If you are in a Hurry! here is a quick comparison Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Garmin Venu.
|
Model |
Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
Garmin Venu |
|---|---|---|
|
Dimensions |
40mm 45mm |
43mm |
|
Weight |
50.5 grams |
46.3 grams |
|
Touchscreen |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Display |
1.1-inch 218 x 218px (4S), 1.3-inch 260 x 260 4 |
390 x 390 AMOLED |
|
Memory |
4GB |
4GB |
|
Battery life |
GPS – 18 hours, No GPS 8 Days |
GPS – 6 hours, No GPS 5 Days |
|
Bluetooth |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Water resistance |
5ATM |
5ATM |
|
Heart rate monitor |
Yes |
Yes |
|
NFC |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Rating |
||
|
Price |
If you are interested in buying a smartwatch packed with features and made from durable materials designed for the outdoors, there is no better option than Garmin.
They are in the smart wearable business for a few years now, and they are making incredible progress, and people love their products. Since they have many categories and subcategories of the same models, sometimes choosing the best smartwatch can be confusing.
We decided to put some of their most popular models like Garmin Venu vs Vivoactive 4 head-to-head and find out which is a better smartwatch.
About Garmin
Garmin is an American based company that specializes in GPS technology. Over the years, they have been providing precise GPS information to the automotive industry and aviation, and not too long ago, they’ve decided to use their technology in the smart wearable industry.
Their smartwatches are a byword for reliability and high-quality. They are continually pushing the limits of technology by innovating every product to suit clients’ demands. Garmin’s goal is to build rugged smartwatches with lots of features providing a better and healthier lifestyle.
Some of the smartwatch industry’s biggest names cannot keep up with the specifications on most Garmin watches.
Garmin Vivoactive 4
The Vivoactive 4 is a stunning touch-sensitive smartwatch. The Vivoactive 4 went through a lot of changes compared to its predecessor, and now it seems like we’ve finally got the smartwatch we always wanted.
It has an improved battery that can last up to 18 hours with the GPS feature enabled, and up to 6 days if you turn off the GPS.
The best thing about the Vivoactive 4 is the design. Unlike many smartwatches, the Vivoactive 4 has a thin body, and is lightweight, making it very comfortable. Its rugged, built, and high-quality materials accent the premium feel of this smartwatch.
It comes with a 1.3-inch full-color LCD with 260 x 260 px making it very beautiful to look at.
The smartwatch body is made from fiber-reinforced polymer, making it very durable, and there is only one (stainless steel) option for the bezel. Despite the stainless steel option, the Vivoactive four still only weighs 50.5 grams.
It is equipped with tons of features like Wi-Fi- GPS, NFC, Internal memory, and a lot of tracking features that will change the way you live.
Pros
- Many features and tracking capabilities
- Very comfortable
- Touch-sensitive screen
- Built-in GPS and Wi-Fi
Cons
- Battery life should be batter with GPS
Garmin Venu
On the other hand, we have a very similar Garmin Venu, the company’s first smartwatch, with a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen display with 390 x 390 px resolution.
That’s why the Venu has much more vibrant and black colors than other LCDs.
In terms of design, the Venu looks very similar to other models in their portfolio. It has a much thinner bezel that feels like you are wearing a premium watch. It is also lightweight and very comfortable to wear.
It comes in only one 43mm bezel size and a 20mm straps. It seems like Garmin tries to make every model different in terms of button layout just to get inconsistent experience. That’s why the two physical buttons are on the right-hand side of the smartwatch.
The Venu is designed with sports tracking in mind. All sporting activities such as running, golf, skiing, cardio, or strength are accessible with a push of a button. However, this watch can track all sorts of things, such as stress level, ox tracking, pulse, or even sleep.
You might think that the OLED display will dramatically reduce battery life, but if you compare the Venu to the Apple watch, it is still a solid performer. The Venu promises 8-day battery life in smartwatch mode, which is much better than the 24 hours Apple Watch, and 6 hours of battery with GPS mode.
Pros
- Beautiful AMOLED display
- Accurate GPS and heart rate
- Useful breathing and respiration tools
- Decent battery life
Cons
- The touchscreen should be more responsive
Face-to-Face: Garmin Venu vs Vivoactive 4
Design
At first glance, both smartwatches look very similar. They have the same circular type bezel, and their size is almost identical.
The design of your smartwatch is essential. After all, you will be using it day and night, so you have to choose something comfortable.
The good thing is, both of these smartwatches are very comfortable. However, the Venu is slightly lighter and thinner, so it fits on your wrist just right.
The Vivoactive 4 comes in two different sizes, a 40mm, and the larger 45mm bezel, whereas the Venu comes sort of in the middle with a 43mm bezel size. They are all good sizes, and you just have to choose the one you prefer the most.
