Garmin Venu 2 vs Apple Watch 6 – The Battle Of Titans

Noor June 13, 2021

$409.99 Buy It Now

I have been using the latest Apple Watch Series 6 now for a couple of months. As the smartwatch pairs seamlessly with my iPhone (as a matter of fact it is only compatible with the IOS), and offers a host of different features I can’t live without, the Apple Watch is my first choice.

But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t tried other wearable gadgets. I am a smartwatch enthusiast, and I switch between different gadgets every now and then whenever the need arises. For instance, I would rather take my Garmin Fenix 6 on a hiking trip rather than the Apple Watch. Why? The reason is obvious when you compare the battery life, build quality and GPS capability of both devices.

Speaking of comparison, you are not here because you want to take notes of my preferences. Rather, you want me to objectively compare the recently released Garmin Venu 2 and the Apple Watch Series 6. And why so? You don’t want to put a hole in your pocket just to find yourself whining over a bad decision. It is highly likely you are sitting on a fence. Garmin is to blame here.

First, the starting price of Garmin Venu 2 is about $400 and that is exactly what you would have to pay for Apple Watch Series 6, the non-cellular, 40mm variant. Second, Garmin wearables are loved, preferred, and supported by outdoor adventurers and extreme sports athletes. Even the mighty Apple can’t dare to get into its turf.

So despite people telling you the Apple Watch 6 is the default best smart watch for your iPhone, you know it in your heart that Garmin Venu 2 is the one that can meet your needs. It has all the signature features of Garmin, a week-long battery life, a sturdy design, and loads of practical features. And to make things more complicated, the company has added a flashy AMOLED display, contactless payment, and music streaming on the watch. Just enough smart watch features you need from a wearable device. You don’t care about the bells and whistles.

I can feel you despite my natural biasness for Apple devices. Let’s compare these watches side by side. I would try wholeheartedly to be as objective as I can get.

Disclaimer: I haven’t got my Garmin Venu 2 delivered yet. For this comparison, I am relying heavily on whatever available on the smartwatch but not wherever. I would put my money on those guys at andriodauthority, techradar.com, and dcrainmaker.com. Also, this is going to be a detailed comparison between Venu 2 and Apple Watch 6 and therefore a lengthy one.

Okay Amigos. This thing was weighing heavy on my heart, I am glad that you know the truth. I promise to update this comparison if I find anything inconsistent with the experience of my pals.

So without further ado, let pit these two giants against each other.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, if you purchase any product from Amazon through our link, we may get commission but at no additional cost to you.

Garmin Venu 2S

$379.99

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January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

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New Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm)

BUY NOW

January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

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Last update was on: January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

Garmin Venu 2 vs Apple Watch Series 6 (Pros & Cons)

Apple Watch Series 6:

Garmin Venu 2:

Comparison: Garmin Venu 2 vs Apple Watch 6

Spoiler alert: Beyond this point, you will head towards a stream of raw data that is mind-bogglingly for beginners and annoyingly long for restless souls. That dcrainmaker guy has gone to great length to compile this side by side comparison of each and every data point for us. Let’s appreciate him.

If you really can’t make anything of this raw comparison, I recommend you should skip the whole section. I have described almost every aspect in detail below.

COMPARISON RESULTS:

Garmin Venu 2S

$379.99

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January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

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New Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm)

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January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

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Last update was on: January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

Price & Value Difference

Apple watch series 6 comes in two sizes, in multiple case materials and colors. So the price can vary between $300 and $1200. LTE connectivity is also the distinctive factor and you would have to pay $100 more for the LTE variants. Also, the watch doesn’t come with a power adaptor and additional straps or sensors and you would have to buy them separately at the store.

Garmin Venu 2 is priced around $400. It also has two variants, but they are not priced differently. However, if you want to attach an external sensor with the watch, you would have to buy it separately.

I can’t decide how much value they are going to add to your life, but I can give you criteria.

• If you need a watch that strikes a good balance between smartwatch and fitness features, the Apple Watch Series 6 would add great value to your life.
• If you don’t care about the bells and whistles and need just the practical smartwatch features but advanced health and sports features, Venu 2 would add more value to your life.

