The Galaxy Watch 6 and Venu 3 are two of the very best smartwatches released in 2023. Both watches come in two sizes. Both also have the same AMOLED displays. Both watches also boast a long list of health-tracking features. Moreover, both watches have a microphone and speaker that allows for Bluetooth calls. Meanwhile, while the Galaxy Watch 6 runs on a richer Wear OS ecosystem, the Venu 3 runs on Garmin’s proprietary system. So a $300 Galaxy Watch 6 or a $450 Venu 3? Which is a better watch? Let’s find out!
In a few words, it’s a hard call between the Galaxy Watch 6 and Venu 3. These are two remarkably built watches, each durably built and comfortable to wear. However, the Galaxy Watch 6 has a slightly bigger display, bigger 16GB storage and features blood pressure measurement. Moreover, the Galaxy Watch 6 also runs on a Wear OS platform that gives you access to more apps including Google apps like Google Pay, Google Maps and YouTube Music. Interestingly, the Galaxy Watch 6 is $150 cheaper.
On the other hand, the Venu 3 is also an outstanding watch with a fascinating design and loads of features. Where it wins greatly against the Galaxy Watch 6 is in having a longer battery life. While the Galaxy Watch 6 lasts about 2 days, it’s up to 10 days with the Venu 3. But is that worth $150 more? It’s your call.
It boils down to which brand you love more. For me, I’m a Samsung fan, and considering the Galaxy Watch 6 is cheaper yet offers more productivity features, it’s my preferred choice.
Garmin Venu 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Full Specifications Comparison
| Product Info |
 Garmin Venu 3 Full Smartwatch Specifications, Features and Price |
 Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm) Full Smartwatch Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $449.99 | $279.99 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Garmin Venu 3 | Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm) |
| Device type | Fitness/Classic smartwatch | Fitness/Sport/Standalone smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | August, 2023 | August, 2023 |
| Predecessor | Garmin Venu 2 | Galaxy Watch 5 |
| Successor | — | — |
| Versions | — | Bluetooth/WiFi only, LTE |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 45 x 45 x 12 mm | 42.8 x 44.4 x 9.0 mm |
| Weight | (excluding straps), 30g | (excluding straps), 33.3g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Case material | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Armor Aluminum |
| Strap material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel material | Stainless steel | Armor Aluminum |
| Strap size | 22 mm | 20 mm |
| Interchangeable strap | 22 mm, Yes | 20mm, Yes |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Sapphire glass |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | MIL-STD-810H |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Black, Whitestone | Graphite, Silver |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.4 inches | 1.5 inches |
| Display type | AMOLED | Super AMOLED, Full color |
| Display resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 480 x 480 pixels |
| Pixel density | 326 ppi | 453 PPI |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 3 Physical buttons, Touchscreen | 2 Physical buttons, Digital rotating bezel, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | ANT+, Bluetooth | Bluetooth v5.3 |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Galileo, GLONASS, GPS | A-GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | — | 2GB RAM |
| ROM | 8GB | 16GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | (Cellular model), 4G LTE |
| SIM type | None | (Cellular model), e-SIM |
| Band | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes |
| Reply to Notifications | Android only, Yes (preset replies) | Yes |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Sensor(s) | Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometric altimeter, Compass, Garmin Elevate v4 HR sensor, Spo2 sensor, Thermometer | Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer, BIA sensor, Electrical heart sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Infrared temperature sensor, Optical heart rate sensor |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Fall detection | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | No |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | Yes | Yes |
| On-screen workout | Yes | Yes |
| Sport modes | Yes | 90 |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | — | 425mAh |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: up to 14 days, Battery saver mode: Up to 26 days | Up to 40 hours |
| Charging type | Charging dock | Charging dock, WPC based wireless charging |
| Charging time | 30min-1hr | 30min-1hr |
| Solar charging | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | — | Exynos w930 |
| CPU | — | 1.4GHz Dual-core (Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | — | Mali™-G68 MP2 |
| Operating system | Proprietary OS | Wear OS 4 |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Garmin Connect | Samsung Galaxy Wearable app |
| Compatibility | Android 7.0+, iOS 15.0+ | Android 10.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+ |
| Payment system | Garmin Pay | Google Pay, Samsung Pay |
| Voice command | Google Assistant, Bixby, Siri | Google Assistant, Yes, Bixby |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Manual, Straps, Garmin Venu 3 | Charger, Manual, Straps, Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 |
Galaxy Watch 6 vs Venu 3: Features Review
Price
We start with the prices, like the Venu 3 which is available in 41 and 45mm sizes, the Galaxy Watch 6 also comes in 40 and 44mm SIZES both of which are also available in Bluetooth and LTE models. The 40 and 44mm Bluetooth models retail at $280 and $300 respectively. Meanwhile, the 40 and 44mm LTE models have $320 and $350 price tags respectively.
