Larger, brighter, and even higher battery life

On the subject of sequels, Garmin not often disappoints. The Venu Sq 2 brings a brighter show, higher sensors, and even longer battery life to a line we already beloved. In case you are in search of an entry-level Garmin GPS smartwatch, this can be the purchase — simply be able to fork over a bit additional cash than earlier than.

Garmin’s mid-range smartwatch is maintaining with the instances. The Venu Sq 2 presents a recent face and options an upgraded optical coronary heart fee sensor, improved GPS, and significantly better battery life. Then again, these upgrades come at a worth. Discover out if that trade-off is value it in Android Authority‘s Garmin Venu Sq 2 review.

About this Garmin Venu Sq 2 review: I examined the Garmin Venu Sq 2 for 5 days. It was linked to my Samsung Galaxy A51 all through the testing interval. The Garmin Venu Sq 2 review unit was offered to Android Authority by Garmin.

What you must know concerning the Garmin Venu Sq 2

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• Garmin Venu Sq 2: $249 / £229 / €269
• Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music: $299 / £259 / €299

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 brings many enhancements to Garmin’s most reasonably priced GPS watch line. First, whereas the Venu Sq 2 line retains an oblong form, it drops the unique Venu Sq‘s LCD display in favor of a shiny, colourful AMOLED show. This alteration aligns the machine extra carefully to its pricier siblings throughout the Venu 2 lineup. Different vital enhancements embody upgraded sensors, added well being options, and a longer-lasting battery to deliver the machine updated.

Just like the earlier era, the Venu Sq 2 is offered in two variations: a base mannequin and a dearer Music Version with storage for as much as 500 songs to play offline. Each fashions provide greater than 25 sport modes, in addition to preloaded customizable exercises, Garmin Coach, and Health Age. In addition they function 24-hour coronary heart fee monitoring and SpO2 monitoring, plus sleep, stress, and ladies’s well being monitoring. These instruments and sensors are rounded out by Garmin’s native knowledge evaluation as customers can faucet into in style instruments akin to Physique Battery and Well being Snapshot for detailed insights.

In different phrases, like lots of the finest Garmin watches, there’s loads to love. The sequence is priced at $249 for the bottom mannequin and $299 for the Music Version — a rise of $50 over their respective variations from the primary Venu Sq launch.

Every mannequin is offered in three coloration combos. The Venu Sq 2 is available in Shadow Grey/Slate, White/Cream Gold, and Cool Mint/Metallic Mint. The Music Version is offered in Ivory/Peach Gold (pictured), Black/Slate, and French Grey/Cream Gold.

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 launched on September 1, 2022, and is available for purchase from Amazon, Garmin, Greatest Purchase, and chosen different main retailers in North America.

What’s good?

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The Venu Sq 2’s makeover second hinges on one main improve: its AMOLED show. Customers can now work together with colourful menus on a 360 x 320-pixel touchscreen with double the decision of the unique’s LCD display. Not solely that, however the display can be about 1mm larger than the Venu Sq. It’s shiny, lovely, and easily what you count on from a high quality smartwatch. It’s a lot seen beneath a full summer time solar, and strikingly shiny at evening.

Garmin’s entry-level Venu 2 watch additionally affords an always-on mode, although utilizing the function will considerably deplete its battery life. When you do flip it on, the display dims barely when not in use however is at all times legible. Alternatively, Gesture mode is extremely dependable, waking the show if you carry your wrist.

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 modernizes the unique mannequin, changing its LCD display with a brand new, colourful AMOLED show.

Along with its touchscreen, the Venu Sq 2 nonetheless options the identical two buttons as the primary Venu Sq. Anybody who has ever owned a Garmin watch will be capable of navigate the Venu Sq 2 of their sleep. For these new to the model, it’s very easy after ten minutes or so of poking round. The familiarity extends to the silicone band, Corning Gorilla glass lens, and naturally, the square-shaped watch case, all of that are carried over from the first-generation Venu Sq.

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If the sq. form is one thing you’re uncertain about, I provide this level: the Venu Sq 2 is the proper form and medium for enjoying basic Minesweeper proper in your wrist. I found the Minesweeper app in Garmin Join IQ and was completely satisfied to check out the machine’s new AMOLED show whereas passing time on the prepare. It seems I’m simply as dangerous on the recreation as I used to be within the 90s. Garmin doesn’t provide practically as many third-party apps as opponents, however there are undoubtedly a lot value trying out.

The Venu Sq 2 Music Version is available in fewer colorways in comparison with its predecessor, however the accessible choices are engaging and trendy. I examined the Sq 2 Music-exclusive Peach Gold and Ivory mixture and it blended simply into each scenario I discovered myself in. That’s saying one thing contemplating I attended each a marriage and spent a day competitively shucking oysters. The metallic bezel elevates the plastic construct sufficient to make sure it’s a great match for on a regular basis put on, and it’s each bit as comfy as Garmin’s dearer choices. On the flip aspect, it’s completely comfortable and light-weight for actions like working, plus it wipes down simply in case you are inclined to get sweaty.