Keep in mind, Venu 2, unlike Apple Watch 6, can be paired with both IOS and Android, so in the future, if you want to switch to a smartphone, you won’t have to buy a new watch.

Garmin Venu 2S

$379.99

BUY NOW

January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

Amazon.com

New Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm)

BUY NOW

January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

Amazon.com

Last update was on: January 27, 2023 1:38 pm

Design Comparison

In terms of design, these smartwatches are significantly different from each other. But there are a few similarities. Let me first discuss the Apple Watch design.

Apple Watch Series 6 has the same squarish design with rounded corners as its predecessor Series 5. It comes in two sizes 40 and 44mm to fit different wrists and in three casing materials: Aluminum, Stainless Steel, and Titanium.

I own the Aluminum variant, the cheapest one with a 1.73-inch display (full dimensions: 44 x 38 x 10.4 mm). There are a variety of colors to choose from, but that depends on the casing. Series 6 with Aluminum case comes in Silver, Gold, Red, Blue, and Space Gray.

The metallic casing with a thin bezel display gives it a premium touch. The watch is only 0.42-inch thick thus having an extremely thin profile, whereas, it weighs between 30.5 grams and 47.1 grams(depending on the size) which if you know enough about smartwatches is not bulky at all.

The front carries a low-powered OLED touchscreen display, which is highly responsive. More on that later. The Apple Watch features a black ceramic and crystal back that houses multiple health sensors. Series 6 has more LED lights and photodiodes than its predecessors.

On the right side, there is a digital crown that is used for navigation and has an ECG sensor built into it. Also, there is a side button just below it that allows you to confirm contactless payment, access emergency services, and bring up frequently used apps.

The watch comes with a silicone strap which you can replace with third-party bands. Apple Watch Series 6 is 5 ATM rated which means it is water-resistant for up to 50m or 165 ft. You can take it to both for pool and open water swimming.

The original Garmin Venu has a square version, but not the Venu 2. It comes in two sizes, 40 and 45mm for our ease we would only discuss the latter (full dimensions: 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2mm). The watch design hasn’t changed much with Venu 2 featuring the same metallic bezel, polymer case, and silicone strap. Despite the plastic body, Venu 2 weighs just the same as Series 6.

The smartwatch comes in a variety of colors, the choice in colors has to do with the casing size instead of casing material. There are two buttons on the right side: the top right button takes you directly to launch a workout, and the bottom right is your “back” button. The display is highly responsive to touch, but the difference is noticeable compared to Apple Watch.

It has a relatively large bezel around the screen, but the screen is better protected against damage. In terms of ruggedness, Venu 2 has an upper hand. The back of the watch is made of plastic and features the brand new optical heart rate sensor bulging from the plastic casing.

The silicone strap is replaceable and is textured on the outside. Venu 2 like Apple Watch Series 6 is 5 ATM rated so the water resistance of both watches is the same.

In a nutshell, the Apple Watch has a slightly better build quality, but if you are inclined to a circular design Venu 2 is not far behind.  Let’s take the display into consideration.

Display Comparison

The Apple watch two variants has different display resolution: 40mm series 6 comes with1.57-inch display having 394 by 324 pixels resolution, while the 44mm Series 6 has a 1.73-inch display with 448 by 368 pixels. The higher resolution translates to a crisp display with vibrant colors, deep blacks and whites, and great viewing angles.

Series 6 supports Always-on mode which is 2.5 times brighter than its predecessor. The Overall brightness can be bumped to 1000-nits in outdoor conditions.

Garmin is packing 416 x 416 pixels for the 44mm Venu 2 and 360 x 360 pixels for the 40mm Venu 2S. It is way better than the original Garmin which has 390 x 390 resolution, but slightly under the Apple Watch. If you place the Apple Watch Series 6 besides Venu 2 the difference would be imperceptible to untrained eyes.

Venu 2 can fit more items on screen than any other Garmin Watch, but the brightness didn’t improve and stands at 1000 nits.

In-display department, I would have to declare a tie as the slight advantage Apple Watch has here doesn’t matter in day-to-day usage.

