water resistance, tough Gorilla Glass, and Garmin’s reputation for making rugged devices give confidence in its longevity. The addition of the LED flashlight is a unique hardware perk that many will find surprisingly useful in daily life (from nighttime safety to simple convenience).
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Unlike some rivals, the Venu 4 works well with both Android and iOS smartphones. You won’t be locked into one ecosystem; you can switch phones and keep your watch. Notifications and music control work across platforms (replying to texts is limited to Android due to iOS restrictions, but that’s standard). This flexibility is a strength for users who might change phones or who simply don’t use an iPhone (Apple Watch isn’t an option for them).
• Robust Garmin Ecosystem (No Subscription): Garmin’s software ecosystem – the Garmin Connect app and web – provides rich analysis and is free to use. All the advanced metrics, training plans, insights, etc., come without a monthly fee (contrasting with Fitbit’s model). Garmin Connect also integrates with many third-party services (Strava, MyFitnessPal, Apple Health, etc.) easily, so your data isn’t siloed. Additionally, Connect IQ allows customizing the watch with data fields, widgets, and watch faces to an extent, enhancing functionality (e.g., specialized fields for workouts). The community features (badges, challenges) are there for motivation as well.
• Accuracy and Trust in Data: Garmin has a strong track record for sensor accuracy – its GPS tracking is generally very accurate, now even more so with multi-band. Heart rate accuracy on recent Garmin wearables is competitive (though high-intensity intervals still benefit from a chest strap, which Garmin supports pairing). Sleep tracking and HRV measurements are considered reliable on Garmin and are now used in meaningful metrics like Training Readiness. Essentially, if you’re basing training or health decisions on the data, Garmin’s data fidelity is a strength backed by years in the fitness industry.
• Unique Extras: There are a few extra perks that give Venu 4 an edge. The ECG function elevates it to a medical-capable device category (great for those concerned about heart health). The speaker/mic for calls means it doubles as a wrist phone when needed, which not all fitness watches offer. The new Accessibility features (text-to-speech, color filters) are commendable, making it usable by a wider audience. And features like Incident Detection for safety during activities add peace of mind that others (besides Apple Watch’s fall detection) may not provide as comprehensively.

