All those leaks I wasn't too sure about, were pretty much accurate. Today Garmin launched a new watch to their line-up, the Garmin Venu. They probably could have called it a Vivoactive 4 Pro or something, as technically it is the same watch, but different display. I think it is a sensible move from Garmin, avoiding damaging the reputation of a current model if the AMOLED display doesn't work out.
Some of the key features that both watches share include:
- Keep an eye on your health 24/7 with Pulse Ox and Body Battery energy monitor features and by tracking your respiration, menstrual cycle, stress, sleep, heart rate, hydration and more
- Easily download songs to your watch, including playlists from your Spotify, Amazon Music or Deezer account, and connect with headphones (sold separately) for phone-free listening
- Record all the ways to move with more than 20 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, including yoga, running, swimming and more
- Get easy-to-follow, animated workouts right on your watch screen, including strength, cardio, yoga and Pilates
Display
The key difference is that the Venu uses an AMOLED display which runs at a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels.
The Vivoeactive LCD display runs at just 218 x 218 pixels.
It doesn't sound like a huge difference but the end result is very different, I will get more hands-on time with them tomorrow and get side by side comparisons, but the Venu will be much brighter with more accurate colours.
This all comes at a cost though, battery drain is greater, so by default the AMOLED display will switch off when not in use.
Design
vivoactive 4, Small, White/Rosegold
Beyond the display, there is not a huge difference between the design. I will get real-life comparisons tomorrow but for now, the above press release photos shows you the difference.
Weight and Dimensions
The Venu has dimensions of 432 x 43.2 x 12.4 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 125-190 mm with a display of 30.4 mm diameter and a weight of 46.3 g.
The Vivoactive 4 has two models which sit either side in terms of dimensions. The 4S is 40 x 40 x 12.7 mm and fits wrists with a circumference of 110-175 mm with a display of 27.9mm and weighing 40.0g.
The Vivoactive 4 is 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm and fits wrists with a circumference of 135-200 mm with a display of 33.0 mm and weighs 50.5 g.
Battery
The Venu has a battery life of up to 6 days in smartwatch mode and up to 6 hours in GPS + music mode. However, from what I can gather, this is in the default mode of the screen switching off, always on will take more of a toll on the battery.
The vívoactive 4 (45mm) has a battery life of up to 8 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 6 hours in GPS + music mode. The vívoactive 4S (40mm) has a battery life of up to 7 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 5 hours in GPS + music mode.
Price
The Venu has a suggested RRP in the UK and Ireland is between £299 and £329.99 (€349.99 and €379.99) depending on the model.
The Vivoactive 4 has a suggested RRP in the UK and Ireland is £259.99 and £279.99
So not a huge difference, and you would need to weigh up the pros and cons of having that AMOLED display.
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I am a UK tech blogger and have been in the industry for over 10 years now, running Mighty Gadget and its sister sites and contributing to other sites around the web. I am passionate about all tech, including mobile, wearables, and home automation. I am also a fitness fanatic, so I cover as much fitness tech as possible.