Sports, Fitness & Health Features

GPS Accuracy

Jimmey Westenberg at androidauthority.com compared the GPS accuracy of both smartwatches and found Venu 2 to be more accurate. Well, if you know the history of Garmin, this would have been obvious.

Garmin is the pioneer in GPS technology and so GPS sports watches become its gateway in the smartwatch industry. Apple, on the other hand, is first and foremost a consumer electronics manufacturer.

By the way, the difference in GPS tracking is marginal and therefore we can say that whichever watch you go with, you would get a great GPS performance.

Sports and Fitness Features:

Garmin Smartwatches are first and foremost GPS sports watches and Venu 2 is no exception. The depth and size of data it provides for different sports and fitness features cannot be found on Apple Watch Series 6. If Apple is the emperor of smartwatches, Garmin is the indisputable king of the sports watch niche.

Venu 2 can track over 25 sport profiles, including new additions like HIIT, indoor climbing, hiking, and even bouldering. Like Apple Watch it has all the important sensors for activity tracking. Apart from the GPS sensor we discussed above, it has a gyroscope, barometric altimeter, compass, Gyroscope, accelerometer, and thermometer.

The watch offers on-device animated workouts that were discontinued when Venu SQ was released.  Over 75 workouts are available in all, including exercises for yoga, cardio, HIIT, and even Pilates. It offers advanced strength and high-intensity interval training with a rich set of data points. On the Apple Watch 6, you can download many third party apps for these features.

As far as sports and fitness features are concerned, Venu 2 is way ahead of the Apple Watch Series 6.

Sleep & Stress Tracking:

Venu 2 can track sleep far better than the Apple Watch Series 6. Like Fitbit devices, it gives detailed metrics like REM, deep and light sleep duration. It also tracks respiratory cycle, Pulse Ox, and heart rate variability during sleep, and gives you a score based on how well you slept.

Apple Watch 6, on the other hand, tells us just the duration of sleep. But there are many paid third-party apps that can give you detailed sleep metrics like Fitbit, Withing, and Garmin watches.

The sleep data is an important data point for Garmin’s Body battery metric. Garmin tracks a host of different health metrics like heart rate, sleep, stress, respiration rate, and HRV to give you a body battery score that tells you when to take rest or do exercise.

Also, the Apple Watch 6 doesn’t come with a stress tracking metric preloaded. Rather, just like sleep tracking, you would have to buy third party apps for it.

Heart Rate Tracking:

You can measure both resting heart rate while being static and active heart rate during exercise on Garmin Venu 2 with great accuracy. The same is true for Apple Watch Series 6.

The new Elevate 4.0 sensor on Venu 2 has made the readings more accurate when compared to the original Venu but in comparison to Apple Watch 6, the difference is imperceptible.

Garmin introduced the new health snapshot feature in Venu 2 that allows it to take a detailed measurement of all the important health metrics including heart rate, and save it on the smartphone in PDF form. From the companion app, you can share the data with a doctor.

So if the accuracy of heart rate data from the watch is your prime concern, you can’t go wrong with either of the watches. Both give impeccable results.

Blood Oxygen Tracking& ECG:

Apple Watch Series 6 can track both blood oxygen and ECG, whereas Garmin Venu can track only the first. We wouldn’t go into the details of ECG tracking as the discussion is pointless in our context.

Apple made a big fuss about the new SpO2 sensor at the time of the Series 6 release. Surely, the readings from the watch are no replacement for a proper pulse oximeter, the feature is quite handy. The blood oxygen tracking of the Apple Watch 6 is better than many watches, but I have experienced some anomalies now and then.

Venu 2 came packed with the latest Pulse VO2 sensor and those who have used it found it to be in line with a regular fingertip pulse oximeter. However, Garmin like Apple has strict caution against using the watch as a replacement for a medical device. You can track blood oxygen on demand, all day, at night, or both

Smartwatch Features

Does Garmin Venu 2 has better smartwatch features than Apple Watch Series 6?

It is a ridiculous question. Apple watch is the Bugatti, and you don’t compare Bugatti with BMW.

