Venu Sq 2 is Garmin’s second-generation Venu Square smartwatch. Fitbit Sense 2 is the second-generation Sense smartwatch. Both watches make for compelling choices.
Which of the two would you prefer and why? Let us have a look at the main differences and features of Garmin Venu Sq 2 and Fitbit Sense 2.
Main differences
The main differences between Garmin Venu Sq 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 are shared below:
- Venu Sq 2 is a basic smartwatch from Garmin. It is cheaper than Fitbit Sense 2 by $50.
- Venu Sq 2 supports GPS, GLONASS and Galileo networks while the Fitbit Sense 2 can only support GPS and GLONASS networks. Galileo network support is missing in Fitbit Sense 2.
- Fitbit Sense 2 comes with an ECG app while the Venu Sq 2 lacks an ECG feature.
- Venu Sq 2 supports ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity. Fitbit Sense 2 can only do Bluetooth connectivity. Both watches lack Wi-Fi connectivity. However, you can get a Venu Sq 2 Music edition by paying $50 more and get Wi-Fi connectivity as well.
- Venu Sq 2 has limited music functionality. Fitbit Sense 2 does not support music functionality. By upgrading Venu Sq 2 to Venu Sq 2 Music edition, you can get access to the full music functionality.
- Venu Sq 2 supports the incident detection feature or the fall detection feature. Fitbit Sense 2 does not have a fall detection feature.
Display specifications
Venu Sq 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 have a square display panel.
Venu Sq 2 uses 3rd generation Corning Gorilla Glass in the lens. Not much is known about the display lens make and quality of the Fitbit Sense 2.
Both watches support AMOLED display.
A side-by-side comparison of the display specifications of both watches is shared below for your ready reference.
| Display specifications | Garmin Venu Sq 2 | Fitbit Sense 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Display lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | No information |
| Display shape | Box or Square | Box or Square |
| Display type | AMOLED display | AMOLED display |
| Display size | 1.41″ (35.9 mm) diagonal | 1.58″ or 40 mm |
| Display resolution | 320 x 360 pixels | 336 x 336 pixels |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Color display | Yes | Yes |
| Always-on-display | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
Venu Sq 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 support AMOLED display. However, the display lens of Venu Sq 2 definitely looks better.
Physical specifications
Venu Sq 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 have aluminum bodies. In more ways than one, you will find that both watches look almost identical.
The physical specifications of Venu Sq 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 are shared below.
| Physical specifications | Garmin Venu Sq 2 | Fitbit Sense 2 |
|---|---|---|
| iOS compatible | iOS 15 and higher versions | iOS 15 and higher versions |
| Android compatible | Android 7 and higher versions | Android 9 and higher versions |
| Watch size | 40.6 x 37.0 x 11.1 mm | 40 x 41 x 11mm |
| Watch weight | 38 g | 46 g |
| Thickness | 11.1 mm | 11 mm |
| Band size | 20 mm | Small and Large bands |
| Bezel | Anodized Aluminum | Aluminum body with bezel-less design |
| Band material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Watch body | Fiber-enforced polymer | Aluminum |
| NFC or Contactless Payments | Garmin Pay | Fitbit Pay and Google Wallet |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM or 50 Meters | 5 ATM or 50 Meters |
| Device storage | 4 GB | 7 days of activity data |
| Speaker | No | Yes |
| Microphone | No | Yes |
You can notice that the Fitbit Sense 2 has an inbuilt speaker and microphone. You can make calls or answer calls directly from the watch.
The in-built speaker and microphone are missing in Venu Sq 2. So, the ability to make calls or answer calls from the smartwatch directly does not exist in a Venu Sq 2.
GPS
Fitbit Sense 2 supports GPS and GLONASS satellite networks for GPS connectivity. It does not support the Galileo GPS network.
The Galileo satellite network is owned and managed by the European Space Agency
It improves GPS reliability and accuracy throughout Europe.
The lack of Galileo connectivity in Fitbit Sense 2 is a drawback.
Venu Sq 2 offers full support for GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo GPS networks.
This makes Venu Sq 2 more reliable and accurate when it comes to GPS connectivity. This is so especially true for European connectivity.
If you use GPS regularly, we suggest picking up a Venu Sq 2 or Venu Sq 2 Music edition watch may be a better option than the Fitbit Sense 2.
Music
Venu Sq 2 has limited music functionality. You can control paired smartphone music using Venu Sq 2 smartwatch. It lacks the feature to store audio content on the watch.
If you need full music features, you can buy the Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch. BY paying an incremental amount of $50, you will get full music functionality that includes:
- Ability to store music on the watch
- Ability to play music for offline listening using the watch
- Ability to stream music from third-party providers like Spotify using Connect IQ apps and a premium subscription to the app
- Ability to control music on the paired smartphone
Fitbit Sense 2 does not have any music features.
For full music coverage, Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music edition is the right smartwatch. If you are happy with controlling the smartphone music, Venu Sq 2 will also be sufficient.
