Let’s take a closer look at Garmin’s latest fitness-oriented smartwatches: the Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3. These watches are designed to cater to fitness enthusiasts and those seeking to stay connected in their daily lives. Despite their different names, they share many similar features but also come with their unique attributes.
In this review, we’ll explore their design, features, and functionalities to help you decide which one suits your needs best.
So, whether you’re a fitness fanatic or someone who values staying connected on the go, join us as we delve into the world of the Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3 smartwatches.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3 Specification
| Feature | Garmin Vivoactive 5 | Garmin Venu 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 380 x 380 pixels | 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 454 x 454 pixels |
| Case Size | 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm | 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm |
| Case Material | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Fiber-reinforced polymer with stainless steel bezel |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Sensors | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate, Barometric altimeter |
| Battery Life | Up to 8 days in smartwatch mode | Up to 11 days in smartwatch mode |
| Health Monitoring | Wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery, Pulse Ox | Wrist-based heart rate, Body Battery, Pulse Ox |
| Activity Tracking | Step counter, Floors climbed, Calories burned | Step counter, Floors climbed, Calories burned |
| Sleep Monitoring | Advanced sleep tracking, Sleep Score, Sleep stages | Advanced sleep tracking, Sleep Score, Sleep stages |
| Workout Modes | Preloaded sports apps including running, cycling, swimming, golf | Preloaded sports apps including running, cycling, swimming, golf |
| Display Customization | Watch face options, widgets customization | Watch face options, widgets customization |
| Smartphone Compatibility | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Voice Assistant | Yes (compatibility varies by device and operating system) | Yes (compatibility varies by device and operating system) |
| Music Playback | Yes (with compatible Bluetooth headphones) | Yes (with compatible Bluetooth headphones) |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Read Review :- Garmin Venu 3 Review
Read Review :-
Garmin Venu 3 Best Values
Garmin Vivoactive 5 Best Over all
Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3 Design and Construction
In terms of construction, both the Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 prioritize a lightweight and user-friendly experience. Their cores are comprised of a polymer material, ensuring a comfortable fit for extended wear.
However, they diverge in their aesthetic approach through the use of distinct bezel materials. The Venu 3 boasts a stainless steel bezel, lending it a classic and subtly textured look, while the Vivoactive 5 opts for a lighter aluminium bezel.
When it comes to band compatibility, there’s some variation depending on the specific model. The 45mm Venu 3 adheres to the industry-standard 22mm band size, while the more compact Venu 3S utilizes 18mm bands. The Vivoactive 5 occupies a middle ground with its 20mm bands.
Durability remains a priority for both smartwatches. They are equipped with robust Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to safeguard the displays and hold a 5 ATM water resistance rating.
It makes them ideal companions for activities like showering, poolside workouts, and even open-water swims. However, for deeper diving excursions, a more specialized timepiece would be recommended.
Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3 Display and User Interface
The Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 prioritize user experience with high-quality AMOLED displays. The Venu 3 boasts a larger 1.4-inch display featuring a crisp 454 x 454-pixel resolution, ideal for users who value ample screen real estate.
The Vivoactive 5 and the more compact Venu 3S utilize a slightly smaller 1.2-inch display with a resolution of 380 x 380 pixels, delivering a clear and responsive viewing experience.
All three models incorporate capacitive touchscreens for intuitive navigation and interaction with on-screen elements.
Swiping up or down from the watch face provides easy access to a customizable selection of widgets showcasing pertinent health metrics such as heart rate, step count, and calorie expenditure.
A dedicated swipe gesture to the right allows users to configure quick access to frequently used applications or preferred widgets. Notably, compatibility with social networking applications like Tinder was not observed in the reviewed materials.
An optional always-on display mode is available on all the smartwatches. In its default state, the display powers down to conserve battery life when not actively engaged.
However, raising your wrist, tapping the screen, or pressing a button reawakens the display. The always-on mode offers a convenient way to view the watch face at a glance, but it comes at the expense of increased battery consumption due to the dimmed display.
A more detailed exploration of battery life will be provided in a subsequent section. As a final note regarding displays, all models incorporate a new large font size option to cater to users who prefer magnified on-screen text.
Button Differences
The Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 offer distinct experiences through their button layouts.
The Vivoactive 5 utilizes a simpler two-button design, where the upper button initiates workouts, pauses/resumes them, and marks laps. The lower button serves for navigating back within the interface.
The Venu 3, on the other hand, boasts a three-button configuration. The upper and lower buttons share similar functions as the Vivoactive 5’s. However, the Venu 3 introduces a dedicated middle button.
A short press on this button brings up recently used apps or widgets for quick access. A long press activates the voice assistant based on your phone’s operating system (Siri for iPhone, Google Assistant or Bixby for Android).
This voice assistant functionality, along with the built-in microphone and speaker on the Venu 3, is a major differentiator. It allows for features like weather inquiries, phone calls on the watch itself (when connected via Bluetooth), and even a workaround for text message replies on iPhones.
While iPhone users can’t directly reply through on-screen keyboards or quick responses, the Venu 3’s voice assistant enables sending texts through voice commands.
It’s important to note that both smartwatches lack cellular connectivity and rely on Bluetooth pairing with your phone for functionalities like calls and text interactions.
Beyond button layouts, there are a couple of other minor distinctions. The Venu 3 offers double the storage (8GB) compared to the Vivoactive 5 (4GB) and the ability to play music through the watch’s built-in speaker (albeit with limited sound quality).
Other smartwatch features like Garmin Pay, offline music storage from streaming services, and displaying calendar events remain consistent across both models.
Garming Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3 Battery Life
Both the Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 boast impressive battery efficiency, capable of delivering multi-day usage on a single charge. T
ypical battery life ranges from 4 to 10 days, with the primary influencing factor being the always-on display function.
