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[Update: 24/02/21] The Garmin Venu 2 & Venu 2S are now official
Garmin has been a little quiet recently; they are hopefully gearing up for the Fenix 7 launch at some point later this year. However, in the meantime, it looks like the Garmin Venu 2 will launch.
The Garmin Venu appears to have been a big success for Garmin, helping them appeal to more mainstream smartwatch users rather than specifically the fitness crowd. They subsequently followed this up with the more affordable Venu SQ, which ditched the circular AMOLED display in favour of a square LCD.
Garmin Venu 2 & 2S approved for mobile payments
Recently, EMVCo, the company that is behind mobile and contactless payments, published new approval documents for the Garmin Venu 2 and the Venu 2S, plus the Forerunner 945 LTE and Descent Mk2s.
So we know that two new Venu 2 watches are incoming and that they will feature Garmin Pay.
Florian from fitness-tracker-test.info first identified some important details after the website superlife365.com listed the new product
Garmin Venu 2 Product Images
An early leak from TehnikNews showed off the new Venu 2S design. There is obviously not a huge difference between this and the original Venu, but the White model with copper rim does look very nice.
Garmin Venu 2 & 2S Display Size
| Venu | Venu 2S | Venu 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display Size | 1.2″ | 1.2″ | 1.3″ |
| Resolution | 390 x 390 | 390 x 390 | n/a |
| Pixel Density | 325 PPI | 325 PPI | n/a |
Based on current leaks/rumours, the Venu 2S will retain the overall design of the original Veny with a 1.2” display running at 390 x 390 and 325ppi.
The Garmin Venu 2 will then up the display size to 1.3” with an unconfirmed resolution.
Garmin Venu 2 & 2S Battery
| Venu | Venu 2S | Venu 2 | |
| Smartwatch Mode | 5 days | 10 days | 11 days |
| GPS + Music | 6 hours | 7 hours | 8 hours |
The problem with AMOLED displays is that they chew through the battery quickly, so it is a relief to hear that the battery life is supposed to be twice as long as the predecessor.
It is claimed that the Venu 2 will be able to achieve up to 10-11 days in smartwatch mode. The current Venu does 5 days then 6 hours with GPS+ Music.
Plenty of reviewers agreed with the numbers for the original Venu. The always-on display performance typically is around 2.5 days if you also throw in a couple of activities too.
So if the Venu 2 can achieve 5 days with always-on and a moderate number of activities, this would be amazing.
It is also believed that the Garmin Venu 2 will use a new rapid charge, allowing you to quickly top it up when needed.
Garmin Venu 2 & 2S Storage / Music
It is also claimed that the Venu 2 should offer improved storage from the previous model, going from 500 songs to 650.
Fitness Age and Health Snapshot Data Widgets
Garmin already tells you your fitness age based on the VO2 Max, it seems to be a vanity number, in my opinion, but it is nice to know that as I push 40 my fitness age is 20. The new Venu 2 will make access this more user friendly via a widget.
A more useful widget is a new Health Snapshot, which apparently will help with sharing key health data to either doctors or coaches.
I’d expect all this functionality will be introduced to other watches at a later date.
Garmin Elevate Generation 4 Optical Heart Rate Sensor
It is possible this will be the first watch to arrive with the Garmin Elevate Gen 4 optical heart rate sensor.
What this will include remains to be seen. First and foremost it is likely that Garmin will want to focus on accuracy. We have seen some brands offer mixed colour LEDs for the HRM which improves accuracy across skin tone and this would seem like a logical improvement.
It is likely that power efficiency has improved too, which could be a big factor in the improved overall battery performance.
It is possible that Garmin might include an ECG feature, similar to the Apple Watch.
Garmin Connect IQ 4.0
We know that Garmin CIQ 4.0 is coming soon, at the developer conference last year Garmin said devices won’t launch until 2021.
CIQ 4 specifically has improvements for increased graphics capabilities to take advantage of the new AMOLED and LCD screens Garmin has been using.
So we can pretty much guarantee that the Garmin Venu 2 will at least support CIQ 4 and it seems to make sense that this would be the first device to launch with it. The Fenix 7 is expected to launch this year, but it seems like this will be too late in the year for it to be the first CIQ 4, nor is it likely to use AMOLED.
It has also been confirmed the watch has a new integrated processor & GPU for significantly increased graphic power
Price and Availability
Current information indicates that we are looking at a launch at the end of April, on the 22nd. As usual, the price will increase between generations, with the Venu 2 launching at $50 higher vs the Venu for $399.99 USD
In the UK, the Garmin Venu has an RRP of £329.99 so I’d expect £349.99 or around that point.
There is no mention on the Venu 2S price.
[Original Post: 6 April 2021] [Updated: 21 April 2021]
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
