The new Garmin Venu 2 Plus has a lot of similarities with the Fitbit Sense. The new watch is the first Garmin smartwatch to be equipped with a loudspeaker and microphone that enables it to make and receive calls directly from the watch via Bluetooth connection to your phone. These features are also present on the Sense. No doubt, these are some of the best smartwatches on the market right now. While the Sense is still Fitbit’s most advanced smartwatch, the Venu 2 Plus is a new flagship on the Garmin lineup. So which is a better smartwatch between these two, let’s take a deep dive into what each of these two has got to offer to help you make a more informed decision.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense: Specifications Compared
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Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense Features Review
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense: Design – Venu 2 Plus has a more attractive design
Both the Venu 2 Plus and Sense are well designed. Each of these two has got a remarkable design. Both are very lightweight, compact, and also stylish. While the Sense has a body made of aluminum, a fiber-polymer case with a stainless steel rear cover has been used for Venu 2 Plus. The Venu 2 Plus with a stainless steel bezel and circular shape looks more adorable and classy than Sense. Meanwhile, Sense has a square shape that leaves it with a geeky/sporty appearance than a classic one.
Both smartwatches are also rated 5ATM which means each of these two can survive immersion in water up to 50 meters. In other words, you can wear any of these two to the pool, shower or under the rain.
Going by the sizes, the Sense is a slightly more compact smartwatch than Venu 2 Plus. It also weighs a little less. I never had any issue wearing my Versa 3 all day long.
In terms of navigation, both smartwatches have touch-sensitive displays. However, while Venu 2 Plus which has 3 physical buttons, the Sense has a haptic button. Even though I’m not a fan of the haptic button, I’d preferred only 2 buttons on the Venu 2 Plus, it’s less cloggy.
Nonetheless, each of these two has got a decent design that is comfortable to wear. Meanwhile, the Venu 2 Plus has a better design and it’s more classy.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense: Display – Venu 2 Plus has a more colorful display
Both smartwatches have displays powered by AMOLED. While Venu 2 Plus has a 1.3 inches display, the Sense has a 1.58 inches display. Although, the Venu 2 Plus with a 416×416 resolution compared to 300×300 of Sense, has a more colorful display.
Both smartwatches feature always-on display mode that can be enabled and as well have customizable watch faces. You can choose from the many available watch faces in the Fitbit app or Garmin Connect app.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense: Health Tracking
Although smartwatches do not replace your doctor or a qualified professional, health tracking has remained a big factor in the industry. And these two offer all the basics and even advanced health tracking features. Both smartwatches will track all the basics from heart rate, sleep, stress, calories, menstrual cycle to blood oxygen. Thanks to the long list of built-in sensors on these two.
It’s worthy to note that up till now, the Spo2 feature on the Sense is not on-demand. You can only see your blood oxygen level via an SpO2 watch face after you must have worn it to bed. Meanwhile, the Venu 2 Plus like other Garmin smartwatches features a spot check for blood oxygen levels.
Moreover, there is incidental fall detection in the Venu 2 Plus. This feature allows the watch to call and text a preset emergency contact when the watch detects a hard fall. Incidental fall detection can also be activated manually by long-pressing the top button on the Venu 2 Plus. Fitbit Sense lacks incidental fall detection.
Both smartwatches have inbuilt GPS, so you can track all your outdoor locations, pace, routes, and more. You will also get onscreen animated workout modes that you can follow on both smartwatches. Although, Venu 2 Plus features an onscreen muscle map that shows which muscle is worked, unlike Sense which lacks this feature.
ECG tracking is present on the Sense but absent on Venu 2 Plus. You can use this feature to check for irregular heart rhythms which can be a sign of atrial fibrillation. It’s surprising that Garmin hasn’t deemed it worthy to include this feature in their smartwatches especially now that Samsung, Apple, and Huawei have all added ECG to their rich lineups.