Weaknesses

• High Price Point: At $549.99 starting price, the Venu 4 is quite expensive, even more than some flagship smartwatches from Apple or Samsung. This price may be hard to swallow for casual users. As Ray Maker pointed out, Garmin has “abandoned the $400-$499 range” and created a big gap – the Venu 4 is nearly twice the price of Garmin’s own Vivoactive mid-range watch dcrainmaker.com. This could turn off mainstream buyers, especially when alternatives (with fewer features but maybe “enough” for them) cost much less. Essentially, Garmin is charging a premium for the packed features, but it’s a notable weakness in value proposition for those who don’t need everything it offers.
• Limited Smartwatch Ecosystem: While Garmin has covered the basics, the Venu 4 still lags behind true smartwatches in app ecosystem and advanced functionality. You won’t get the multitude of apps that Apple’s watchOS or Google’s Wear OS offer. Want to control your smart home from your watch, call an Uber, or use a full QWERTY keyboard to reply to messages? The Venu 4 can’t do those things (at least not without very fiddly Connect IQ apps, if at all). The Connect IQ platform, though improving, has relatively few big-name apps. Additionally, no voice assistant on-board – you must use your phone’s assistant via the watch, which is less seamless and doesn’t work if your phone isn’t in range. There’s no LTE/cellular option, so you always need your phone nearby for connectivity (leaving the phone behind on a run means no calling or streaming, whereas an Apple Watch Cellular or some Galaxy Watch can manage). If “smartwatch” to you means mini smartphone on the wrist, Garmin will disappoint.
• No Onboard Maps Navigation: Considering the price, some might expect Garmin’s famous mapping abilities. Unfortunately, the Venu 4 does not have downloadable topo maps or turn-by-turn navigation maps on the watch (it can do breadcrumb trails and point-to-point directions, but not full maps). Competing watches in this price bracket like the Apple Watch (with cellular) can at least use maps when connected, and Garmin’s own Fenix/Epix (though pricier) have full maps. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast wanting maps, you’ll feel this limitation – it’s one of the few differentiators kept for Garmin’s higher models.
• Slightly Reduced Battery vs Prior Model: While still excellent, it’s worth noting the battery life is a step down from Venu 3 (12 days vs 14 days) and heavy GPS use drains it faster due to the new dual-band mode. If you were coming from a Venu 3 expecting an upgrade in battery, you actually get a bit less. The smaller 41mm especially saw less improvement (10 days smartwatch, which is on par or just a hair more than Venu 3S). It’s not a huge weakness – 12 days is plenty – but it’s the classic battery vs feature trade-off. Garmin chose features, and in doing so ceded some of its battery lead (for example, the Fenix line still lasts longer with solar etc.). So ultramarathoners or multi-day trekkers might still prefer a Garmin with even more battery or the ability to recharge with solar.
• Size and Button Trade-offs: The 45mm Venu 4 grew a bit thicker (12.5mm) and heavier, which some users with slender wrists might notice compared to the sleeker Venu 3. Though there is a 41mm option, that one sacrifices battery and screen size. The removal of the third button also has mixed reception – some users preferred having a dedicated back or lap button. Now, more actions are via the touchscreen, which can be less convenient when sweating or in rain. While the UI is adjusted for two buttons, it might hinder operation for hardcore athletes used to button controls (especially mid-workout when fine touch control is hard). It’s a minor UI gripe but a consideration in user experience.
• Lack of Innovative New Sensors: Garmin added what was expected (ECG, skin temp) but didn’t include more exotic sensors like those in competitor watches – e.g., no body composition sensor (Samsung) or electrodermal sensor (Fitbit) or blood pressure capabilities. Some of these are niche, but it means Garmin’s approach is more about refining existing metrics rather than breaking new ground in health sensing. If a user was hoping Garmin would introduce, say, continuous blood glucose monitoring or other novel tech, that’s not here (and to be fair, not in any mainstream watch yet). This isn’t a big weakness, more a note that Venu 4’s innovation is incremental and integrative rather than revolutionary.
• Garmin Pay and Music Limitations: Garmin Pay, while functional, isn’t as widely supported as Apple Pay or Google Pay in some regions and banks. It’s improving, but check if your bank supports it. Similarly, the music feature supports Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer for downloads – which is great – but it doesn’t support YouTube Music yet (a sore point for some, given Google’s ecosystem). If you’re a YouTube Music subscriber (common on Android now that it replaced Google Play Music), you can’t offline sync to Garmin; whereas on a Wear OS watch you could. These could be seen as small weaknesses in the “lifestyle” functionality compared to rival ecosystems.

Summing up, the Garmin Venu 4’s strengths lie in its endurance, rich fitness/health functionality, and robust build – making it one of the most well-rounded fitness smartwatches on the market. Its weaknesses center on its high price and the fact that it’s not a full-fledged “do everything” smartwatch in the way an Apple or Wear OS watch is. It caters more to the fitness-first crowd than the tech gadget crowd. If you fall in the former category, the Venu 4’s weaknesses may hardly matter; but if you expected a luxury smartwatch experience beyond fitness, you might find a few pain points.

Early Reviews and Expert Opinions

The Garmin Venu 4 has drawn a lot of attention in the tech and fitness community upon launch. Early hands-on reviews and expert analyses have been largely positive about the feature upgrades, with some reservations about pricing and positioning. Here are some notable quotes and assessments from industry experts:

