The Garmin Venu Sq and Garmin Venu Sq 2 are the budget smartwatches from Garmin that boast a square design with a lightweight and comfortable silicone band that fits perfectly on the wrist. These smartwatches are packed with excellent health monitoring capabilities, fitness tracking, and GPS tracking.
In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll be diving deep into the specs of both these smartwatches to help you find your ideal smartwatch.
Garmin Venu Sq Vs Venu Sq2: Comparison
| Device name | Garmin Venu Sq 2 | Garmin Venu Sq |
|---|---|---|
| Device type | Smartwatch | Smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2022 | September, 2020 |
| Versions | Standard edition | Standard edition |
| Body | ||
| Dimension | 40.6 x 37.0 x 11.5 mm | 40.6 x 37.0 x 11.5 mm |
| Weight | 38 grams | 37.8 grams |
| Shape | Square | Square |
| Case material | Aluminum Frame | Aluminum Frame |
| Strap material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel material | Fiber-Reinforced Polymer | Fiber-Reinforced Polymer |
| Strap size | 20 mm | 20 mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Display | ||
| Display size | 1.41 inch | 1.3 inch |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 320 x 320 pixels | 240 x 240 pixels |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | ||
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth calling | No | No |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | No |
| Wi-Fi | No | No |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | — | — |
| Internal Storage | 4 GB | — |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| Cellular Connectivity | ||
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| Band | — | — |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | No | No |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | No | No |
| ECG | No | No |
| Gyroscope | No | No |
| HRM | No | No |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | — | — |
| Battery life | 11 Days | 06 Days |
| Charging type | Plug Charger | Plug Charger |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar charging | No | No |
Price
The Garmin Venu Sq 2 costs $50 more than the Garmin Venu Sq. It retails for $249 and comes in Shadow Gray and Cool Mint case with silicone band.
The Garmin Venu Sq, on the other hand, retails for $199 and is only available in White casing with silicone band.
Design
The Venu Sq 2 boasts a squarish design with rounded corners and a crossed-pattern silicone band. The watch has two buttons on the right and touchscreen support to hover through its UI and explore different functionalities. It has a 1.4” AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 320 x 360 pixels housed in an anodised aluminium bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer body with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top.
In comparison, the Garmin Venu Sq also boasts a squarish design with rounded corners and a crossed-pattern silicone band. It also has two buttons on the right with touchscreen support to explore its UI and functionalities. The watch has a 1.3” liquid crystal display with a screen resolution of 240 x 240 pixels housed in an anodised aluminium bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer body with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top.
Both have a water rating of 5 ATM, so users can wear them while swimming and showering too.
Health and Sleep Tracking
If we talk about health monitoring, both have a heart rate monitor, a SpO2 (blood oxygen) monitor, a body battery energy monitor, stress, hydration, and a women’s health monitor. But the Garmin Venu Sq 2 added a health snapshot, which tracks vital health metrics in two-minute sessions and logs them into the app to help users get a better understanding of their overall health.
In terms of sleep tracking, both can track sleep in multiple stages, including light, deep, and REM stages. The Venu Sq 2 also added a sleep score metric, which analyses the sleep metrics for you based on your previous night’s sleep and provides a score from 0 to 100 so you can get a deeper view of your overall sleep metrics without digging deep into the metrics.
Fitness Tracking
Both smartwatches offer the same set of sports profiles for fitness enthusiasts and sports lovers, which includes swimming, running, biking, snowboarding, and much more. Some basic features like step counter, calories burned, distance travelled, and intensity minutes are also present on both these smartwatches.
They also offer a few training features, such as HR zones, customisable training plans, VO2 max, and more. Plus, some sports specific features for runners, golfers, swimmers, and cyclists.
Both watches offer GPS tracking capability and use GLONASS and Galileo for faster and more accurate GPS readings.
Smartwatch Features
In terms of smartwatch features, both have Connect IQ Store, smart notifications, calendar, weather forecasts, battery saver, smartphone music control, and find my phone and find my watch. The Venu Sq 2 also lets you pay contactlessly via Garmin Pay, which is not available in the Venu Sq. They also have Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, but neither of these watches offers Wi-Fi support.
Battery Life
In terms of battery life, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 takes the lead with 11 days of battery life in a single charge, while the Garmin Venu Sq can only survive for up to 6 days in a single charge.
In GPS mode, the Venu Sq 2 can go for up to 26 hours, compared to only 14 hours in the Venu Sq.
Verdict
Looking at the Garmin Venu Sq 2 and Garmin Venu Sq comparison, we can clearly say that the Venu Sq 2 offers the best value for your money while only charging $50 more.
The Venu Sq 2 offers an improved heart rate sensor, better GPS tracking, a bigger display, a bright AMOLED display, and more upgrades in terms of hardware and software.
So if you are looking to buy your first smartwatch, then the Venu Sq 2 can be a good choice for you. But for those with a little budget restrictions, the Garmin Venu Sq can also get the job done.
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