Garmin Venu Sq 2Music edition is a very capable lifestyle smartwatch. Fitbit Versa 4 continues to be a budget-friendly smartwatch.
We look at a detailed comparison between Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch and Fitbit Versa 4 below.
Main differences
The main differences between Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music and Fitbit Versa 4 are shared below:
- Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch is costlier than Fitbit Versa 4 by $100.
- Venu Sq 2 Music can work with Android 7 or higher Android OS versions. On a similar note, Venu Sq 2 is compatible with iOS 15 or higher version devices. Fitbit Versa 4 is compatible with Android 9 or higher version Android devices. For Apple devices, Fitbit Versa 4 can work with iOS 15 or higher devices.
- Venu Sq 2 Music supports GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo networks. Fitbit Versa 4 supports GPS and GLONASS only. Read more about the missing Galileo network and its impact on GPS performance in Versa 4.
- Venu Sq 2 Music can work on ANT+, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi wireless connectivity. Fitbit Versa 4 can only do Bluetooth connectivity. Wi-Fi is not enabled on the device.
- Venu Sq 2 Music offers higher battery backup than Versa 4. The backup on Venu Sq 2 Music is double the backup offered by Fitbit Versa 4.
- Venu Sq 2 has two tactile buttons (very sturdy button quality) on the right side of the watch. These help in performing basic smartwatch functions through the buttons. Fitbit Versa 4 has a side button on the left side of the watch.
- Venu Sq 2 Music does not have an in-built speaker or microphone. Fitbit Versa 4 does have an in-built speaker and microphone. You can make or answer calls on a Versa 4 directly from the watch.
- Versa 4 does not have a fall detection feature. There is no information about the feature availability in the near future. Venu Sq 2 Music offers the standard Garmin incident detection feature.
- Venu Sq 2 Music offers full music functionality. Versa 4 does not have any music feature or capability.
- Venu Sq 2 Music is manufactured in Taiwan while Versa 4 is manufactured in Vietnam.
Let us look at these differences and the main features of Venu Sq 2 and Versa 4 below.
Display specifications
Venu Sq 2 Music uses the third-generation Corning Gorilla Glass. This is one of the best contemporary display lenses available for wearables.
Fitbit Versa 4 does not share the display lens information publicly. So, it is unclear if Versa 4 uses Corning Gorilla Glass in the lens.
Apart from this, both smartwatches use the AMOLED display. A side-by-side comparison of the Venu Sq 2 Music and Fitbit Versa 4 is given here under.
| Display specifications | Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music | Fitbit Versa 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Display lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | No information |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Display shape | Box or Square | Box or Square |
| Display size | 1.4″ or 36 mm | 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 Music uses a branded display lens in Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Not much is known about the display lens used in Fitbit Versa 4.
Physical specifications
Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music and Fitbit Versa 4 use aluminum in the body of the watch. We look at the main hardware specifications of Venu Sq 2 Music and Versa 4 in a side-by-side comparison below.
| Physical specifications | Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music | Fitbit Versa 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 40 g |
| Thickness | 11.1 mm | 11 mm |
| Band size | 20 mm | Small and Large bands |
| Band material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Watch body | Fiber-enforced polymer | Aluminum |
| Bezel | Aluminum | 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 |
Venu Sq 2 Music offers device storage of 4 GB for offline music storage. Fitbit Versa 4 has limited device storage that is used to store activity data for 7 days only.
GPS
Venu Sq 2 Music Edition smartwatch supports GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo networks. Venu Sq 2 Music and other Garmin watches offer reliable GPS connectivity.
Fitbit Versa 4 offers GPS support for GPS and GLONASS networks. It does not support the Galileo network.
Galileo network offers reliable GPS connectivity within Europe. The Galileo satellite network is owned and managed by the European Space Agency. Galileo network improves GPS performance for the Europe region.
Venu Sq 2 Music offers diverse GPS connectivity options and has more reliable GPS performance than Versa 4. If GPS performance is of significance to your cause, go for the Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch.
Music Features
Fitbit Versa 4 does not offer music capability. Use forums on the Fitbit website are inundated with feedback about the missing music feature on the Versa 4 watch.
