Intro
Garmin has been the go-to model for sports activities watches within the final decade and its Garmin Venu 3 mannequin is the closest the corporate will get to a smartwatch, with assist for a voice assistant, routing calls by the watch and so forth.
The Garmin Venu 3 has improved performance, however it nonetheless runs on the proprietary Garmin working system, so you continue to haven’t got an app retailer, watchfaces do not look practically pretty much as good and lack performance, so it’s positively restricted.
Nonetheless, on the identical time, the Venu 3 has a fantastic OLED display, it feels quick to make use of, and you’ve got a number of different smartwatch-like options. For probably the most half, it feels like a smartwatch!
So do you have to get it? Or is it higher to purchase the Apple Watch? We evaluate the Garmin Venu 3 towards the Apple Watch Collection 10, telling you about all of the variations.
Garmin Venu 3 vs Apple Watch Collection 10 variations:
- Each are available in a small and bigger measurement variations
- Each have OLED screens
- Spherical design on Venu 3, whereas Apple Watch is rectangle
- Each have single-band GPS
- Help for SpO2, ECG, Pores and skin temp on each (Garmin want an replace to allow a few of these)
- Garmin has roughly 5-day battery life with display on, Apple Watch solely lasts someday to day and a half
- Comparable value, the Garmin is barely costlier
Desk of Contents:
Design & Sizes
Are you a spherical watch or a sq. watch individual?
The Garmin has a spherical physique, the Apple Watch is a rectangle (Picture by PhoneArena)
We’re glad that each the Garmin Venu 3 and Apple Watch Collection 10 can be found in two sizes: a 41mm S-sized mannequin (Garmin calls it the Venu 3S), and an even bigger 45mm model (Venu 3), and you’ve got barely greater sizes on the Apple Watch at 42mm and 46mm.
Which measurement do you have to go for? Usually, in the event you wrist measurement is 170mm or much less, it is sensible to contemplate the smaller mannequin, whereas individuals with greater wrists would normally go for the bigger measurement.
Let’s deal with the elephant within the room: the Venu 3 is spherical, the Apple Watch is a rectangle! Which one is healthier? Nicely, everybody has their very own opinion, so this actually boils down to non-public desire. Decide the one you want higher, and don’t be concerned about others opinions right here.
As for construct high quality: each have the same water resistance ranking, and you should utilize them for swimming. Nonetheless, the Apple Watch now additionally helps diving at depths of as much as 6M, which is a bonus, and you should utilize it for snorkeling actions.
One downsides of the Venu 3 is that it’s fabricated from plastic and feels and appears a bit low-cost. This is likely to be a shock contemplating you pay extra for it, however that is the best way issues are.
Plastic doesn’t really feel premium, however it has one benefit: it weighs a bit much less, however the Collection 10 additionally will get a lowered weight, so the hole will not be large.
Lastly, by way of buttons, you’ve gotten three buttons on the correct facet of the Garmin, whereas the Apple Watch has the digital crown and one different button beneath it.
Bands
Spring bars on the Garmin, Apple’s personal system on the Apple Watch
Apple Watch on prime, Garmin on the underside (Picture by PhoneArena)
The Venu 3 makes use of common spring bar bands in a measurement of 22mm (for the Venu 3) and 18mm (for the Venu 3S). The Collection 10, however, makes use of Apple’s proprietary band swap system, the place you press a button and slide the band sideways to alter it.
It is positively a bit simpler to swap bands on the Apple Watch, however the good previous system that Garmin makes use of can be not too unhealthy.
As for the default bands, the Garmin arrives with a sport band with straightforward of adjustment and one which feels smooth and cozy for extended put on. On the Apple Watch, you possibly can select a band when buying, so you aren’t restricted to only one. The game loop band can be very smooth and cozy, however we discover changes a bit tougher.
Software program & Options
Apple is gentle years forward with software program!
The Apple Watch is less complicated to function and has prettier graphics (Picture by PhoneArena)
Let’s begin with this: the Apple Watch interface and software program feels a lot, way more refined and succesful than the Garmin one. There isn’t any contest!
The Apple Watch seems to be next-level by way of graphics and refinement, and additionally it is completely clean, whereas on the Garmin you do discover a little bit of a stutter each infrequently.
Coronary heart Fee Accuracy
Each have correct coronary heart fee sensing, however the Apple Watch is a bit forward (Picture by PhoneArena)
The Venu 3 has Garmin’s lastest Elevate Gen 5 sensor, the identical one as on the premium Fenix 8 sequence, however is it pretty much as good because the Apple Watch?
In my testing, the 2 have been actually shut more often than not, with some slight variations seen with extra vigorous actions, like outside bike driving, which is a problem for watches because the watch strikes round shortly and unpredictably.