There are also a couple of color options for both smartwatches. The Venu comes in four color options, and the Vivoactive 4 comes in six color options.
As you would expect from Garmin, both smartwatches are 5ATM waterproof, which means they can go deep up to 50 meters.
Winner: Tie
More: Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6: Which One To Pick?
Screen
One of the most significant differences between these two watches is the display. As we mentioned, Vivo has a new and improved AMOLED touchscreen display, which looks amazing. On the other hand, the Vivoactive 4 has an old-fashioned LCD display, which is decent, but not as good as the AMOLED display.
AMOLED displays offer a brighter and deeper color contrast. The colors look very vibrant, even at direct sunlight.
However, the transflective display on the Vivoactive 4 is also quite improved. They have richer and deeper colors than previous versions, and it doesn’t consume as much battery as the AMOLED display.
Winner: Garmin Venu
Tracking Features
If you are buying a Garmin watch, you should expect the best and most accurate fitness and health tracking watch on the market. They both are equipped with various tracking modes such as cycling, running, golf, swimming or running.
Both have built-in GPS and a heart rate monitor. Amazingly, the sleep tracking works perfectly. Plus, it combines with the pulse oximeter sensor to unlock even further sleep insights.
If you are physically active, you’ll love the new animated workouts that you can view on your watch. This feature allows you to follow pre-built workouts or create custom ones like pilates, strength, or cardio.
Winner: Tie
More: Fitbit Charge 4 vs Fitbit Charge 3: Does It Worth the Upgrade?
Smartwatch Features
Of course, you are not buying a premium smartwatch only for the tracking features. Both of these watches are compatible with iPhones and Android so you can respond to notifications directly on your smartwatch.
Additionally, you’ll have the option for contactless payment with Garmin pay and built-in music storage for up to 500 songs. You can also control your music by connecting with Spotify or Deezer through your smartwatch.
Garmin also offers an app store where you can download additional apps like weather, or specialized workouts, but the choice is very limited. We just have to wait until they’ve built a large enough portfolio of apps.
Winner: Tie
More: Garmin Vivoactive 3 vs 4: Does It Worth to Upgrade?
Battery Life
One of the most important things to consider before buying a smartwatch is battery life. Considering that the Venu has an AMOLED display, it still offers a decent five days of battery in smartwatch mode and up to six hours with GPS enabled.
On the other hand, the Vivoactive 4 has an amazing battery life up to eight days in smartwatch mode and up to 18 hours when GPS is enabled.
Winner: Vivoactive 4
Stand Out Features of the Garmin Vivoactive 4
Different Versions
The Vivoactive 4 comes in many different versions, all made in a different way or has some additional features. There are options available such as Vivoactive 4S, that offer some improved things.
They are all with different screens, so there choosing the right for you is much easier.
Garmin decided to separate smartwatches in different classes, which is a smart thing to do. This allows you to have bigger internal memory if you go with the pro version or titanium bezel material for the 4X version.
More: Fitbit Versa 2 vs Charge 4: Which One Should You Buy?
Impressive Battery Life
Most smartwatches, especially big brands like Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch, can last up to 24 hours between charges. However, that is not the case with the Vivoactive 4. Its battery life can outlast many of its competitors.
Stand Out Features of the Garmin Venu?
AMOLED Display
There is nothing better than having a smartwatch with an AMOLED display. The colors are much more vibrant, and the blacks are very dark. Additionally, AMOLED displays have a bigger resolution, so all animations look much sharper.
It truly makes an enormous difference, especially when you are exercising and things get blurry.
Comfortability
Since you are going to wear your smartwatch every day, choosing the most comfortable option makes a great bit of difference. Fortunately, the Venu is a very light smartwatch with a thin bezel, making it great for exercising, and once you get used to it, you wouldn’t feel the Venu on your hand.
More: Garmin Fenix 5 or Fenix 5 Plus – Which One to Choose and Why?
Battery Life
The trouble with an OLED display is that it drains the battery much faster than an LCD display. That’s why most companies avoid putting OLED displays. However, even though the Venu has a slightly lower battery life than the Vivoactive 4, it still has a far greater battery life than most of its OLED screen competitors.
Which is Better, Garmin Vivoactive 4, or Venu?
Choose the Garmin Vivoactive 4 if:
- You want better battery life.
- You want a bigger bezel option.
- You are comfortable with an LCD display.
- You want a touchscreen.
Choose the Garmin Venu if:
- You want an AMOLED display.
- You want a more comfortable smartwatch.
- You want a more modern smartwatch.
- You want a better-looking smartwatch.
Although both of these watches look very similar, there are some critical design and usability differences that we covered in this review. If you are looking for the perfect smartwatch capable of tracking everything you’ll ever need, make sure you check out both of these products.
