Garmin Venu 3 is a newer variant. It was released in August 2023. Garmin Vivoactive has been around since September 2019 and is one of the highest selling Garmin smartwatches.
We look at Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 in detail below.
Main differences
The main differences between Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 have been defined below. We have listed the features that work in favor of either smartwatch.
Features that work in favor of Garmin Venu 3
- Garmin Venu 3 supports the Garmin ECG app.
- Venu 3 has an AMOLED display.
- Venu 3 has a much better display resolution (454 x 454 pixels ) than Vivoactive 4 (260 x 260 pixels)
- Venu 3 has a higher device (8 GB) or internal storage than Vivoactive 4 (200 hours of activity data)
- Venu 3 has an in-built speaker and microphone. You can make calls or answer calls using the Venu 3 watch directly.
- Garmin Venu 3 is the first Garmin smartwatch with wheelchair mode. It helps wheelchair users track pushes and workouts.
- Garmin Venu 3 is compatible with the Gameon app and supports gaming activity through the watch.
- Garmin Venu 3 supports open water swimming and pool swimming. Vivoactive 4 comes with pool swimming support.
- Garmin Venu 3 is compatible with the Garmin Golf app.
- Garmin Venu 3 has an ambient light sensor to alter the backlight based on surrounding light conditions.
Things that work in favor of Garmin Vivoactive 4
- Vivoactive 4 has been around since 2019. It is a tested and sturdy smartwatch product.
- Vivoactive 4 is cheaper than Venu 3 by $100.
We look at some of the features of Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 below.
Display specifications
Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 have the 3rd generation Corning Gorilla Glass in the display lens.
The essential difference between the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 lies in the display technology. Garmin Venu 3 uses an AMOLED display and Vivoactive 4 uses a MIP (Memory-in-pixel) screen.
Due to the AMOLED display, the display resolution of Venu 3 is higher than the display resolution of Vivoactive 4. Also, the always-on-display mode is supported on the Venu 3 smartwatch variant.
The generic display specifications of Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 are compared in a side-by-side comparison table below.
| Display specifications | Garmin Venu 3 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Display lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Display size | 36 mm or 1.4″ | 1.3″ or 33 mm |
| Color display | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Display resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | No |
| LED Flashlight | No | No |
Garmin Venu 3 also includes an ambient light sensor. This sensor is missing in the Vivoactive 4 smartwatch.
Physical specifications
Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 differ in thickness. Both watches have the same size of 45 mm.
The significant addition to Garmin Venu 3 is the built-in speaker and microphone. It allows you to make calls and answer calls directly from the smartwatch.
The device storage of Venu 3 is also higher than that of the Vivoactive 4.
We look at some essential physical specifications of Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 below.
| Physical specifications | Garmin Venu 3 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Watch size | 45 mm | 45 mm |
| Watch dimensions | 45 x 45 x 12 mm | 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm |
| Thickness | 12 mm | 12.8 mm |
| Watch weight | 47 g | 50 g |
| Band size | 22 mm | 22 mm |
| Recommended wrist circumference | 135-200 mm | 135-200 mm |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Device storage | 8 GB | 200 hours of activity data |
| NFC Payments | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Wireless connectivity | ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Pulse Ox Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate Heart Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes (tempe sensor needed) | Yes (tempe sensor needed) |
| In-built speaker | Yes | No |
| In-built microphone | Yes | No |
| Android compatibility | Android 7 or higher | Android 7 or higher |
| iOS compatibility | iOS 15 or higher | iOS 15 or higher |
GPS
Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 support GPS, GLONASS, and GALILEO satellite systems. However, both watches lack a multi-frequency positioning sensor.
So, multi-band GPS or dual-frequency GPS is not available in either smartwatch.
However, Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 offer reliable and accurate GPS performance.
Music
Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 support full music functionality. You could enjoy all the following music features on a Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4:
- You can control music on the paired smartphone from the watch
- You can store audio content on the watch storage
- You can manage audio on the watch storage using the watch interface
- You can download apps like Spotify and Deezer from the Connect IQ store. If you have a premium subscription to these apps, you can download music onto the watch for offline listening.
Activity profiles
Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 4 differ in terms of activity profiles. Each watch offers unique activity profiles shared below.
| Activity profile | Garmin Venu 3 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Outdoor recreation | Hiking, Indoor Climbing, Bouldering, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Snowshoeing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Tennis, Padel, Pickleball, Disc Golf | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing |
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking, eBiking, Handcycling, Indoor Handcycling | Biking, Indoor Biking |
ECG app
Garmin Venu 3 supports the Garmin ECG app. Garmin Vivoactive 4 does not have the Garmin ECG app.
Garmin ECG app received FDA approval earlier this year. It was subsequently added to the Garmin Venu 2 Plus.
It was widely expected that Garmin Venu 3 would get the ECG app. At the time of the launch, Garmin ECG app was not a part of the Venu 3 software. However, within weeks of the launch, the Garmin ECG app was made available on Venu 3 and Venu 3S smartwatches.
So, you could use a Venu 3 to detect irregular heart rhythms or conditions of Atrial Fibrillation. However, one must not rely on a smartwatch alone to detect underlying heart conditions. We strongly advocate seeking an expert opinion for the same.
Wheelchair mode
One of the significant new features of the Garmin Venu 3 is the wheelchair mode. Wheelchair mode has been designed to track the activities and workouts of wheelchair users. For example, Garmi Venu 3 is able to track pushes made by wheelchair users.
Garmin has also added wheelchair workouts to the Venu 3 smartwatch.
Costs
Garmin Venu 3 has been launched at a list price of $449.99. Garmin Vivoactive 4 is available for a list price of $349.99.
Variants
Garmin Venu 3 comes in two variants. There is a Garmin Venu 3 in 45 mm and a Venu 3S in 41 mm. Both variants are priced at $449.99.
On a similar basis, Garmin Vivoactive 4 comes in two variants. There is a Garmin Vivoactive 4 in 45 mm and Vivoactive 4S in 40 mm. Both variants are priced at $349.99.
Final verdict
For the additional price of $100 spent on Garmin Venu 3, it makes a compelling choice over the Vivoactive 4. The following reasons make us believe that Venu 3 is a better option:
- AMOLED display in Venu 3
- Support for the Garmin ECG app in Venu 3
- Higher storage in Venu 3
- In-built speaker and mic in Venu 3
- Ambient light sensor in Venu 3
These are the primary reasons that make us pick Venu 3 over the Vivoactive 4.
More Smartwatch Comparisons
You may like more smartwatch comparisons below:
- Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Venu 3
- Garmin Venu 3 Vs Venu 2 Plus
- Garmin Venu 3 vs Venu 3S
- Garmin Forerunner 745 vs Vivoactive 4
- Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Google Pixel Watch
- Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fitbit Sense 2
- Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fitbit Versa 4
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense 2
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Google Pixel Watch