You may personalize the Venu Sq 2 by selecting from a couple of preloaded watch faces. These are all pretty customary, however they’re elegantly designed and permit for minor customizations. For extra freedom, there are tons of of watch faces accessible within the Garmin IQ app. You should utilize the issues in your watch face as shortcuts to view collected knowledge or swipe as much as entry your Garmin “Glances.” Glances present you all of your exercise and well being stats for the day, from steps to sleep and all the things in between. Faucet on one for extra data or swap over to your paired cellphone to view your particulars on a bigger display. When you’re new to Garmin, be ready for a deluge of knowledge.

The Venu Sq 2 affords sufficient knowledge for health fanatics whereas additionally catering to Garmin newcomers.

Talking of knowledge, the Gamin Join app is as thorough as ever, with tons of insights and in depth stat group. After a couple of years of utilizing this platform, I nonetheless typically discover myself overwhelmed by its sheer depth. Usually, although, you’re extra prone to find yourself down a rabbit gap discovering extra useful acuities than you realized had been accessible. I’m a sucker for developments and notably worth the seven-day, four-week, and one-year views of all my completely different measurables. It makes me chortle to see that I persistently take the least steps on Mondays after I ought to actually be compensating for weekend revelry.

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Garmin additionally is aware of not everybody needs to pour over charts and graphs. When you would favor to easily sit nonetheless for 2 minutes whereas your watch pulls collectively all of the essential knowledge factors so that you can review, effectively that’s usually the concept of Well being Snapshot. Although not a brand new Garmin device, Well being Snapshot is new to the Venu Sq lineup for the Venu Sq 2, and we like to see it right here.

Once you begin a Well being Snapshot session, the watch measures your blood oxygen stage, respiration fee, stress, coronary heart fee, and coronary heart fee variability (HRV). You may then save this assortment of knowledge to keep watch over developments over time or obtain it as a PDF. Consider it as Garmin’s elevator pitch on how you might be doing.

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Well being Snapshot is simply as correct as Garmin’s sensors, which is an ideal segue to a different machine spotlight. Flipping the flashy new face over, I used to be happy to see Garmin upgraded the Venu Sq 2 with a fourth-generation Garmin Elevate optical coronary heart fee sensor (which we’ve discovered fairly correct on different Garmin units).

My coronary heart fee knowledge was persistently correct all through the testing interval, each at relaxation and through exercises. The most typical hiccup the sensor confirmed was a minor delay locking on at first of some exercises and once more typically hitting peaks throughout interval coaching.

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Throughout the run above, for instance, you may see a slight latency on the very starting of the exercise. Fairly shortly, nevertheless, the Venu Sq 2 locks on and matches my Polar H10 chest strap carefully. This part is a good illustration of how most of my exercises had been recorded. The second half of the exercise turns fairly frantic, although. The sprints on the finish are particularly off the mark. Inaccuracies to this extent undoubtedly weren’t the case for each interval exercise, however there have been a couple of different events the place the watch struggled to maintain up throughout sudden spikes. I’m hopeful Garmin will proceed to work on the sensor’s algorithms and supply nuanced enhancements through software program updates.

If absolute accuracy is a precedence, there are different choices. You may join the Venu Sq 2 to an exterior coronary heart fee sensor or chest strap through Bluetooth. This may be the most effective guess for some exercises, akin to weight lifting, the place monitoring coronary heart fee can nonetheless show difficult for wrist-based wearables. Once more, total, the Venu Sq 2 will present coronary heart fee knowledge that’s a lot correct for the common particular person and an enchancment over the unique Venu Sq.

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Likewise, the Venu Sq 2 additionally options higher GPS monitoring than the earlier era had on board. It’s the identical chip we’ve seen on Garmin’s far pricier Fenix 7 and it’s very dependable. On the run above, it stayed neck and neck with my Apple Watch Sequence 7. On the flip onto Thrasher Ave, (prime left nook), each units recorded a wider flip than I truly took. In a couple of different areas the Venu Sq 2 pinpointed me barely additional off the highway than I used to be in actuality. Nonetheless, the route is essentially fairly correct and the overall distances had been practically equivalent.

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Garmin’s sleep monitoring additionally stays a spotlight on the Venu Sq 2. I tracked my sleep every evening throughout the take a look at interval and in contrast the outcomes to a Fitbit Versa 3 on the other wrist. Sleep time was correct each single evening, even on nights I used to be studying in mattress till late earlier than falling asleep.

