Español Today is the presentation of the Garmin Venu 2 PlusA small renovation of the smartwatch that Garmin brought to the market less than a year ago. Did you come looking for news from the Garmin Fenix 7? We must continue to wait, as there are still a few weeks left before its official presentation.
This presentation comes hours before the official opening of the world's largest consumer electronics trade show, CES in Las Vegas. Although brands try to separate their announcements from the maelstrom of the show, for some kind of products it is still interesting.
Presenting new products at these major trade fairs can be a positive point because right now all the media attention is focused on the new products presented during CES. But it is a double-edged sword, because the volume of new products is such that it is very easy for the new products to go totally unnoticed as there is any major announcement. It's as if you have Pedri (FCB player) giving a press conference and suddenly Messi appears in the room.
The new Venu 2 Plus follows the usual trend of Garmin models that receive the Plus designation: slight changes, but not a drastic change in the model or a replacement of the previous model. Thus, both Venu 2 and Venu 2 Plus will be sold simultaneously.
The changes compared to the original model are few. Same AMOLED screen but with a slightly smaller bezel and an additional button to "call" your phone's voice assistant. That on the front, on the back we now find a cover made of stainless steel to give a feeling of a little more quality.
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Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Although the new features are not very extensive, it is time as always to see them in a quick list to appreciate at a glance what changes Garmin makes in the model.
- Three buttons on the right side of the watch instead of two. The additional button is used to invoke the voice assistant of your cell phone (Google Assistant, Siri or Bixby).
- Microphone and speaker for talking and listening to the voice assistant
- Ability to answer or make phone calls directly from the watch (from the paired phone, no LTE)
- Thanks to the "voice to text" function, it is possible to reply to messages received in messaging applications on your cell phone.
- Almost 2mm less in diameter, measuring now 43.6mm
- Slightly thicker due to the stainless steel cover, going from 12.2mm to 12.6mm
- Possibly because of this same cover, the watch now goes from the 49 grams of the Venu 2 to the 51 grams of the Venu 2 Plus.
- Maximum back-up time reduced from 11 days to 9 days
- The price goes up by 50€, the Venu 2 Plus costs 449€.
And what things remain the same as they are now?
- Same 1.3″ AMOLED display
- Continuation of the Garmin Elevate v4 sensor that debuted with the Venu 2
- Fast charging and energy saving function
- Complete package of what I call "Garmin benefits": Garmin Pay and music playback with syncing to platforms such as Spotify and downloading via WiFi.
- Health metrics such as Body Battery, Health Snapshot, sleep tracking, physiological age, hydration tracking, stress, respiration, or menstrual cycle
- Incident detection
All in all, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus is a slightly smarter watch because it incorporates a microphone and speakerphone, which allows it to make use of advanced features: calls and use of voice assistants. And it is slightly smaller, but there are no new features in terms of software or sport functions.
Calls and messages on Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Garmin finally catches up with the competition and gives the Venu 2 Plus some of the functions it needed. The Garmin watches had always been somewhat lame in the communication section, since until now the only thing that pod could do from the watch was to accept/reject calls or view messages from the cell phone. And in some models, answer messages with predefined answers.
These are enough basic functions for watches focused mainly on sport, such as those of the Forerunner range, but in a smartwatch such as the Venu we always asked for something more.
However, I have to remember that the messaging and calling functions are associated with your cell phone (provided it is compatible). The Garmin Venu 2 Plus does not have LTE connection so everything depends on being paired to your phone. The calls and messages that podr answer are those that you receive on your cell phone, the Venu 2 Plus is not a standalone device.
That's not the only thing 1TP10We can do with voice. Thanks to the phone's voice assistant it is possible to write and answer text messages, ask questions to the assistant or control smart devices if you have everything interconnected. All this depends on whether the phone supports all functions, because depending on your operating system not all of them allow you to perform all functions.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus, availability and pricing
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus joins the Venu 2 family as a new size option and does not replace any of the existing ones. We simply move to three size options based on their diameter:
- 40mm: Garmin Venu 2S
- 43mm: Garmin Venu 2 Plus
- 45mm: Garmin Venu 2
The only one with voice functions is the 43mm Venu 2 Plus. In terms of colors, the Venu 2 Plus will be available in three different finishes:
- Black bezel and strap
- Silver bezel and gray strap
- Gold bezel and beige strap
It is expected to arrive on the market during the month of January.