Voice Assistant, Calling and Texting

Series 6 comes with a voice assistant like its predecessor. SIRI is the best voice assistant you can get on wearable devices. It is highly responsive, fast, and easier to use. There is a pair of speakers and microphones on the watch that allows you to take calls and to give voice commands. If you pay $100 extra for an LTE version of the watch, you can make calls without your phone around.

Garmin offers neither the voice assistant nor the calling and texting feature. Venu series is Garmin’s first attempt at proper smartwatches as all other watches by the company are focused on fitness, sports, and navigational features.

Contactless Payment

Both Apple and Garmin offer contactless payment features via Apple Pay and Garmin Pay respectively. Setting up the feature is a breeze. Apple watch has an advantage here as Apple Pay is supported in 41 countries worldwide. Google pay gets closest with support in 29 countries. Garmin pay stands no chance here. But if you are living in the US, there are high chances that your bank supports both Apple Pay and Garmin Pay.

Music

You can both store and stream music on Apple Watch Series 6 and can do the same on Garmin Venu 2. But Venu 2 has roughly 7 GB storage to accommodate 650 songs, whereas the Apple Watch 6 has a whopping 32 GB to store thousands of songs. You can transfer music directly from pc to your Venu 2 using Garmin express tool. No such option is available for Apple Watch.

Venu 2 allows you to download music streaming apps from its Connect IQ store and supports a wide selection of them including Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music. Apple has its own ‘Apple Music’. You can stream music directly over Wi-Fi on both watches but need a premium subscription to download the playlist for offline playback.

Apps

Support for downloadable apps is one major factor separating Fitness trackers from smartwatches. In that sense, both our contenders are proper smartwatches. Apple has more than 20,000 apps for its watch.

Apple watches series 6 comes with 21 apps preinstalled, mostly the standard that gives you weather updates, daily schedule, and app notification. Apple Watch offers the best third-party app library of any wearable, including Audible, Breath, Calm, The Weather Channel, Starbucks, ESPN, and YouTube Music, just to name a few.

Garmin Venu 2 comes with the latest Connect IQ 4.0 version. This smartphone app is available for both android and IOS and offers free and paid watch faces, data fields, widgets, and apps from Garmin and third parties to further customize your device. You can install at most 35 apps at a time, and have to delete old apps in order to install new ones via the Connect IQ store.

However, the selection leans heavily towards fitness and health, navigation-oriented apps. Google Maps, Komoot, and Stryd to name a few. Also, the number of apps is limited but is steadily rising in number thanks to an expanding community of Garmin developers.

Battery Life and Charging

• Garmin Venu 2 wins hands down with its week-long battery performance
• Apple’s fast charging maneuver might work on other smartwatches, but not on Venu 2.
  • Both watches takes 90 minutes to fully charge from 0-100%
  • Apple Watch takes 1-hour charging for one-day performance, Venu 2 takes just 10 minutes.
• Venu 2 uses a standard charging cable, Apple Watch has an edge here with its magnetic charging capability

Battery performance has always been a chunk in the armor of Apple Watch 6. Even the latest Series 6 can go up to 25 hours at max, and I have to charge it between nights. Worst still, if I use the GPS and Music continuously on the smartwatch, the battery is reduced to 4-5 hours.

Garmin Venu 2 claims that it can last for 11 days, and many experts have found the battery performance consistent with the claim. But that is if you use the watch on battery saving mode and it would strip down the watch to a simple time-telling device. The actual number and what matters, is about 5-7 days when you turn on the Always-on Display mode, regularly use the GPS, stream music, and track all the advanced health metrics.

Garmin Venu 2 and 2S have a slight difference in battery performance. Let me point them out for you.

• Garmin Venu 2 on battery mode lasts for 12 days (Venu 2S makes it up to 11 days)
• 22 hours on continuous GPS usage ( 20 hours)
• 8 hours on GPS + Music (7 hours)

Here, no matter how I lean towards the Apple Watch I couldn’t resist but appreciate Garmin Venu 2. If the watch had a transflective display common in Garmin watches, I would have dismissed the improved battery life of Venu 2 as a tradeoff. But it has that flashy AMOLED display, always-on enabled, bright enough for clear outdoor views. Impressive, all the way impressive.