• Ray Maker (DC Rainmaker) – a respected wearables reviewer – praised the Venu 4 as a “massive upgrade over the Venu 3”, effectively calling it “a Forerunner 570 with a different case, a flashlight, and ECG.” He highlighted that it brings a “ton of new sport features” to the Venu line and noted that the unified Garmin OS means users benefit from faster updates dcrainmaker.com. However, he also critiqued Garmin’s price hike, saying the company has left a big gap in the mid-range and questioning the strategy: “Garmin has effectively abandoned the $400-$499 price range… we’ll have to see how the market reacts.” dcrainmaker.com. In his view, the product itself is excellent (“product execution is quite good”), but the pricing could push some customers away or to competitors dcrainmaker.com dcrainmaker.com.
• Matt Evans (TechRadar’s Fitness & Wearables Editor) wrote an article titled “5 reasons to buy the new Garmin Venu 4 – instead of an Apple Watch Series 11,” indicating how strongly he feels the Venu 4 competes with Apple’s latest. He highlighted advantages like the LED flashlight and big battery life difference: “While the Apple Watch Series 11 has… 24 hours [battery], the Garmin Venu 4… still clocks in at a hefty 12 days in smartwatch mode”. He also noted Garmin’s new holistic health features, comparing Lifestyle Logging to Whoop/Oura’s approach of tagging your data for context. The gist of TechRadar’s take: Garmin is offering features that Apple can’t match in this realm, making it a compelling alternative for those prioritizing fitness and battery.
• Nick Harris-Fry (Tom’s Guide) focused on how the Venu 4 is built to rival Apple and Samsung. He mentions “the latest model is ready to rival the Apple Watch Series 11 by offering longer battery life and more fitness features,” but also points out “the new features come at a price… [Venu 4 is] substantially more expensive than the Garmin Venu 3, and also more expensive than the Apple Watch 11.”. Tom’s Guide listed the expanded daily workouts, flashlight, and sleep tracking improvements as big positives, and advised that they’ll test how it stacks up against the best smartwatches once they get a unit for review.
• Forbes (Andrew Williams), in an article aptly subtitled “Features the Venu 3 should have had in the first place,” lauds Garmin for finally adding those missing features. A quick summary from the piece notes: “The Venu 4 builds on the 2023 Venu 3 by adding a built-in LED flashlight, expanded Fitness Coach workouts, and advanced health status tracking… establishing the Venu 4 as Garmin’s premier fitness smartwatch… competing directly with the Apple Watch Series 11 despite its higher price point.”. This captures the sentiment that Garmin has made the Venu 4 a true flagship, but it wasn’t cheap to do so.
• User Community Reactions: On forums like Reddit and Garmin’s community, the immediate reactions have been a mix of excitement and some frustration. Many Garmin fans are excited about the comprehensive feature set (“basically a Fenix/Forerunner in disguise with an AMOLED screen!”), especially those who held off on Venu 3 because it lacked certain training metrics. The flashlight and ECG drew positive comments as bringing Venu 4 on par with competition and other Garmin lines. On the flip side, some Venu 3 owners expressed disappointment that their year-old watch likely won’t get many of these new features via updates (Garmin has hinted at some like Health Status possibly coming, but others require the new OS). There’s also debate on whether the price increase is justified: some say Garmin is stretching too far into Apple’s pricing territory without offering the same smart features, while others argue the feature-to-feature comparison justifies it if you need those extras.

It’s still early days (the watch hasn’t even hit buyers’ wrists yet as it’s just announced), so sales performance is unknown. But analysts will be watching if the Venu 4 can attract more of the general smartwatch audience or if the price limits it to the Garmin enthusiast niche. Garmin’s strategy seems to bet on capturing those who might otherwise get an Apple Watch or high-end Fitbit by offering a more advanced health/fitness package. If the initial press coverage is any indication, Garmin succeeded in impressing reviewers with the sheer amount of upgrades. As one tech outlet quipped in a headline, “Did the Garmin Venu 4 just steal Apple’s thunder?”, citing the flashlight, battery, and coaching as clear differentiators.

Overall, the expert consensus portrays the Garmin Venu 4 as an ambitious leap forward for Garmin’s smartwatch lineup – one that blurs the line between a fitness watch and a full smartwatch. It corrects past omissions and raises the bar, albeit at a higher cost. For prospective buyers, the message from reviews is that if you want arguably the most complete fitness-centric smartwatch of 2025, the Venu 4 should be on your short list. Just be prepared to pay a premium for the privilege of having an on-wrist coach that also tells time and gets your messages.