Venu Sq 2 Music edition offers full music coverage. The full music capability includes the following:
- You can store music on the Venu Sq 2 Music edition watch as it comes with 4 GB device storage.
- You can play music on the watch directly from the interface of Venu Sq 2 Music.
- Venu Sq 2 Music can be used to control and play music on the paired smartphone.
Music stream apps like Spotify can be downloaded from the Connect IQ store. If you have a valid subscription to the music streaming apps, you can play music using Spotify or Deezer directly.
Venu Sq 2 Music offers full music features while the Versa 4 lacks music functionality.
Wireless Connectivity
Venu Sq 2 Music smartwatch offers full-fledged wireless connectivity. Venu Sq 2 Music can connect using the wireless connectivity options of ANT+, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.
Fitbit Versa 4 can only connect over the Bluetooth network. It does not support ANT+. Wi-Fi is not enabled on the device.
Sensors
Both watches have almost an identical set of sensors on the watch. A list of sensors on Venu Sq 2 Music and Versa 4 is shared for ready reference below.
| Sensors | Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music | Fitbit Versa 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | No | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | No |
| Gyroscope | No | No |
| Thermometer | Yes (tempe sensor needed for taking temperature readings) | No |
| Heart rate sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygenation sensor | Yes | Yes |
Versa 4 has an altimeter while the Venu Sq 2 Music has a thermometer. However, you will a tempe sensor to work with Venu Sq 2 Music. Tempe sensor comes for an additional cost of $39.99.
Health Features
In terms of health monitoring features of Venu Sq 2 Music and Versa 4, you will not find much of a difference. The table below compares the health features of Venu Sq 2 Music and Versa 4.
| Health monitoring | Venu Sq 2 Music | Fitbit Versa 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Resting Heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate variability (HRV) | No | Yes |
| Breathing 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 | Yes | Yes (in Fitbit Premium) |
| Temperature readings | Yes (tempe sensor needed) | No |
| Blood Glucose Tracking | No | Yes (in Fitbit Premium) |
| Women Health | Yes | Yes |
| Body stress scores | Body Battery | Daily Readiness Score (in Fitbit Premium) |
Versa 4 does offer some good health features in Fitbit Premium. Fitbit Premium entails an additional expense of $79.99 a year or $9.99 a month.
Some of these premium features include blood glucose tracking, Stress Score, Health Dashboard, and the Daily Readiness Score for monitoring your energy levels.
If you add the amount of a Fitbit Premium subscription to the total cost of ownership for Versa 4, you are suddenly looking at an incremental expense and elevated cost of ownership.
Plus, I am not a very big fan of incremental expenses in augmenting the features on a smartwatch.
Venu Sq 2 Music offers a simple and straightforward set of health monitoring features. Versa 4 does go over an above what Venu Sq2 Music offers. But, you need to set aside an annual amount to avail these features in Fitbit Premium subscription services.
Battery
Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch offers almost double the battery backup of Fitbit Versa 4.
The biggest positive about Garmin watches is the battery’s quality. Overall, you can easily expect the battery of a Garmin to last for 3 to 4 years with regular watch usage.
Versa 4 comes with 6 days of battery life on non-GPS usage. If you switch on the GPS, the battery drains very fast on the Versa 4.
Venu Sq 2 Music has a battery life of 11 days in the smartwatch mode. The smartwatch mode is akin to the normal operation mode of Fitbit Versa 4. On the GPS mode, a Venu Sq 2 Music can last for up to 26 hours.
A Fitbit Versa 4 smartwatch does not match the battery backup offered by Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch.
Cost
Venu Sq 2 Music edition smartwatch comes at a list price of $299.99 while the Fitbit Versa 4 costs $198.95.
Final verdict
I am more partial to the Garmin smartwatches’ overall quality. For an additional expense of $100 on Venu Sq 2 Music, I am happy to get:
- Full music functionality
- Support for Galileo GPS network, especially for European coverage
- Better battery life
- ANT+ and Wi-Fi wireless connectivity
- Incident detection feature to detect hard fall
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