All the features I want to see

After an intensive assessment, Garmin’s Venu 3 earned Android Authority’s Editor’s Selection award and a whopping 4 and a half stars. In truth, I’ve been impressed by the Venu line again and again as Garmin continues to boost its prime smartwatch with each new launch. Whereas a brand-new era will not be imminent, a Venu 4 is probably going sooner or later, and there are a number of extra enhancements I’d like to see.

It’s laborious to complain about well being and health monitoring on the newest mannequin when Garmin loaded the Venu 3 with many instruments and options. I used to be thrilled to see extra exercise profiles and restoration instruments, particularly paired with the model’s dependable sensors. Nevertheless, there are all the time extra stats to digest on the subject of coaching. I hope the Venu 4 lands with a number of options lacking from its predecessor, together with triathlon and working observe modes. Likewise, Coaching Readiness could be very in style amongst devoted athletes however shouldn’t be at present out there on the Venu lineup.

In the meanwhile, the Garmin steady can appear a bit convoluted. Between the Venu and Vivoactive strains, the Forerunner household, and quite a lot of high-end multisport watches, consumers face no scarcity of choices. As such, some options appear oddly left off some gadgets regardless of being out there at comparable worth factors on various strains. Briefly, the corporate works laborious to maintain its machine strains distinguished from each other whereas nonetheless making an attempt to supply worth on every possibility. I’m hoping much more coaching and restoration instruments will bleed throughout to the Venu 4.

I discovered little for which to fault the Venu 3, which makes making a wishlist difficult. Nevertheless, one factor I’d have cherished to see out there on the present mannequin that I’m actually hoping for on the Venu 4 is an LTE variant. Garmin’s Venu lineup is the best choice for any athlete on the lookout for Garmin-level health monitoring on a tool with smartwatch perks. Nevertheless, the corporate has but to supply consumers a phone-free expertise with LTE connectivity. This might imply on-device name assist and extra with out your telephone close by, making the watch much more helpful to these of us preferring to coach with a telephone in our pockets.

Wi-fi charging is an extended shot, however that gained’t preserve me from hoping for it. Fortunately, most of Garmin’s prime gadgets make the most of Garmin’s identical proprietary charger, and it’s efficient and constant. I recognize the flexibility to plug in a single wire and cost a handful of Garmin watches with out thought.

Nevertheless, wi-fi charging would elevate the Venu 4 to an expertise extra much like different main smartwatches, particularly if the machine have been appropriate with commonplace charging pads. It could additionally enable the watch to cost flat reasonably than on its facet. Lastly, whereas the Venu 3 already presents among the greatest battery life specs within the sport, I’ll by no means complain about extra time between expenses. I’d gladly settle for a Venu 4 with even longer between expenses.

It all the time feels a bit shallow so as to add “extra colours” to a tool wishlist, however I repeatedly requested Santa for inexperienced eyes as a child, so a minimum of I’m constant. The Garmin Venu 3 is out there in restricted, impartial colorways, together with silver, slate, and smooth gold bezels. I wish to see the Garmin 4 land with extra choices. I personally love the Metallic Navy bezel discovered on the Vivoactive 5, and I, in fact, would snatch up a inexperienced possibility in a heartbeat.

Extra third-party apps

The Garmin Venu 3 is the most effective smartwatch from Garmin, but it surely nonetheless isn’t in fairly the identical league as fully-loaded smartwatches like these of Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit. One of many largest components holding the lineup again is third-party app assist. In comparison with the App Retailer or Google Play Retailer, Garmin customers have a lot fewer apps to buy to spherical out their gadgets. I hope to see Garmin proceed to increase third-party app assist on the Venu 4 so customers can add extra instruments to their wrists.

• Garmin Venu — September 5, 2019
• Garmin Venu 2 — April 22, 2021
• Garmin Venu 2 Plus — January 4, 2022
• Garmin Venu 3 — August 30, 2023

It’s laborious to think about Garmin pulling the plug on certainly one of its hottest lineups. The Venu steady represents the corporate’s greatest smartwatches and essentially the most direct competitor for wearables just like the Apple Watch. If I have been a betting lady, I’d put my cash on a Venu 4 hitting cabinets. My greatest guess for when that could be is someday in 2025.

The unique Venu landed within the fall of 2019, and the Venu 2 adopted it up over a yr and a half later. The Venu 3 landed greater than two years after that. I anticipate an analogous stretch between the Venu 3 and Venu 4. Then again, we may even see a half step within the meantime within the type of a Venu 3 Plus. We’ve but to listen to any rumors in regards to the potential for both new machine, however I’ll preserve this hub up to date as leaks and rumors come up.

When you aren’t in a rush to purchase a brand new wearable, the Garmin Venu 4 will doubtless be an ideal purchase. Nevertheless, I’d be stunned to see it out there anytime quickly. If you’re prepared for a brand new, wearable gymnasium companion now, I’m not shy about my appreciation for Garmin’s Venu 3. It’s a near-perfect machine for athletes who need a highly effective fitness-tracking watch with a number of key sensible options. One of many present mannequin’s largest shortcomings at launch was a scarcity of Garmin’s ECG app, which has since been added. The machine additionally is available in two sizes to higher match extra wrists. Briefly, the Venu 3 ($449.99 at Amazon) is a good machine value shopping for. It’s additionally not the one possibility.

The Apple Watch Sequence 9 ($392.67 at Amazon) stays the most effective smartwatch for iPhone customers. It presents unmatched third-party app assist and a strong well being and health monitoring platform. Likewise, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 ($299.99 at Samsung) is your best option from the Put on OS household, intently adopted by the Google Pixel Watch ($349.99 at Amazon). The latter presents distinctive Fitbit integration along with the newest Put on OS expertise.

If you wish to follow Garmin’s steady, the Vivoactive 5 ($299.99 at Amazon) presents a recent show and most of the model’s prime instruments, however you gained’t discover as many sensible options on board nor the ECG app. Garmin’s newest Forerunners additionally all acquired AMOLED facelifts and proved highly effective gadgets in our assessment durations. The Forerunner 265 ($449.99 at Garmin) comes at an analogous worth level to the Venu 3 and, because the identify implies, is a very good selection for runners.