Very interesting, but as always I find it expensive. Thank you Eduardo
Hi, thanks as always for your articles! I have a question regarding the straps. On the web it indicates that the Venu 2 uses 18 mm straps and the Venu 2 Plus, even being smaller in circumference, 20 mm. Is this correct? In the photos I have seen comparing them, the Venu 2 Plus seemed thinner.
Yes, that's correct, the Venu 2 Plus uses a slightly wider strap than the other two Venu 2's which stay at 18mm.
Hello again! Thanks for the reply. I just read on an American website that the Venu 2 has a 22mm strap and the Venu 2 plus has a 20mm strap. Can it be a typo of the website?
Hello again! Thanks for the reply. I just read on an American website that the Venu 2 has a 22mm strap and the Venu 2 plus has a 20mm strap. Can it be a typo of the website?
Hello Nicolas,
Is it possible to configure the display of an activity, Race x example, with one or 2 information?
My question is due to the fact that I have 4 pieces of information that look very small, and I can't see them while I'm running.
Thank you for your help
Yes, the maximum is 4 per screen, but it can be configured from 1 on each data screen.
Excellent analysis, as always. I'm a bit held back by the touch issue as the experiences I've had (Apple Watch) I don't like (accidental touches, water, wet fingers... they don't take well).
I am looking for a multisport watch, mainly for gym (weights, rowing), daily activity tracking and some walking or running (very little).
I'm hesitating between the forerunner 55 and the 245, but I don't know if you can think of any better options or if there are any refurbishments planned for these models. I found the 245 a bit heavy and big when I saw it in store.
Thank you Miguel.
If you don't want it to be tactile then I think the best option is the 245. I'm surprised by what you say about finding it big and heavy, when it's the opposite....
Thanks for the answer.
Do you know if any upcoming renewal is expected in these models (55 or 245) or any new model with similar characteristics. I found it big and heavy compared to a 40 Apple Watch, which was the reference I had until that moment.
The Forerunner 55 was announced last year, there will be no change soon. The 245 does have more time on the market and it would be logical that throughout 2022 there would be some renewal, but at the moment nothing is known.
Hello.
As always, I am very grateful for your great work analyzing these devices.
You say that the Venu2 does not replace the previous ones, but 1TP11You could say that they have better features and functions than the Forerunner? I'm lost among so many models and I don't know the big differences between families.
It does not replace the previous ones because it is an add-on with microphone, speaker and voice assistant options. With respect to the Forerunner it wins in smartwatch features and display quality. But it does not have training load tracking and other advanced training features.
Good morning Eduardo, would they be suitable for swimming in the sea? Thank you for your answer.
No, there is no open water swimming profile.
Hi I have a Garmin venus 2 plus and a Xiaomi f4 gt and I have no nose to configure the microphone to make calls.
There is a list of unsupported phones, which you can find here: https://support.garmin.com/es-ES/?faq=9CDD55lm3a4DcQaNL7yii9
Hello Eduardo! I have a tremendous doubt between choosing this Venu 2 Plus or the Polar Ignite 3. I am 65 years old and I am very interested in trying to control my health, at the same time that I am getting back in shape. The sports I practice are: walking, swimming in the pool, fitness, indoor cycling, climbing... Which one do you think would be better for me?
The Venu 2 Plus is a watch with more features, but I also consider it a bit more complicated to use. It depends on how much you like devices of this type... but with both models you will have more than enough for the sports you practice.
Buenas tardes. Ante todo, gracias por tus estudios.
Estoy buscando un nuevo reloj deportivo. Ahora tengo un Suunto 5, del que he comprobado que sus mediciones de salud no son muy fiables. He visto la gama Venu 2, 2 Plus y 3. Me interesa el tema del ECG porque así me lo ha recomendado el médico. Por control. Hago bici, natación, gimnasio, tenis. Carrera no. Tengo 54.
El caso es que he estado leyendo y unos dicen que el 2 Plus lleva ECG, otros que no, otros que lo lleva el 3…
En fin, si me lo puedes aclarar, te lo agradecería.
Thank you.