On the other hand, both the 41 and 45mm units of the Venu 3 retail at $450.
Design
In terms of design, both the Galaxy Watch 6 and Venu 3 have an awesome design that leaves each of these two with a very attractive appearance. Though, I think the Venu 3 looks very similar to the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.
Both watches are very compact and lightweight. In other words, you shouldn’t have any problem wearing any of these all day long including during sleep. However, the Galaxy Watch 6 is more compact and it weighs a little less. Moreover, it’s 3mm slimmer.
While the Galaxy Watch 6 has an aluminum build with sapphire glass protecting the display, the Venu 3 has a fiber-polymer frame with a stainless steel bezel and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the display. Corning Gorilla Glass is very durable, however, Sapphire Glass offers better scratch resistance.
Both watches are rated 5ATM which means each of these two is swim-proof and can be worn while swimming in the pool or otherwise, though it’s not recommended to dive with any of these.
So while both watches have outstanding designs, I honestly think the Galaxy Watch 6 has a more durable design.
Display
AMOLED powers the display of both the Venu 3 and Galaxy Watch 6 which means both watches have a very colorful display. However, the Galaxy Watch 6 has a slightly bigger display. It is 1.5 and 1.3 inches for the 44mm and 40mm sizes respectively. On the other hand, it is 1.4 and 1.2 inches for 45 and 41mm sizes respectively.
Health Tracking Features
Tracking your daily activities is at the core of both the Venu 3 and Galaxy Watch 6. Each of these two will track all the way you move including steps, calories, stress, blood oxygen, sleep and skin temperature. These two also feature ECG measurement, and there is an inbuilt GPS in both watches that allow for route mapping during an outdoor workout.
Though, the Galaxy Watch 6 also features blood pressure measurement which is not possible with Venu 3. Nonetheless, I think each of these is a comprehensive health tracker that can help you stay fit and reach more fitness goals.
Music storage
The Galaxy Watch 6 comes with 16GB storage but in contrast, the Venu 3 only boasts 8GB. You can add your personal music to both watches, and you also get access to different streaming services. YouTube Music, Spotify and Deezer are the most popular music apps for Wear OS watches, while for the Venu 3, you get Amazon Music, Deezer and Spotify.
Making and Receiving Calls
There is a microphone and speaker in the Venu 3 and Galaxy Watch 6, this enables both watches to be able to make and receive calls when connected to your phone. Meanwhile, the LTE model of the Galaxy Watch 6 is a standalone watch that can make and receive calls without connecting to a phone.
The presence of a microphone also means you get the option of using your voice to perform tasks. The available voice assistants on Galaxy Watch 6 are Bixby and Google Assistant, meanwhile, Siri, Bixby and Amazon Alexa are the voice assistants on Venu 3.
So as far as making calls and voice assistant is concerned, there is not much difference between the two watches.
Managing Notifications
With the Galaxy Watch 6 or Venu 3 you will be able to manage your notifications effortlessly. Each of these two will allow you to reply to messages with preset quick replies or your voice. However, with the Galaxy Watch 6, you can type the reply you want directly with the built-in Samsung keyboard. Moreover, there is a WhatsApp app for Wear OS watches that will allow you to easily manage your WhatsApp notifications. There is also a Gmail app that makes it even easier to manage your Gmail messages directly from the watch.
I think the Galaxy Watch 6 does it better than Venu 3 when it comes to managing your notifications.
Battery Life
Like I said earlier, battery life is one area the Galaxy Watch 6 falls short. It’s a fantastic watch no doubt but it only lasts about 40 hours before the next recharge, though it takes less than an hour to fully charge.
On the other hand, the Venu 3 boasts up to 14 days of battery life and up to 5 days when always-on is active.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I think both watches standout in all ramifications. Though, as a Galaxy watch lover who has used almost every Galaxy watch starting with first the Galaxy Watch, I prefer the Galaxy Watch 6. Although, the Venu 3 will probably be my first Garmin watch but the price tag is somewhat on the high side.
