Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Venu 2

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.

Garmin Venu 2 Plus smartwatch

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 specificationsVenu 2 PlusVenu 2
Display lensCorning Gorilla Glass 3Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Display size1.3″ or 33 mm1.3″ or 33 mm
Display typeAMOLEDAMOLED
Display resolution416 x 416 pixels416 x 416 pixels
Pixel density453 ppi453 ppi
Color displayYesYes
TouchscreenYesYes
LED FlashlightNoNo
Ambient light sensorYesYes

There are no differences in the display specifications of Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 smartwatches.

You will get the same display experience on both watches.

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.

SpecificationsVenu 2 PlusVenu 2
Watch size43.6 x 43.6 x 12.6 mm45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm
Thickness12.6 mm12.2 mm
Watch weight51 g49 g
Watch bodyFiber-enforced polymer with steel rear coverFiber-enforced polymer
BezelStainless steelStainless steel
Band size20 mm22 mm
Band materialSiliconeSilicone
Recommended wrist circumference125-190 mm135-200 mm
Device storage8 GB8 GB
Water rating5 ATM (50 Meters)5 ATM (50 Meters)
Swimming profilePool swimmingPool swimming
NFC PaymentsGarmin PayGarmin Pay
AccelerometerYesYes
GyroscopeYesYes
Barometric altimeterYesYes
CompassYesYes
ThermometerYes (tempe sensor needed)Yes (tempe sensor needed)
Garmin Elevate Heart SensorYesYes
PulseOx SpO2 sensorYesYes
GPS networksGPS, GLONASS, GalileoGPS, GLONASS, Galileo
Multi-band GPSNoNo
SatIQ technologyNoNo
Wireless ConnectivityBluetooth, ANT+, Wi-FiBluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi
In-built speakerYesNo
In-built microphoneYesNo
ChargerGarmin wire chargerGarmin wire charger

The device specifications for Venu 2 Plus and Venu 2 edition of smartwatches are the same to a large extent.

Venu 2 Plus has in-built speaker and microphone that helps in facilitating Bluetooth calling.

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 modeVenu 2 Plus backupVenu 2 backup
Smartwatch modeUp to 9 daysUp to 11 days
GPS mode without musicUp to 24 hoursUp to 22 hours
GPS mode with musicUp to 8 hoursUp to 8 hours
Battery saver modeUp to 10 daysUp to 12 days

The physical size of the Venu 2 is slightly bigger than the Venu 2 Plus smartwatch. Expectedly, therefore, the Venu 2 smartwatch offers slightly better battery backup than the Venu 2 Plus smartwatch.

Garmin Venu 2

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.

We consider Bluetooth calling and voice assistance support of Venu 2 Plus to be a significant advancement. It is well worth your additional money.

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.

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