Venu 2 Plus is a newer variant in the Venu 2 series of Garmin smartwatches. So many people are on the lookout for picking Venu 2 Plus or Venu 2 as a smartwatch.
Which of these two smartwatches would you buy? Venu 2 Plus or the older variant of Venu 2. We look at some significant decision points to help you pick the one that serves you well.
Main differences
The main differences between Garmin Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 smartwatches are shared below:
- Venu 2 is cheaper than Venu 2 Plus by $50.
- Venu 2 Plus comes with an in-built speaker and microphone.
- Venu 2 Plus supports Bluetooth calling through the watch.
- Venu 2 Plus comes with a 20 mm silicone band while Venu 2 comes with a 22 mm silicone band.
- Venu 2 Plus has a stainless steel rear cover while the Venu 2 is completely made of fiber-enforced polymer.
- Venu 2 Plus is slightly smaller than the Venu 2 in terms of physical size.
- Venu 2 Plus has additional color options available.
- Venu 2 has an almost 20% higher battery backup than Venu 2 Plus smartwatch. The bigger size of the Venu 2 does make this possible.
As you can see, there are not too many differences. The core stack of features remains unchanged between the Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 smartwatch.
We look at these features in detail below. Besides these differences, we also talk about the various capabilities of both watches.
Display
Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 share display attributes to a great extent.
Both watches come with the 3rd generation Corning Gorilla Glass on the display screen.
Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 use AMOLED display technology. This leads to a better display resolution and full support for the Always-on-display or AOD mode.
We look at the various display functions and features of Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 below.
Display specifications | Venu 2 Plus | Venu 2 |
---|---|---|
Display lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
Display size | 1.3″ or 33 mm | 1.3″ or 33 mm |
Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
Display resolution | 416 x 416 pixels | 416 x 416 pixels |
Pixel density | 453 ppi | 453 ppi |
Color display | Yes | Yes |
Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
LED Flashlight | No | No |
Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
Physical specifications
Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 smartwatches share most of their hardware attributes and specifications. There are hardly any differences in the hardware of both watches.
We look at the main physical specifications of both watches. This should help you understand the Venu 2 series more closely.
Specifications | Venu 2 Plus | Venu 2 |
---|---|---|
Watch size | 43.6 x 43.6 x 12.6 mm | 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm |
Thickness | 12.6 mm | 12.2 mm |
Watch weight | 51 g | 49 g |
Watch body | Fiber-enforced polymer with steel rear cover | Fiber-enforced polymer |
Bezel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
Band size | 20 mm | 22 mm |
Band material | Silicone | Silicone |
Recommended wrist circumference | 125-190 mm | 135-200 mm |
Device storage | 8 GB | 8 GB |
Water rating | 5 ATM (50 Meters) | 5 ATM (50 Meters) |
Swimming profile | Pool swimming | Pool swimming |
NFC Payments | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes |
Compass | Yes | Yes |
Thermometer | Yes (tempe sensor needed) | Yes (tempe sensor needed) |
Garmin Elevate Heart Sensor | Yes | Yes |
PulseOx SpO2 sensor | Yes | Yes |
GPS networks | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
Multi-band GPS | No | No |
SatIQ technology | No | No |
Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi |
In-built speaker | Yes | No |
In-built microphone | Yes | No |
Charger | Garmin wire charger | Garmin wire charger |
The device specifications for Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 edition of smartwatches are the same to a large extent.
One thing you may want to note is that the thermometer sensor will require you to connect a tempe sensor for taking temperature readings. The tempe sensor is an additional expense of $39.99.
Battery
There is not a very significant difference in battery backup offered by the Venu 2 Plus or Venu 2 series smartwatches. Albeit, Venu 2 offers an incremental battery backup of almost 20 percent over the Venu 2 Plus smartwatch.
We look at the battery backup provided by Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 smartwatches in different watch modes below.
Watch mode | Venu 2 Plus backup | Venu 2 backup |
---|---|---|
Smartwatch mode | Up to 9 days | Up to 11 days |
GPS mode without music | Up to 24 hours | Up to 22 hours |
GPS mode with music | Up to 8 hours | Up to 8 hours |
Battery saver mode | Up to 10 days | Up to 12 days |
Bluetooth calling and voice assistance
Bluetooth calling is an important feature of Venu 2 Plus. You can make or answer calls directly from your wrist. For this, you need to ensure that Bluetooth connectivity between the watch and paired smartphone is intact.
On a similar basis, Venu 2 Plus is compatible with Voice assistance support on the paired smartphone. This means that Venu 2 Plus can integrate with Siri, Bixby, and Google Assistant.
With this integration between the Venu 2 Plus smartwatch and voice assistance software, you can perform the following tasks:
- Start a phone call.
- Compose and respond to text messages.
- Ask your assistant questions.
- Control compatible smart home devices.
Bluetooth calling and voice assistance support is not available on the Venu 2 smartwatch series.
Final verdict
For an incremental expense of $50, I will buy the Venu 2 Plus smartwatch rather than the Venu 2 smartwatch. And, there are reasons that justify this decision.
- Venu 2 Plus is a newer variant
- Bluetooth calling
- Voice assistance support for Google Assistant, Siri, and Bixby is a nice feature.
If you do not intend to make use of Bluetooth calling or voice assistance integration, you may well choose the Venu 2 series smartwatch.
Suggested reading
You may also like to read more content about smartwatch comparisons below:
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Instinct 2
- Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical vs Instinct 2X Solar
- Garmin Forerunner 255 vs Instinct 2
- Garmin Instinct 2 Crossover vs Instinct 2
- Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Instinct 2
- Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Instinct 2X Solar
- Garmin Instinct 2X Solar vs Instinct 2
- Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Forerunner 945 LTE
- Garmin Epix 2 vs Forerunner 955 Solar
- Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Venu 2 Plus