Earlier today, Garmin added yet another smartwatch to its almost daunting array of options. The all-new Garmin Venu Sq comes in two models and a variety of colorways. While not nearly as affordable as Amazfit Band 5, it’s still clear that value is what Venu Sq is chasing — a fact that’s incredibly clear when comparing with how expensive some of its wearables have become. Buyers of Venu Sq garner a long list of features ranging from six-day battery life to a blood oxygen sensor, stress tracking to sleep monitoring, and the list goes on. Continue reading to learn more.
Garmin Venu Sq targets affordability
The latest wearable from Garmin boasts a variety of health-focused features. For starters, it has 24/7 heart rate monitoring, which the company touts as “outpacing the competition by sampling heart rate multiple times per second.” Other examples include Pulse Ox, respiration tracking, abnormal heart rate alerts, and more.
When it comes to keeping tabs on activity, Garmin Venu Sq boasts 20 built-in fitness apps. Each one focuses on a specific workout type with options like Pilates, yoga, and strength training to name a few.
Built-in sleep monitoring abilities estimate varying levels of sleep stages. Also, its Pulse Ox sensor is able to gauge the wearer’s current blood oxygen saturation. When it comes to smart features, buyers will receive alerts for incoming calls, text messages, and more. Garmin Pay integration aims to make mobile payments a cinch too.
“We are proud to offer a smartwatch that upholds Garmin’s high standards of functionality at a price point accessible to a broader customer base,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales.
Pricing and availability
The all-new Garmin Venu Sq features a starting price of $199.99. The upgraded Music Edition model will cost $249.99. It’s available for order at Garmin right now, and we expect that a wider rollout to retailers like Amazon will begin very soon.
9to5Toys’ Take
With Apple Watch SE and Series 3 doubling down on affordability, it’s getting harder for others to remain competitive. This situation makes the release of Garmin Venu Sq and other affordable smartwatches arguably the right path for it to continue following.
One benefit that Garmin does have over Apple Watch is cross-platform support. While Apple did take a small step in that direction with Family Setup in watchOS 7, it still offers nowhere near the level of capabilities you can garner with Garmin’s wearables or something running Wear OS.
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