Apple introduced fast charging in Series 6. It takes 90 minutes to charge the watch from 0 to 100% and almost an hour to charge from 0 to 80%. Overall, the Apple Watch Series 6 charge 20 times faster than its predecessor. The watch ships with a magnetic charging puck that adds to the convenience of users. Unsurprisingly, we don’t get an adapter with the watch and have to buy it separately.

On the other hand, Garmin Venu 2 is the first watch by the company that supports fast charging. Venu 2 surely checkmated Apple which boasts its fast charging capability as an advantage over competitors with long battery life. Venu 2 takes 10 minutes of charging for a one-day performance at full throttle. And only 90 minutes to charge from 0-100%. However, it doesn’t support magnetic charging. The proprietary charging cable and adapter are included in the box.

Garmin Venu 2 vs. Apple Watch Series 6: Similarities

If you have read the whole comparison, skip this section and the next one as you already know all the similarities and differences. Here, I have summarized the key similarities to keep track of important ones.

• Apple Watch Series 6 offers music streaming and storage capability as does the Garmin Venu 2.
• You get notification alerts, contactless payment, and a wide selection of downloadable apps on both watches.
• Both watches come in two sizes and in a variety of colors. Also, they prefer silicone straps as the default.
• The display is almost identical: crisp, clear, and vibrant. Always-on mode feature and max brightness are at par.
• Both these watches have water resistance for up to 50m as they are 5 ATM rated.
• The GPS performance is also quite similar. Also, they have almost the same set of sensors: Gyroscope, Altimeter, Compass, Accelerometer, Heart rate sensor.

Key Differences Among Venu 2 vs. Apple Watch 6

The differences between the two titans far exceed the similarities. Let me summarize the key differences for you.

• Apple Watch Features a squarish design with a thinner bezel and profile. It has a metallic body through and through. Venu 2 is a little bulky in comparison and has a plastic casing surround by the metallic bezel.
• Apple watch series 6 affords you a voice assistant and the capability to text and call on the watch. Venu 2 offers none.
• Apple watch offers you FDA-approved ECG tracking which sparing Fitbit and Samsung, no other company offers.
• Apple Watch has significantly more storage capacity, roughly 5 times than Venu 2 at 32 GB.
• Venu 2 has week-long battery life whereas the Apple Watch needs to be charged between nights.
• The App Store for Apple Watch has more than 20 thousand apps, the selection is diverse. Garmin’s app store has a significantly fewer number of apps, but the health and fitness-related apps are in abundance.
• With about25 sports modes for exercise, Venu 2 offers access to a rich set of data points. There are also 75 plus workout modes with animations. Apple Watch performance pales in comparison.
• The sleep tracking on Venu 2 is detailed and meaningful. Also, it gives you in-depth data on your body’s overall health in the form of a body battery metric. Apple is yet to develop such a metric.

Which One To Buy: Apple Watch 6 or Garmin Venu 2?

If you have read the whole comparison by this point you should have made the decision for yourself. For those who just skipped to this section, let me make your life easier.

Both watches are excellent in terms of build quality and display, but Apple Watch Series 6 is better. It is far superior when you take the smartwatch features in view. A huge play store with a wide selection of downloadable apps, contactless payment with the most number of supported banks, a mighty 32 GB storage and snappier S6 chip, Voice assistant, and Calling/texting feature, all these make Apple Watch reign supreme. Plus you are not missing out on important health and fitness features like heart rate, blood oxygen, and ECG tracking.

On the other hand, Venu 2 also has a couple of features that Apple Watch can’t resist but envy: A week-long battery life, superior sports, and fitness tracking, and advanced health tracking. Plus, it is well suited to be an outdoor smartwatch with its built-in compass, altimeter, and solid GPS tracking that can be expected by a company founded on the strength of its satellite positioning technology.

Apple Watch Series 6 would offer more value if you can’t live without a voice assistant (have a wide selection of IoT devices at home), need mighty storage, and the device most compatible with the iPhone. Whereas, Venu 2 would be a far better choice if you are intending to take the watch to extended outdoor excursions, intense exercise sessions, and for day to day health tracking.