The Venu Sq 2 additionally inherits Sleep Rating from the Venu 2, a helpful function for individuals who like digestible touchpoints. I discover Garmin’s scores usually replicate how I really feel every morning. On the morning of the picture above, for instance, I did really feel exhausted and my rating was 44. I do know this as a result of when Garmin recommended “aiming for earlier bedtimes,” I made a snotty remark again… to a watch.

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Garmin additionally doubled the energy of the vibration motor on the Venu Sq 2 whereas concurrently making the system quieter. Meaning alerts are extra apparent in your arm however gained’t be as loud. So in case you, like me, usually hear your wearables quaking in one other room, Garmin is right here to assist. You may even customise the energy of the vibration. This may not appear to be an particularly buzzworthy improve (see what I did there?), however it’s a type of moments if you recognize an organization going above and past.

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Saving maybe the most effective for final, the Venu Sq 2 practically doubles the battery life provided by the primary Venu Sq. In accordance with Garmin, you’ll get 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. When you go for always-on show mode, that chops down to 3 days. Once more, the Gesture mode is extremely responsive so it’s actually not value sacrificing a lot battery.

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 practically doubles the battery lifetime of its already long-lasting predecessor.

Garmin additionally claims the machine affords 26 hours of GPS battery life, practically double the unique Sq’s 14-hour declare. After about six days of regular use, together with a number of GPS exercises, I nonetheless have 36% battery life off of a single full cost. Meaning the machine is probably going trending near Garmin’s claims and definitely blows away the earlier Venu Sq (and loads of different manufacturers’ extra reasonably priced smartwatches).

The Venu Sq 2 additionally options Garmin’s Battery Supervisor the place you may allow/disable battery %, battery estimates, or Battery Saver mode, the final of which can allow you to eke out as a lot life as potential. In Battery Saver mode, a lot of options, together with Wi-Fi, Auto Exercise monitoring, PulseOx, and different non-essentials are all disabled to protect cost.

What’s not so good?

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In fact, there isn’t a lot to not like concerning the Venu Sq 2; it improves on the health and well being monitoring of the final era and slips in a couple of key additions to additional advance the road. It even provides a greater show and extends battery life. But, it’s additionally shifted the Venu Sq’s place available in the market.

For starters, “reasonably priced” doesn’t appear to imply what it used to anymore. The Venu Sq 2 $50 worth enhance over the Venu Sq marks a departure from what we’d take into account “low cost” territory. As well as, Garmin nonetheless expenses $50 additional for its Music Version. Music storage isn’t a novelty function and shouldn’t price a premium. Extra importantly, the upcharge creeps the machine’s worth all the best way as much as $300 — a far cry from cheap and creeping nearer to the Venu 2 correct. As spectacular because the Venu Sq 2 performs, we’d have favored to see Garmin mood the value to take care of its entry-level viewers.

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It’s difficult to say for whom the Venu Sq 2 is finest suited. On one hand, it’s an accessible doorway into the Garmin smartwatch secure. Customers can obtain smartphone notifications, verify the climate, and entry calendar occasions. Android cellphone customers can subject primary textual content responses. When you spring for the Music Version you may retailer 500 songs, or make the most of music controls on the bottom mannequin. Each additionally provide Garmin Pay.

Nonetheless, the Venu Sq 2 nonetheless lacks sufficient sensible options to compete with the likes of the Apple Watch SE and even an entry-level Samsung Galaxy Watch. Third-party apps are restricted in comparison with the app libraries of the previous’s App Retailer or the latter’s Google Play Retailer. You gained’t discover cellphone name assist like you’ll on the Venu 2 Plus. In actual fact, there are not any audio options by any means. All watch alerts are pure vibration — no beeps, bells, or whistles. However hey, at the very least it’s a stronger vibration now.

The Venu Sq 2 lands wanting a well-rounded smartwatch expertise, but in addition would not fairly provide as many in-depth coaching and restoration instruments as you may discover elsewhere.

On the identical time, opponents proceed to develop their health and well being monitoring choices. Apple’s watchOS 9 options a lot of Garmin-esque coaching instruments and metrics that may trickle all the way down to its cheaper wearables. Whereas the Venu Sq 2 encompasses a lot of Garmin’s prime health instruments, it additionally lacks an altimeter for monitoring stairs. What’s the purpose of residing on the third ground in case you don’t get credit score for taking the steps?

It additionally doesn’t function as many coaching or restoration options as Garmin’s working lineup. Whereas Garmin did add a HIIT exercise mode, we don’t get any Garmin muscle maps or exercise animations. Lastly, Garmin nonetheless has but to board the ECG prepare. This may not be a dealbreaker for most individuals or a given at this worth. Nonetheless, if Apple provides ECG to the Apple Watch SE 2 — as we’ve seen rumored — it is going to be one other function that places the Venu Sq 2 behind the direct competitors.