Going by the list of health tracking features, you will get more with Venu 2 Plus. Although, Fitbit Sense is still very fitness-focused especially with ECG present.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense: Music Storage
Each of these two has about 4GB of storage capacity that lets you store music on the device. For reasons best known to Fitbit, you can’t add your personal music to the Sense. You can only download your playlists from Spotify and Deezer. Meanwhile, with Venu 2 Plus, you can download your Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer playlists. You can also add your personal music to the watch. In other words, Venu 2 Plus offers more ways to enjoy music on the watch. You can play music aloud via the loudspeaker on these two watches if you prefer it that way. Although to get the best experience, you need to connect a Bluetooth headphone.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense: Bluetooth Calls and Voice Assistants
As a result of the built-in microphone and loudspeaker on these two smartwatches, you can make and receive calls directly from any of these when your phone is nearby. Although, for now, the only way I found to make a call from the Sense is by using Google Assistant. Meanwhile, the Venu 2 Plus just like Galaxy Watch 4 and Apple Watch Series 7, features a keypad and also syncs your phone contact list to the watch so that you can easily start a call on the watch. Making and receiving calls on these watches is best when you connect a headphone.
While Sense features two voice assistants, Venu 2 Plus features three voice assistants. You get Google Assistant and Alexa on the Sense, while it’s Google Assistant, Siri and Bixby on Venu 2 Plus. Only one voice assistant can be active at a time on the Sense. With the Venu 2 Plus, the voice assistant that gets activated depends on the phone you’re using. Siri is activated if you use an iPhone, Bixby for Samsung phone and Google Assistant for other android phones.
Managing Notification and Making Payments
Both the Sense and Venu 2 Plus will alert you when you receive a notification on your phone. Both smartwatches also allow you to reply to messages with preset quick replies, voice, and emojis.
You get Fitbit Pay on the Sense which allows you to make a non-contactless payment from the watch. Its Garmin Pay on the Venu 2 Plus.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense: Battery Life – Venu 2 Plus has a longer battery life
With any of these two, you’ll get multiple days of battery life. Although, the Venu 2 Plus with up to 9 days battery life offers a longer battery life than the Sense which lasts up to 5 days. There is a battery saver mode in the Venu 2 Plus that can get you up to 10 days of battery life. Fitbit didn’t deem it wise enough to add a battery saver mode to the Sense and Versa 3.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense – Which is Better?
Going by all the watches we have reviewed, these two are some of the very best you can get in 2022. Each is well designed, has a long battery life and is loaded with lots of features. However, the Venu 2 Plus is clearly a winner here. It’s a better smartwatch than Fitbit Sense. It has a more stylish and classy design, longer battery life, more ways to enjoy music, more voice assistants, and a longer list of health tracking features. Although, it will cost you $150 more.
If you are low on budget, the Fitbit Sense is a great choice Or you can check out the Galaxy Watch 4 which is a more comprehensive smartwatch but has a short battery life.
Fitbit Sense and Venu 2 Plus Best Prices
Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense
The Venu Sq is a lower-end version of Garmin Venu that was released in 2019, while the Fitbit Sense which was released alongside Versa 3 houses more health tracking features such as an ECG app, and stress and temperature sensors than the Versa 3. Both the Venu Sq and Fitbit Sense are fitness-focused and also well equipped to track your daily activities. It’s important to note that each of these two has a long battery life that lets you go long from a single charge. So, let’s take a look at the table below as we compare the design, health tracking, and battery life of these two smartwatches.
Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense: Specifications Compared
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Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense Features Review
- Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense: Design
- Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense: Media Storage
- Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense: Health and Fitness Tracking
- Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense: Notifications
- Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense: Battery Life
One thing I like about the design of these two smartwatches is that each of the two is very lightweight. I have used the Versa 3, and it’s very comfortable to wear. Each of these two also has a durable build, while Venu Sq has a fiber-polymer case with a silicone strap, Fitbit Sense has an aluminum case paired with a stainless steel bezel and silicone straps. So, in terms of design, Fitbit Sense has a better design that’s more durable and stylish than Venu Sq.