Enabling this feature reduces runtime to an estimated 4-5 days while deactivating it can extend battery life to over a week.
Additional aspects that can impact battery performance include:
- Display brightness settings.
- Utilization of the blood oxygen saturation sensor.
- The intensity and duration of tracked outdoor activities.
During real-world testing that incorporated an hour of daily outdoor activity, the always-on display, and sleep oxygen monitoring, battery life hovered around the 4-day mark.
The larger Venu 3 demonstrates a slight advantage in battery life compared to the Vivoactive 5 and the smaller Venu 3S.
However, the difference is relatively minor. Overall, both smartwatches provide exceptional battery performance, ensuring extended use between charging cycles.
Read also :- Which Garmin Running Smartwatch Is Best For You?
Health and Fitness tracking
Moving on to the health and activity tracking features, all of these devices can track your steps. They’ll monitor your heart rate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Additionally, they are equipped with SpO2 sensors for tracking blood oxygen saturation levels.
They can also track your resting heart rate and provide abnormal heart rate alerts. Furthermore, they can track your respiration rate and stress levels.
Moreover, all of these devices come with Garmin’s Health Snapshot feature, which consolidates various measurements, including heart rate, stress level, SpO2, and respiration rate.
One notable difference in terms of activity tracking is that Venue 3 can track floors climbed throughout the day due to its barometric altimeter, whereas vivoactive 5 lacks this sensor.
Furthermore, they all feature Garmin’s Body Battery, which assesses your current energy level based on factors such as sleep, stress levels, restful periods, and activity levels.
A new addition to both the vivoactive 5 and the venue 3 is specific Body Battery factors, which list out events that either drain or increase your body battery, such as sleep and workouts.
Additionally, they can now track naps, which are factored into your Body Battery assessment. This can be done automatically or manually through the controls menu.
Another new feature is the Sleep Coach, available on both the Garming Vivoactive 5 vs Venue 3. This feature provides personalized sleep recommendations based on factors like sleep quality, activities, heart rate variability, and nap duration.
Furthermore, all of these devices offer advanced sleep tracking, including monitoring time slept, providing a sleep score, and tracking sleep stages.
After waking up, they provide a Morning Report feature, offering information on sleep quality, body battery, HRV status, weather, and customizable data.
Lastly, around two hours before your scheduled sleep time, you receive a daily summary of your day’s activities, helping you to wind down and focus on recovery.
In summary, both the Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 offer comprehensive health and activity tracking features, allowing users to monitor various aspects of their physical and mental well-being with precision and accuracy.
Whether you prioritize heart health, stress management, or sleep optimization, these devices are equipped to support you on your journey towards better health and vitality.
Ultimately, the choice between the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 comes down to individual preferences and specific requirements, but rest assured, both devices are capable allies in your quest for a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3 Smart Features:
Beyond fitness and health tracking, smartwatches offer a range of additional features to enhance your daily life and streamline your routine. In this regard, both the Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3 offer a robust selection of smart features to keep you connected and productive throughout the day.
One of the most notable features of both smartwatches is their ability to receive notifications for calls, texts, emails, and app alerts directly on your wrist. This allows users to stay connected and informed without having to check their smartphones constantly.
Additionally, both devices offer built-in music playback, allowing users to stream music or podcasts directly from their wrists, making it easy to stay motivated during workouts or runs.
Another key smart feature of both smartwatches is contactless payment support, allowing users to make purchases using their watch at supported retailers.
Furthermore, both the Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3 offer advanced smart features such as built-in voice assistants, allowing users to perform tasks and access information using voice commands.
Whether you use Siri, Google Assistant, or Bixby, you can easily check the weather, set reminders, or send text messages without ever needing to reach for your smartphone.
In addition to voice assistants, both smartwatches offer a range of preloaded apps and widgets to help you stay organized and productive throughout the day. This includes calendar integration, weather updates, and even access to third-party apps and services via the Garmin Connect IQ™ store.
Whether you’re tracking your fitness goals, monitoring your sleep patterns, or managing your schedule, these smart features ensure that you have everything you need right at your fingertips.
One area where the Venu 3 stands out is its built-in microphone and speaker, which enable additional smart features such as phone calls directly from your wrist. Allows users to answer calls, make calls, or even respond to text messages using voice commands, providing added convenience and versatility.
Overall, whether you choose the Garmin Vivoactive 5 or Venu 3, both smartwatches offer a wide range of smart features to help you stay connected, organized, and productive throughout the day.
Whether you’re managing your schedule, staying in touch with friends and family, or streaming your favourite music, these smartwatches ensure that you have everything you need to make the most of every moment.
Conclusion
After diving into the details of Garmin’s Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3 smartwatches, it’s clear that both devices offer an impressive array of features tailored to fitness and everyday life. With robust fitness tracking capabilities, including heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, and advanced sleep tracking, these watches are ideal companions for those looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Additionally, the integration of smartwatch features such as smartphone notifications, contactless payments, and music playback adds convenience and versatility to these devices. Whether you’re hitting the gym, going for a run, or simply navigating your daily routine, the Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3 have you covered.
While both watches share many similarities, they also have their own unique characteristics. The Vivoactive 5, with its sleek design and compact size, appeals to users looking for a more minimalist aesthetic. On the other hand, the Venu 3 offers a larger display and additional smart features like voice assistant support, making it a great choice for those who prioritize functionality.
Ultimately, the choice between the Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3 comes down to personal preferences and specific needs. Whether you opt for the Vivoactive 5’s simplicity or the Venu 3’s advanced features, you can trust that both watches will help you achieve your fitness goals and stay connected throughout your day. So, whichever path you choose, rest assured that Garmin’s smartwatches have you covered every step of the way.
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