Venu Sq 2 specs

Garmin Venu Sq 2 review: The decision

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Garmin isn’t sleeping on the smartwatch market. When the Venu 2 Plus launched at first of 2022, we known as it the most effective smartwatch the corporate has ever made. The all-new Venu 2 Sq serves as an entry-level possibility for anybody who needs a Garmin smartwatch at a average worth.

Greater than something, this launch represents Garmin’s effort to take care of the Venu Sq lineup’s relevance. Probably the most outstanding upgrades — an OLED show, a fourth-generation Garmin Elevate coronary heart fee sensor, higher GPS, and improved battery life — assist hold the Venu Sq 2 in the identical enviornment as its fellow Venu 2 members of the family. With out these enhancements, the outdated Venu Sq was prone to fall brief for many buyers. With these enhancements, the Venu Sq 2 fills in as a really stable mid-range possibility.

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 affords a wealthy function set and a lot of vital upgrades over the earlier mannequin, albeit at a barely increased worth.

We wouldn’t, nevertheless, name this a “low cost” possibility any longer. At $249 (or $299 for the Music Version), it’s now poised to compete immediately with the upcoming Apple Watch SE 2. The unique Apple Watch SE launched at $279. When you particularly need a fully-loaded smartwatch — and, crucially, you might be an iOS person (Apple’s watches don’t work with Android units) — the Watch SE 2 is prone to be the higher square-shaped choose. The Watch SE 2 is due for launch the day after I’m scripting this review, so we’ll replace you accordingly once we know all the main points.

For non-iOS customers, the Galaxy Watch 5 ($279) affords a extra complete smartwatch expertise, with larger app assist and a subtler model. Its basic spherical watch case doesn’t stand out as a tech machine just like the Venu Sq 2 can, although it options higher-end construct supplies.

Likewise, Fitbit’s newest smartwatches the Versa 4 ($229) and Sense 2 ($299) are additionally value contemplating. Every lands at a comparable worth level to the Venu Sq 2, particularly in comparison with the Music Version. When you’re in search of an affordable primary health tracker in a smartwatch type issue, the Versa 4 is a no-frills possibility from a dependable model, and a robust selection for anybody new to health monitoring generally. Add in superior well being sensors together with ECG and EDA readings, and the Fitbit Sense 2 is a stable possibility for anybody seeking to collect additional well being knowledge.

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Then again, Garmin’s expansive health monitoring suite provides the Venu Sq 2 an edge over its direct competitors, as does the machine’s in depth battery life. Multi-day use with out charging up is a comfort that almost all athletes shouldn’t overlook. Apple has but to supply a tool that may last more than 18 hours. The Galaxy Watch 5 stretches solely a bit additional. Even with in depth use, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 lasts for over per week.

Garmin’s health monitoring additionally has the most effective popularity within the enterprise, and it persistently helps its wearables over time, bringing new options and instruments to older watches years later. Add in extremely correct well being and GPS sensors and also you simply have an funding value contemplating, particularly in case you’re an Android person in search of a comparatively reasonably priced fitness-focused GPS smartwatch. After all, in case you can afford to stretch your price range, the Venu 2 ($399) and Venu 2 Plus ($449) are even higher.

Garmin Venu Sq 2

Up to date coronary heart fee sensor • Information downloadable • Brilliant and colourful show

Garmin overhauls its entry-level machine with new sensors and a shiny new display.

The Venu Sq 2 smartwatch is the upgraded model of the Garmin sequence thus far, with a brighter show and an intensive well being evaluation. The info collected is downloadable, and it affords connective options with exterior captors.

Prime Garmin Venu Sq 2 review questions and solutions

Is the Garmin Venu Sq suitable with iOS?

Sure. The Garmin Sq is suitable with each iPhones and Android telephones.

Can the Garmin Sq 2 make cellphone calls?

No, sadly solely the Garmin Venu 2 Plus affords cellphone name assist.

Does the Garmin Venu 2 Sq have Garmin Pay?

Sure! Each fashions of the Garmin Venu 2 Sq provide NFC assist for Garmin Pay so you can also make purchases out of your wrist.

Is the Garmin Venu Sq 2 waterproof?Does the Garmin Venu Sq 2 require a subscription?

No. All suitable options, together with Garmin Coach for private, on-wrist coaching plans, are fully free with a Garmin Venu Sq 2 buy.

Are Garmin Venu Sq bands suitable with the Garmin Venu Sq 2?

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 is suitable with all 20mm quick-release bands, together with Garmin Venu Sq bands.

What security options does the Garmin Venu Sq 2 provide?

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 options Incident Detection and Garmin LiveTrack in addition to Help, which permits customers to ship a message with their identify, LiveTrack hyperlink, and GPS location to emergency contacts.

Does the Garmin Venu Sq 2 assist any voice assistants?

Sadly, there isn’t any assist for any voice assistants on the Garmin Venu Sq 2.

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