Sleep Monitoring Accuracy
Each the Garmin and the Apple Watch hold monitor of while you fell asleep, while you awoke, and the way a lot time you spent in every of the sleep levels: deep sleep, gentle / core sleep, and REM sleep.
The Garmin app, nonetheless, offers a bit extra context, telling you the way your sleep levels evaluate to suggestions, whereas you do not get that piece of data on the Apple Watch.
Scientific measurements from varied testers present that the Apple Watch has extra correct sleep monitoring estimations, whereas Garmin watches aren’t fairly pretty much as good, however nonetheless fairly shut. To be extra particular, when measuring REM sleep, the Garmin is a bit much less exact. However within the few nights the place we wore each the Venu 3 and Apple Watch Collection 10 to mattress the outcomes have been very shut.
GPS Accuracy
Regardless of each these watches providing single L1 band GPS, each present wonderful accuracy. Except your run in a really dense city space like Manhattan (the place you do want dual-band GPS), you will note pretty correct GPS information from each these watches.
Battery and Charging
Garmin wins by a mile
Garmin advertizes you possibly can stand up to 14 days on a single cost on the Venu 3, whereas Apple Watch battery life is simply… 18 hours!
In our real-world testing, with one exercise a day and the always-on perform enabled, the Venu 3S we had lasted round 5 days between costs, whereas on the Apple Watch we needed to recharge each single day, far more annoying.
This alone is an enormous motive why Garmin continues to be so fashionable, many individuals simply do not need to fear about charging one more system.
However the Collection 10 treatments this somewhat bit with a a lot sooner charging expertise, as now you can get a day’s value of cost in simply 30 mintues. The Garmin costs fairly shortly as properly, however simply not as quick.
Additionally, the Venu 3 makes use of its personal proprietary cable, so it’s a wired connection that it’s a must to plug in, whereas the Apple Watch makes use of a magnetic charger, which is a better course of.
In terms of the fashions, Garmin watches aren’t accessible with mobile connectivity, so they’re extra dependent in your telephone connection, whereas with Apple Watches you may get the mobile model and exit on a hike or a run with out your telephone, and nonetheless get notifications and calls.
As for costs, you will discover them proper beneath:
- Garmin Venu 3 / Venu 3S: $450
- Apple Watch Collection 10 Aluminum 42mm / 46mm: $400 / $430, add $100 on prime of that for Mobile connectivity
- Apple Watch Collection 10 Titanium 42mm / 46mm: $700 / $750 (all fashions have Mobile connectivity)
Voice Calls and Haptics
With a microphone and speaker on board, you possibly can take and place calls by way of the Garmin Venu 3, which is good.
In fact, you’ve gotten had this performance on the Apple Look ahead to years.
As for haptics, although, the vibration motor on the Apple Watch feels extra refined and sharper.
Specs
Beneath, you possibly can see a short overview of the Garmin Venu 3 vs Apple Watch Collection 10 specs:
| Specs | Garmin Venu 3 | Apple Watch Collection 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Fashions (Measurement, Weight, Costs) | Venu 3: 45mm, 1.4-inch display, 30g weight Venu 3S: 41mm, 1.2-inch display, 27g Gorilla Glass 3 – Steel bezel, plastic physique |
46mm, 36.4g aluminum, 41.7g titanium 42mm, 30g aluminum, 34.4g titanium Ion-X glass (aluminum) Sapphire (chrome steel) Steel and glass physique |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Processor, RAM, Storage | Unknown 8GB storage |
Apple S10 SiP 64GB storage |
| Software program | Garmin proprietary OS | watchOS 11 |
| Battery and Charging | 14 days in smartwatch mode – Venu 3 10 days in smartwatch mode – Venu 3S Proprietary Garmin cable |
18-hour battery life for each fashions
327 mAh for 46mm |
| Sensors | Garmin Elevate V5 (Gen5) | Apple Watch sensor |
| New options | Nap detection Improved GPS accuracy Wheelchair mode |
Double Faucet Brighter display, higher viewing angles |
Abstract
If you’re into sports activities and worth battery life, the Garmin continues to be the best way to go, however for all the pieces else the Apple Watch feels superior (Picture by PhoneArena)
With the Garmin Venu 3 you possibly can overlook in regards to the nuisance of each day charging and with average use, you possibly can count on to cost it about as soon as per week. And also you get that incredible battery life with a vibrant OLED display on board too. There’s a bit much less refinement although: watchfaces aren’t as fairly, the efficiency is only a beat slower and so forth.
Nonetheless, if you would like a real smartwatch with watchfaces that provide problems, a quick and delightful person interface, excellent integration with iPhones, and varied apps, the Apple Watch Collection 10 definitely has the higher hand.
So, decide what you worth extra and get the watch that excels in that space. So… which staff are you on, staff Garmin or staff Apple?
