Any links to online stores should be assumed to be affiliates. The company or PR agency provides all or most review samples. They have no control over my content, and I provide my honest opinion.
[UPDATE] The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is now official. No word of the Fenix 7, yet.
While I am hopeful that the Garmin Fenix 7 may get announced during CES 2022, what has been announced is the Garmin Venu 2 Plus.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus Vs Venu 2 Specifications – What is new and what has changed?
As expected, there is not a massive difference between the existing Garmin Venu 2 and the new Venu 2 Plus.
The TLDR is that Garmin has added a speaker, microphone and 3rd button allowing them to integrate voice assistants.
- A full list of changes of additional features include:
- Added a speaker, microphone and 3rd button
- Added voice assistant options including Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Samsung Bixby
- Speaker can be used to playback music
- Ability to make and receive calls from watch using microphone and speaker
- You can now set up incident detection to make a phone call rather than a text
- Upgraded all the system tones to make the most of the speaker
- New Venu 2 Plus-only watch faces
- Ability to hold down watch face complications and get directly to deeper widget data
- Changed the size to 43.6mm vs 45.4mm of the normal model and 40.4mm of the 2S but it retains the same 1.3″ display size
- Slightly heavier due to speaker
- Now has a stainless steel rear case
- Metal surfaces are better protected with PVD
Then there are some differences with the battery. Daily battery life is 9 days vs 11 days for the normal Venu but the GPS has increased to 24 hours vs 22 hours.
The price then increases by £50 to £399.99. However, you can pick up the standard Venu 2 from Amazon for under £280.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Venu 2, AMOLED GPS Smartwatch with All-day Advanced... |
£321.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Launch Date – Available to order now
The watch is available to buy now from Garmin for £399.99 with four colour options. There is a premium option for £449.99 which has Slate Stainless Steel Bezel With Slate Case And Black Leather Band
Original Post
Admittedly, it is not the most exciting of leaks. The Garmin Venu 2 Plus looks identical to the normal Venu 2, but there is an additional physical button on the right-hand side.
On the underside, you can also see a small hole with a little opening to the side. This is possibly a microphone.
The exact function this button has remains unknown, but the current speculation is that it will either be to call up a voice assistant or maybe even for taking smartwatch calls from the wrist, which would imply LTE connectivity.
The leaked photos from Dave Zatz clearly show a call coming in with the microphone logo crossed out. So, it looks likely this will have some sort of call functionality.
Voice assistant functionality sounds like the most likely, this is a feature that appears to be quite popular with Apple Watch users, and it would make sense for Garmin to offer something similar.
Dimenstions & Display Size
An earlier leak suggested that the display is fractionally larger at 1.4-inches compared to 1.3-inch.
The leaked images from Roland Quandt clearly show the watch as 43mm. However, the Venu 2 is 45mm while the Venu 2S is 40mm
Other Features
Any other features the watch may or may not have are purely speculation.
It is expected any new sports-related features would get saved for the Garmin Fenix 7. This could include things like a new dual-frequency Sony GNSS chip.
It is possible some health features will be added or at least improved. The Venu 2 already has extensive health features, the only things missing would be things like ECG and blood pressure which the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 has. The Garmin Elevate 4 is still being used on the watch, so it is unlikely any massive new health features will be added.
Overall
It doesn’t look like the Garmin Venu 2 Plus is going to be the most exciting of announcements. I assume it will launch at the same RRP as the Venu 2, which is £349.99. The Venu 2 is currently discounted on the Garmin site down to £244.99, which is normally a good sign that a new device is inbound.
Personally, I paid £239 for the Venu 2S for my partners Christmas present, and I can’t see myself having buyers remorse if the Venu 2 Plus gets launched in a few days.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Garmin Venu 2, AMOLED GPS Smartwatch with All-day Advanced... |
£321.00 | Buy on Amazon |
[Original Post: 17 December 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.
Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