Conclusion

The Garmin Venu 4 represents a bold step for Garmin in the smartwatch arena – merging the brand’s renowned fitness and health tracking prowess with solid everyday smartwatch features. It brings meaningful innovations like a built-in flashlight and on-watch fitness coaching that set it apart from the competition. With multi-week battery life and a treasure trove of health metrics, the Venu 4 squarely addresses the needs of fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and wellness-conscious users who don’t want to charge every night.

Compared to its peers in 2025, the Venu 4 stands out as the endurance champion (outlasting Apple and Samsung watches by days) and as a sort of personal trainer on your wrist, thanks to Garmin’s advanced training algorithms. It comfortably outperforms devices like the Apple Watch Series 9/11 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 in areas like GPS accuracy, battery longevity, and depth of fitness analytics – all crucial for someone serious about tracking and improving their health and performance. At the same time, it offers enough smartwatch functionality (calls, notifications, music, payments) to satisfy most day-to-day conveniences, though it falls short of the full app ecosystems of Apple or Google.

The Venu 4 is not without its compromises. Its premium pricing and relatively limited third-party app support mean it’s targeting a specific kind of user – one who values wellness features over whimsical apps, and accuracy over aesthetics (though it is a very good-looking watch). For Android users especially, it’s a top contender now that can rival Apple’s integration on an iPhone. For iPhone users, it presents an interesting alternative if they’re willing to trade the seamless Apple ecosystem for battery and fitness gains.

In areas like fitness tracking, the Venu 4’s strength is unambiguous: it’s arguably one of the most robust fitness wearables you can buy that still looks like a sleek smartwatch. Battery life is another major strength that can’t be overstated – it fundamentally changes how you use the device (you can wear it continuously and benefit from all its tracking features without daily interruptions). Display quality is vibrant and now brighter, on par with the best screens out there, so you don’t sacrifice readability by going Garmin. Smart features and OS support are sufficient for most users (and cross-platform support is a bonus), but advanced smartwatch users might find it limiting – that’s the main weakness to be aware of. Durability is excellent for normal and sporting use, and while it’s not a hardcore adventure watch like some Garmins, it’s more than tough enough for gym, trail, and pool.

In conclusion, the Garmin Venu 4 successfully elevates the Venu line into a higher tier, making it a true flagship fitness smartwatch of 2025. It bridges the gap between training tool and lifestyle wearable, which will appeal to those who want one device that can do it all. If you’re a prospective buyer who prioritizes health and fitness capabilities and hates frequent charging, the Venu 4 is a dream come true – it’s like having a knowledgeable coach, a sleep scientist, and a reliable workout partner on your wrist at all times. On the other hand, if your daily needs lean more toward mobile apps and interactive features, you might weigh those trade-offs carefully given the price.

For the general public, the Garmin Venu 4 is a strong sign that you no longer have to compromise between a smartwatch that’s smart enough and a fitness watch that’s fit enough – Garmin is aiming to deliver both in one polished package. Early impressions from experts are that Garmin may very well have set a new benchmark in the fitness wearable category. As this watch hits wrists and more reviews roll in, we’ll see if it truly lives up to its promises in the long run. But from what we know so far, the Venu 4 looks poised to earn a spot among 2025’s leading smartwatches, proving that Garmin can compete head-to-head with the Apples and Samsungs by leveraging its own strengths in wellness technology.

Ultimately, the Garmin Venu 4 is an investment in one’s health and training – and for many, that investment will be worth every penny for the wealth of guidance and insight it provides. It’s not just a watch; it’s a comprehensive fitness companion that also tells you when someone texted and lights up the night. In the competitive landscape of wearables, Garmin didn’t just iterate with the Venu 4 – it arrived in force, and the rest of the industry surely took notice.

Sources: Garmin Press Release; DC Rainmaker; Gadgets & Wearables; Tom’s Guide; TechRadar; Ground News (Forbes).