Fitbit Sense 2 does not offer any sort of music functionality.
Wireless Connectivity
Fitbit Sense 2 supports Bluetooth connectivity only. It lacks Wi-Fi and ANT+ wireless connectivity.
Venu Sq 2 supports Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity. It lacks Wi-Fi connectivity.
However, if you were to choose to upgrade to the Venu Sq 2 Music edition, you get access to ANT+, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity fully.
Wi-Fi connectivity is useful for streaming music or downloading music from third-party music sites. Also, Wi-Fi will come in handy while downloading the latest firmware updates for the smartwatch.
For ANT+, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity, go for the Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch. If you can manage without Wi-Fi connectivity, Venu Sq 2 is the ideal choice.
ECG app
Fitbit Sense 2 comes with an ECG app that can take on-demand electrocardiograms. These ECG readings or graphs can be shared with a medical practitioner to seek help.
The ECG app helps in detecting Afib or Atrial Fibrillation. The idea of using the ECG app in Fitbit Sense 2 is to ensure that you are aware of any irregular heart rhythm issues.
Venu Sq 2 does not have any ECG feature or connectivity.
Health monitoring
Venu Sq 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 have a decent health monitoring program. We look at the main health tracking features below.
| Health monitoring | Garmin Venu Sq 2 | Fitbit Sense 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Resting Heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| ECG app | No | Yes |
| cEDA Sensor for Stress tracking | No | Yes |
| Respiration rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygenation monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Stress monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Stress score | Yes | Yes (in Fitbit Premium) |
| Health Dashboard/Snapshot | Yes | Yes (in Fitbit Premium) |
| Temperature readings | Yes (using tempe sensor) | Yes |
| Blood Glucose Tracking | No | Yes (in Fitbit Premium) |
| Women Health | Yes | Yes |
| Body stress scores | Body Battery | Daily Readiness Score (in Fitbit Premium) |
| Hydration | Yes | No |
| Fitness Age | Yes | No |
Battery
The battery life of Venu Sq 2 is almost double the battery backup provided by Fitbit Sense 2.
Fitbit Sense 2 comes with a battery life of up to 6 days on full charge. The battery, however, will drain faster when you are using the watch in GPS mode.
Fitbit Sense 2 does support fast charging. In less than 2 hours, you can charge the battery fully. 12-minute charging can add a day’s worth of battery life to a Fitbit Sense 2.
In comparison with the Sense 2, Venu Sq 2 offers up to 11 days of battery life in the smartwatch mode. We list the battery backup offered by Venu Sq 2 in different watch modes below.
| Watch mode | Garmin Vivoactive 4 backup |
|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode | Up to 11 days |
| GPS-Only GNSS mode | Up to 26 hours |
| All-Systems GNSS mode | Up to 20 hours |
| Battery Saver mode | Up to 12 days |
Garmin Venu Sq 2 offers longer battery backup than the Fitbit Sense 2
Fall detection
Fall detection or incident detection is available in Venu Sq 2. Hard falls can be detected by the Venu Sq 2 during specific activities.
Once a fall is detected, Venu Sq 2 can send your GPS coordinates to the designated emergency contacts. This helps in providing your whereabouts to seek timely help.
Fitbit Sense 2 does not support fall detection.
Costs
Garmin Venu Sq 2 comes at a list price of $249.99 while the Venu Sq 2 Music edition costs $299.99. Fitbit Sense 2 also costs $299.99.
However, some significant health tracking features in Fitbit Sense 2 are available in the Fitbit Premium subscription.
Fitbit Premium costs $79.99 paid annually or $9.99 paid monthly.
If you factor in the Fitbit Premium costs, the costs of Fitbit Sense 2 escalate pretty quickly.
Garmin Venu Sq 2 and Venu Sq 2 Music edition watches come at a fixed cost without any incremental costs for operating the watch.
Final verdict
Choosing Garmin Venu Sq 2 or Fitbit Sense 2 will depend on the exact requirements. For someone looking to use the ECG app, Fitbit Sense 2 is the right option.
Garmin Venu Sq 2 is useful for the following reasons:
- Better GPS coverage and reliability
- Longer battery life
- Ability to manage music on the paired smartphone
- Fall detection
If you are looking at Venu Sq 2, we strongly suggest buying the Venu Sq 2 Music edition instead. It does involve an extra $50 cost. But, it adds Wi-Fi connectivity and full music features on the Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch.
Suggested smartwatch comparisons
You may like to read the following smartwatch comparisons below:
- Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fitbit Sense 2
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Fitbit Sense 2
- Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Fitbit Sense 2
- Fitbit Sense 2 vs Fitbit Versa 4
- Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fitbit Versa 4
- Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Versa 4
- Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music vs Fitbit Versa 4
- Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Fitbit Versa 4
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Vivoactive 4
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Venu 2
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Instinct 2
- Garmin Venu 2 vs Venu Sq 2