Garmin Venu 3 Review: Finally, A Smartwatch With Oneweek Battery Life!
If you run a marathon, run or bike, or participate in any competitive sport, you'll see one brand of watch more often than another: Garmin.
Although the Garmin brand is synonymous with basic watches that use a monochromatic screen and lack of complete smart watch functionality, the ultimate Garmin Venu 3 is subject to change and is maintained on the largest Garmin sales point: the battery life lasts longer days. More than an hour.
So, is the Garmin Venu 3 the perfect smartwatch with up to a week of battery life? Let’s find out in our detailed review.
The Garmin Venu 3 comes in a very simple box and the unboxing process is simple to say the least. The packaging looks a bit cheap and inside the box are the watch and band, Garmin charging cable (with USB-C on the other end), and a user manual.
Before we dive in, here's a quick overview of the most important features of the Venu 3 and Venu 3S:
Interestingly, we couldn't find any information about the processor Garmin uses in these two watches, and if you know anything about it, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.
We like that the Garmin Venu 3 comes in two sizes: the larger 45mm Venu 3 and the smaller 41mm Venu 3S (which we had on hand for review).
Both models are equipped with a plastic case, only the bezel surrounding the screen is made of stainless steel. This was surprising considering the high price of the watch and the fact that the previous Venu 2 Plus model used aluminum. We think this is intended to save weight, but those who prefer the feel of high-quality metal may be disappointed.
Some reviewers noted the "bubble" buttons, and while that may be true on some devices, the buttons on our watch were perfect.
Garmin Fino 3 wristbands
Your standard spring belts
There is a slight difference in strap size between the different Venu 3 models. The larger Venu 3 uses 22mm wide straps, while the Venu 3S uses 18mm wide straps.
These are the standard spring straps, so there's no fancy new way to change them, but you get used to them over time, so it wasn't a big deal for us.
The included silicone sports strap is also very soft and comfortable. We found Garmin bands to be very durable and last for years.
Garmin Fino 3 Programs and Features
It has many features, but the interface seems outdated.
Garmin was once known for its sports watches, primarily used by athletes, but with the move to OLED displays and the addition of phone support and voice assistant (over the phone), the Garmin Venu 3 aims to be something more. Its goal is to be a smartwatch that plays in the same leagues as the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch.
How do they work as a smart watch?
After reviewing all the smartwatches mentioned above, using the Venu 3 was like going back in time. The interface lacks basic functionality.
For example, all modern smartwatches support complication watch faces. You can raise your wrist and see a lot of information at a glance. Additionally, you can tap on any difficulty and immediately go to the corresponding app screen.
The navigation gestures are also strange: swiping to the right brings up a customizable “widget”, but… that’s it! only one! Why can't I scroll to see more information? So why doesn't anything happen when I swipe left? It's a strange and unnecessary interface design choice.
You can access most information by scrolling up or down. It works well, but this interface would be ideal for a Digital Crown like the one found on the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch .
Managing notifications is also a bit tedious. We like seeing it in full-screen mode, but it takes a few clicks to clear the notification, although it should be quicker.
I understand how Garmin has moved this interface from the days of per-pixel displays (MiPs) with no touchscreen support and only button navigation, but we're not in those days anymore and the interface needs tweaking. . fast.
Sports tracking
What the Venu 3 lacks in interface, it makes up for in excellent sports tracking capabilities.
GPS accuracy has also improved, and while this watch doesn't support dual-band GPS, we found that it remained very accurate when it came to tracking your workouts.
Sleep tracking and detection
You can also track your sleep with the Garmin Venu 3, and you should if you want to accurately take into account your body's battery life, which is one of the most important benefits of this watch .The idea is that Body Battery gives you an estimate of your likely energy level for the day, ranging from 1% to 100%, based on your sleep over the past few nights, the status of your heart rate and of the state of your body. the intensity and frequency with which you slept. you sleep. They worked. Out. Out.
What's new here is that when you tap the Body Battery widget, you'll see how certain actions affect your score (we expect this feature to come to older watches via a software update).
As for the sleep tracking, we found that it works quite well. The watch was able to accurately determine when to fall asleep and when to wake up, allowing it to separate stages of sleep. You also have a sleep coach who uses this information to tell you when you need to sleep and what time you should sleep the next night.
As for shock detection, I felt bad and took a nap two days in a row, but the Venu 3 didn't register anything. We will test this in more detail, but at least for now this feature is not working on our end.
Garmin Fino 3 battery and charger.
Don't take your charger with you on the weekend!
Although the Garmin Venu 3 lacks in interface and watch faces, it more than makes up for it in battery life.
Forget charging at night and constantly worrying if your watch will last until the next day or if it will turn off in the middle of the night and record your sleep.
We got about five days of use between charges on the little Venu 3S, using the always-on feature and exercising for an hour on average each day. And you can expect more from the bigger Venu 3! It's incredible! If you turn off the permanent feature, you can add additional days to it. Have you forgotten your Garmin charger over the weekend? Don't worry!
Garmin Venu 3 models and prices
As we mentioned before, you have two models:
- Garmin Fino 3: 45mm, $450.
- Garmin Fino 3S: 41mm, $450.
The price is therefore the same for both.
Garmin watches do not support cellular connectivity, which is a drawback to consider. Other smartwatches offer a cellular option with an eSIM, allowing you to make and receive calls and connect to the internet even if you don't have your phone with you. Not on Garmin.
However, you can preload music on the Venu 3 and play it while playing it through your headphones without having to carry your phone with you.
Garmin Venu 3 for voice calls, assistant and touch controls
You have a speaker on the left side of the Garmin Venu 3 and yes, you can make and receive calls on the watch, but only when your phone is nearby.
By default, a long press on the central button of the Venu 3 is programmed to launch your phone's voice assistant (Siri on iPhone, Google Assistant on Android) and although this works well, be aware that there is some delay . When you use this function. For this reason, I used it less than the voice assistant on other smartwatches, but your experience may vary.
As for touch, you can adjust the strength of the vibration, but the vibration motor itself isn't as precise or crisp as, say, the Apple Watch. He always does his job.
Garmin Fino 3 Competitors
We have already mentioned the biggest competitors: Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Google Pixel Watch .
Garmin Venu 3 Summary and Final Verdict
Ultimately, after this review, the Garmin Venu 3S is probably still on my wrist and I think that's the best testament to its capabilities.
I just hate worrying about charging a smartwatch every day and love using the sleep tracking feature, which requires a more precise charging schedule than a traditional smartwatch.
Garmin has the workout stats, battery life, comfort and now screen quality but it really needs to try to improve the old interface and dials and if so it has a good chance of overtaking Apple and Samsung at its level. . . . A special game.
