Garmin Venu 2 Plus smartwatch

What's new with the Plus version of this attractive Garmin mid-range watch and is it worth choosing over standard models?

Garmin Venu is in many ways an important line of watches for this brand because with them they stepped into the magical world of AMOLED display screens and thus opened a whole new audience to which transflective screens were not attractive. It was soon followed by the Venu 2 with numerous upgrades and a better screen and battery life, and now some features have been switched to premium watches like the new Epix. Garmin is once again using the Venu line to add new features to its watches that have not yet been implemented in their offer, so we can see what awaits us in future premium watches if it proves to be attractive to Venu customers. As a sneak peek, we will tell you that in addition to the price increase, a metal background on Venu Plus watches is now also offered which also sits between the current Venu 2 and 2S models in size, but keep reading for details.

The watch in Venu 2 category comes with moderate dimensions and will fit on a large number of wrists, although it can only be taken in one size. While the screen remained the same as on the Venu 2 model, the case was reduced to 43.6 × 43.6 × 12.6 mm, and with it the Garmin projection of battery life of up to 9 days from the original 11. After you turn on the always-on option, the shelf life drops to about 2 days of use. So we have the same 1.3 ”AMOLED screen and 416 × 416 pixels on the front, which gives it a very sharp resolution for displaying details and charts, and the faces of the watches are sharp. 

The screen can achieve very high brightness and will be visible in almost all conditions, but in the summer sun, you will still have to squint to read it. The main new physical feature of the watch is on the right edge, and it is a new, third button in the middle between the two existing ones. It makes navigation easier, you can program it, and it is standard for accessing the latest functions of the Venu 2 Plus model, which are virtual assistants and other functions. 

Of the other physical changes, we have slightly thinner metal edges around the screen, and as we mentioned, now the back of the watch has a stainless steel metal surface while the rest of the watch, like the others in Garmin, is made of fiber-reinforced polymer. It weighs 51 grams so it probably won’t bother athletes in most sports. The watch uses standard 20mm straps that are easy to remove so you can change them later as desired.

Garmin Venu 2 Plus follows the design of other watches (and older Venu models) when we talk about the system, adapted for this mid-range offer, with a few added details. Here we mean this new middle button that allows quick access to the new Venu line function, which is virtual assistants. Simply, whatever cell phone is connected to the watch and whatever assistant is active, you will get it on the line with a long press of this button, whether it is Siri, Bixby, or Google Assistant. This brings another novelty to these watches, the implementation of microphones and speakers in the watch itself. Yes, you can now talk to virtual assistants on the watch, but also make calls via Bluetooth, using the watch as a headset and microphone.

Once the speaker is in place, Garmin has made it possible to play music from it, but we doubt it will replace the BT speakers any time soon. A novelty is a few more pre-installed watch faces which are of course the choice of the individual, but you can choose between faces with more detail on them or simpler watches, depending on the mood. By long pressing, for example, the number of steps, the clock takes you directly to that widget with more detailed descriptions and views. 

As before, the swipe up or down from the main clock offers a brief overview of all widgets that track your status, forecast, messages, etc. in the form of a list, and again by clicking on each you can get more detailed information. This list can be tailored to the user's preferences depending on what details he wants to see and in what order. As far as sports tracking is concerned, the Plus model does not get new features, at least not on the release date of the watch, and here you can find a decent list of mainstream sports for detailed tracking.

If you do running, cycling, cardio training, strength training, and even more specific sports like swimming in the pool, climbing, yoga, and some gym equipment like steppers, they are supported. We believe that most will find a sport they want to follow in this class, while some will be able to follow third-party applications through the Connect IQ store where you can download more faces for the AMOLED screen. An interesting feature that came with the Venu series and is of course on this watch is the virtual assistants for strength training. 

So you can choose which exercise you want to do, and the watch will show you which muscles and how much this exercise affects and how it should be performed properly for maximum effect. Now, in addition to general exercises, you can choose one of the specific training through which the class will guide you for the best results. Among other functions, it is worth mentioning the NFC hourly payment which is far easier to do on the touchscreen version of Garmin watches because they always ask for a code before turning on NFC, and scrolling through numbers with buttons was not ideal. 

More information

• Model:Venu 2 Plus
• Manufacturer:Garmin
• Operating system:Garmin OS
• Screen:1.3 '', AMOLED
• Battery:9 days / 9 hours in GPS mode
• Thickness and weight:43.6 x 43.6 x 12.6 mm / 51 g
• Other: Accelerometer, HR sensor, Pulse OX, barometer, magnetic sensor, thermometer, compass