Furthermore, while Fitbit Sense has an AMOLED display, Venu Sq has an LCD display. The AMOLED display is more colorful and interactive than the LCD of Venu Sq. Although, LCD seems easier to read under direct sunlight. Both smartwatches offer touch-sensitive screen, however, while Fitbit Sense has a haptic button which I don’t fancy, Venu Sq has 2 physical buttons.
The Venu Sq is available in two models; Venu Sq standard and Venu Sq music, the latter offers onboard music stoarge which isn’t possible with the standard unit.
So as per media features, both smartwatches come with 4GB storage capacity out of which about 2.5GB is available for media storage. Fitbit Sense offers music storage via Deezer playlists, Pandora stations, and the ability to control Spotify playlists, while Venu Sq offers music storage via Amazon Music, Deezer, and Spotify. However, while you can add your personal music to Venu Sq, you can’t add your personal music to Fitbit Sense which is quite unfortunate.
Fitbit Sense has both a loudspeaker and microphone, it features Alexa and Google voice assistants that allow you to use your voice to do simple tasks. You don’t get a voice assistant with Venu Sq because it lacks a microphone.
With the Fitbit Sense, you can receive calls right on the watch, however, there’s no official way to start a call on the Sense except via Google Assistant. With my phone nearby, I was able to start a call on the Fitbit Versa 3 using Google Assistant.
As I mentioned earlier, both Venu Sq and Fitbit Sense are fitness-focused and well equipped to track your daily activities and can help you reach more fitness goals. Each of these two will track all the basics like your steps, calories, distance, heart rate, and sleep. You’ll also find stress and menstrual cycle apps on each of these two. Both Venu Sq and Fitbit Sense feature 20 preset sport modes, and have inbuilt GPS that will allow you to track outdoor activities without carrying your phone along.
One feature which Fitbit Sense lacks is incidental fall detection which is present on Venu Sq. It can help you get help when the watch detects a fall, it sends out a call to a preset emergency contact on your phone (your phone must be nearby for this to work).
However, Fitbit Sense is a more comprehensive health tracker than Venu Sq. It features animated workout modes through Fitbit Coach, and it features an ECG app that allows you to take ECG tests directly on the watch which can help you detect irregular heart rhythm – a common symptom of Atrial fibrillation. The Sense can also count your floors climbed which isn’t possible with Venu Sq.
Each of these two will also help you to manage notifications easily by allowing you to select the apps you want to get notifications from on your watch. You can also reply to notifications with preset replies which are limited to Android phones for both smartwatches. However, Fitbit Sense offers more ways to reply to notifications. It allows you to reply with your voice which isn’t available on Venu Sq.
With Venu Sq or Fitbit Sense, you can get multiple days of battery life from a single charge. While Venu Sq can last up to 6 days, it’s about the same number of days for Fitbit Sense.
Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Sense: Verdict
Going by the design, health tracking features, and battery life of these two smartwatches, it’s obvious each of these two is a fine fitness smartwatch, but Fitbit Sense is a more comprehensive fitness smartwatch than Venu Sq.
On the other hand, Venu Sq is a lot cheaper than Fitbit Sense.
Fitbit Sense and Venu Sq Best Prices
Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu
Versa 2 is succeeded by Fitbit Versa 3 which is one of the best fitness smartwatches since it was released in 2020. The same can also be said of Garmin Venu which was released in 2019 and is now succeeded by Venu 2. So which is better between these two? We’ll try to do justice to this question in this post. Beyond the similarities in fitness tracking, each of these two will also help you manage notifications on your phone, store music on your watch, and allows you to go multiple days from a single charge. Read further to learn more about which is a better smartwatch between Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu.
Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu: Full Specifications Compared
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- Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu: Design
- Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu: Fitness Tracking
- Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu: Music Storage and Media Features
- Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu: Versa 3 Features Google Assistant and Alexa
- Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu: Managing SMS, Calls and App Notifications
- Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu: Battery Life
Each of these two smartwatches has got a decent design that is built with durable materials. Aluminum material has been used for the case of Versa 3, while reinforced polymer has been used for the case of Venu, both materials are very lightweight and durable. The strap of both smartwatches is made of silicone that is also lightweight, interchangeable, and compatible with 20mm-wide straps.
In terms of dimension, Versa 3 at 12mm thick is slightly slimmer than Venu which is 12.4mm thick. The shapes are also different which is very noticeable, a square shape Versa 3 vs a circular shape Venu, and with a stainless steel bezel, the Venu has a classic appearance as against the sporty design of Versa 3.
There are lots of watch faces to choose from on the respective platforms; Fitbit app for Versa 3 or Garmin connect app for Venu. Both are rated 5ATM which is equivalent to 50 meters and makes any of these two swim-proof.
So, as far as design is concerned, each of these has got a nice and elegant design. However, Garmin Venu looks more attractive with its circular shape and stainless steel bezel.
Going by the fitness tracking features present in each of these two, both Versa 3 and Venu are well equipped to track a whole lot of activities. Any of these two can track your sleep comprehensively in stages, and as well as your heart rate. There is an inbuilt GPS on both Versa 3 and Venu, this allows you to track outdoor activities.
Other common fitness tracking features include stress measurement, 20 preloaded sport modes, and the ability to count floors climbed. You can log your water intake on both smartwatches, and for women, both will allow you to track your menstrual cycle.
Versa 3 through the Fitbit coach app features animated workout modes that coach you through your favorite moves, Venu also features animated workout modes.
The main difference as per fitness tracking is that while each of these two can measure your blood oxygen levels, Venu can measure your blood oxygen level during the day and when you sleep, unlike Versa 3 which only measures your blood oxygen overnight when you wear it to sleep and displays your SpO2 levels through a SpO2 watch face.
Additionally, Venu features incidental fall detection which allows the watch to call a preset emergency number when it detects a hard fall as long as it’s near the connected phone.
Each of these two comes with a 4GB storage capacity out of which about 2GB is available for use, this allows you to store your favorite tracks on the watch. However, Versa 3 has a limited option as far as music storage is concerned, it only allows you to add your Pandora, Deezer, and Spotify playlists (supports playback control only). Meanwhile, Venu allows you to download Spotify, and Deezer and you can also sync Amazon music playlists as well as add your personal music tracks.
There is a speaker and microphone on Versa 3 which allows you to take calls directly from the watch and as well as play music files aloud. You can start a call on Versa 3 using Google Assistant, you can also take calls and talk directly from the watch. Meanwhile, you can only answer calls on Venu which you will have to continue on your phone.
While the Venu 2 also lacks microphone and a speaker, the Venu 2 Plus has a microphone and speaker for Bluetooth calls.
Due to the presence of a microphone and speaker on Versa 3, it features Alexa voice assistant and the recently added Google Assistant. You can only use one at a time. With the latest firmware update, you can hear Alexa reply to you, and recently, you can also hear Google Assistant speak.
I noticed that I could use Google Assistant to start a call on my phone which wasn’t possible with Alexa. The Venu lacks a voice Assistant.
As mentioned earlier, the Venu 2 Plus features three voice assistants; Bixby, Siri and Google Assistant. The voice assistant that gets activated depends on the phone you use. Siri for iPhone, Bixby for Samsung phones and Google Assistant for other android phones.
Both Versa 3 and Venu allow you to manage notifications that you receive on your phone. Both also feature quick reply functions that allow you to respond to messages with preset custom replies. Moreover, Versa 3 which has a microphone allows you to reply with your voice which I find very useful oftentimes.
From my experience, having used the Versa 3 for a couple of months now, it lasted up to 5 days on average. This is about the same with Venu which averages about 6 days or more depending on the frequency of use. It’s good to note that each of these two allows you to go multiple days from a single charge.
With battery life boosted on Venu 2, it has about 11 days of battery life while the Venu 2 Plus has about 9 days battery life.