Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Garmin Venu 2: What's the difference?

(Pocket-lint) - Garmin's Venu family is fairly new to the range and thankfully only includes a couple of models, making it fairly easy to choose the right model for you.

But with so many Garmin devices crammed so tightly on spec sheets, it can be confusing. To cut down on the noise, here's a breakdown of the Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs. the Garmin Venu 2.

design and build

• Venu 2 Plus: (43mm) 43.60 x 43.60 x 12.60mm, 51g
• Venu 2: (45mm) 45.40 x 45.40 x 12.20mm, 49g; (40mm) 40.40x40.40x12.10mm, 38.2g

The Garmin Venu 2 Plus makes things pretty easy when it comes to size, because there's only one. It has a 43mm body and is between the two sizes of the regular Garmin Venu 2.

As you can see from the dimensions above, the Garmin Venu 2 comes in 45mm (the regular version) and the 40mm Venu 2S (the smaller version). Although the sizes are different, the design and construction are the same.

This applies to all of these models. All of these watches have a fiber reinforced case with a metal backplate and stainless steel bezel. Different colors are offered for the different models.

All watches offer 5ATM (50m) water resistance and all use Garmin's spring pin quick release straps. The Venu 2S is 18mm, the Venu 2 is 22mm and the Venu 2 Plus is 20mm.

Yes, it's important to note that Plus in this case doesn't mean "plus size" but refers to additional features.

There's also another big difference between the Venu 2 and the Venu 2 Plus - there's an extra button center right on the Venu 2 Plus - and this is the button that unlocks the new functionality.

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display

• Venu 2 Plus: 1.3-inch AMOLED, 416 x 416 pixels, touchscreen
• Venu 2: (45 mm) 1.3-inch AMOLED, 416 x 416 pixels, touchscreen; (40 mm) 1.1 inch AMOLED, 360 x 360 pixels, touch screen

When it comes to the display, it might be surprising to learn that the Venu 2 and Venu 2 Plus actually have the same display size at 1.3 inches. Both are AMOLED and both support touch.

The Venu 2S is of course smaller at 1.1 inches and has a slightly lower resolution. However, the pixel density is essentially the same across all devices, so all are equally good at displaying content.

That's all there is to say about the display - apart from the overall size, the experience is very similar.

functionality

• Venu 2 Plus: GPS, HR, ABC, sports and lifestyle tracking, voice support, speakers, microphone
• Venu 2: GPS, HR, ABC, sports and lifestyle tracking

Of course, the big difference between these devices is that the Venu 2 Plus offers voice support. This is activated via this new central button with a long press.

This will trigger the voice assistant on your connected smartphone - Siri for iPhone or Google Assistant for Android; You can also use Bixby on Samsung devices. Garmin designed the system for these voice assistants, but on Android, if you've set Alexa as the default, you can also get the watch to trigger Alexa.

The new features are supported by a speaker and microphone on the watch, allowing you to take calls, dictate messages, use voice control for music and trigger other tasks through these voice assistants such as B. Turning on the lights in your home.

Aside from voice control, the functionality of these devices is exactly the same - all have sensors for sports and activity tracking, all support Garmin Pay, all offer music downloads and Bluetooth for connecting to headphones.

All also offer the same lifestyle tracking features like Body Battery and sleep tracking.

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battery

• Venue 2 Plus: 9 days
• Site 2: (45 mm) 11 days; (40mm) 10 days

There is a slight difference in the battery life of these devices. The Venu 2 Plus has a slightly shorter lifespan, offering 9 days in smartwatch mode, while the Venu 2 offers 11 days and the Venu 2S offers 10 days.

In reality, all of these devices offer decent battery life considering they have an AMOLED display and offer GPS tracking every 8 hours with music playback (7 hours on the Venu 2S), so there's little to choose from.

Conclusions

When it comes to choosing a Garmin Venu device, there are fewer choices compared to the Fenix ​​or Forerunner. Venu is all about that AMOLED display and to give you graphically richer images.

The difference between the Venu 2 and the Venu 2 Plus is clear - the newer model introduces voice control, thereby unlocking new smartwatch features. At the same time, it packs the same display size into a smaller body for a more compact device.

So the decision is easy: if you want voice support for Siri or Google Assistant - or want to take calls through your watch - then the Venu 2 Plus is the watch to go for. If you just want a Garmin with an AMOLED display then the Venu 2 will do the job - but you should also consider the Garmin Epix, which is the AMOLED version of the Fenix.

Writing by Chris Hall.

By: Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Garmin Venu 2: What's the difference?