Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Garmin Venu 2: Which One Wins?

It’s time to settle the debate between the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Garmin Venu 2. These smartwatches are popular health and fitness tracking choices, but which will reign supreme? To solve this puzzle, we’ll comprehensively compare the features and functions of the Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Garmin Venu 2 to determine the best choice for your needs. But before we dive into the features and other factors, let’s first look at the technology overview of both smartwatch models.

The Apple Watch Series 8 is the newest and most advanced model of the Apple Watch. It features a larger display, improved battery life, a faster processor, and a few other updates from the previous version. The most notable new feature is the built-in cycle tracking technology that tracks your cycle and provides a retrospective estimate of when you likely ovulated. In addition, the watch can track your temperature while you sleep so that you can see changes over time. With all these features and more, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a powerful device that can help you stay connected, healthy, and informed.

On the other hand, Garmin Venu 2 is a health and fitness smartwatch with GPS. It is one of the wearables & smartwatches from Garmin that features all the latest and greatest features, such as GPS, heart rate monitoring, sleep score, and more. The watch is designed to help you track your daily activity and workout goals in style. To get to the bottom of these features, we’ll compare both models — Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Garmin Venu 2 so that you can make the best decision before purchasing one.

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Garmin Venu 2: Side-By-Side Comparison

	Apple Watch Series 8	Garmin Venu 2
Launch	September 2022	April 2021
Charging Type	Wireless, USB	Garmin proprietary plug charger
Weight	42.3 g (41mm), 51.5 g (45mm) (1.48 oz)	49.0 g
Display Type	Retina LTPO OLED, 1000 nits (peak)	AMOLED optional always-on mode
Internal Memory	32GB 1GB RAM	8 GB
Battery	Li-Ion 308 mAh- 18 hours for standard usage	Smartwatch mode is 9 days; Battery saver, smartwatch mode lasts 10 days; GPS mode with music up to 8 hours; GPS mode without music up to 24 hours.
Voice Assistant	Yes	No
Water Resistance	50 meters	5 ATM
Price	Starts at $399.99	$399.99

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Garmin Venu 2: What’s the Difference?

Choosing a smartwatch can be difficult to decide between two top brands. The Apple Watch Series 8 and Garmin Venu 2 offer unique features and benefits, making it hard to choose the best one for your needs. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between the two models. We’ll compare the designs, display type, operating systems, battery life, and connectivity.

Design

The Apple Watch Series 8 is sleek and seamless, featuring a big, brilliant Always-On display. Its narrow borders push the screen right to the edge, resulting in an elegant integration with the curvature of the case. While the Garmin Venu 2 boasts a smooth OLED screen with two buttons, a sleeker round design, and an improved interface, making it their best smartwatch. The bezel has been slimmed down, making the interface more intuitive. Comparatively, both Apple Watch Series 8 and Garmin Venu 2 have great designs that make them desirable watches. However, the differences between the two are notable. The Apple Watch Series 8 boasts a sleeker look and more cutting-edge features, while the Garmin Venu 2’s lightweight design and improved battery life make it an ideal choice for people looking for a reliable fitness watch.

Display Type

The Apple Watch Series 8 features a retina LTPO OLED display with a size of 1.9 inches and a resolution of 484 x 396 pixels, offering a pixel density of around 326 ppi. The display is protected by sapphire crystal glass, which is highly resistant to scratches and other damage. Furthermore, the display offers an always-on feature, allowing users to view the watch’s face without lifting their wrists or tapping the screen. This feature lets users quickly and easily check the time and notifications, even when the watch is idle. The peak brightness of this display is 1000 nits, which makes it easy to read in direct sunlight.

The Garmin Venu 2, on the other hand, offers an optional always-on mode display with an AMOLED display. It comes with a 1.3” (33.0 mm) diameter display, giving you a great view of what’s happening on your watch. The display resolution is 416 x 416 pixels, providing an excellent color display. This feature is perfect for those who always want to stay informed. Another impressive feature of the Venu 2 is its always-on mode. This ensures that the display is always visible, even in direct sunlight. With an AMOLED display, you can be sure that the colors are always vibrant and crisp, no matter the lighting conditions. This is great for people who use their watch outdoors or want to keep track of their activities without turning on their screen every few minutes.

Operating Systems

The Apple Watch Series 8 is powered by watchOS 9.0, the latest version of Apple’s smartwatch operating system. This version of watchOS includes several new features and improvements, such as a new home app to control smart home devices from your wrist, improved health and fitness tracking, and expanded third-party app support. It also has a faster processor for better performance, which helps the watch run smoother and longer. It’s also possible to upgrade your Apple Watch Series 8 to watchOS 9.3 for the latest updates and features. With this update, you’ll get better notifications, added privacy protection, and access to the App Store, Apple Music, and more.

In contrast, Garmin Venu 2 runs on the Garmin OS operating system. This open-source operating system developed by Garmin has been designed to provide users with a full range of features, including high performance and a robust design. Garmin OS works with Android and iOS. This means it’s compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The latest version of Garmin OS is compatible with both operating systems, so you won’t have to worry about compatibility issues. The Garmin OS interface is also easy to use and provides access to a wide range of data and information. For example, you can track your workouts, monitor your health, and more. Additionally, the interface is highly customizable to create a personalized experience for your device. It also includes regular updates, ensuring it works properly and runs the latest software. The Garmin OS offers a comprehensive solution for your Garmin Venu 2.

Battery Life

Regarding battery life, most smartwatches can only make it in a few hours before needing to be charged again. However, the Apple Watch Series 8 offers an all-day battery life of 18 hours and up to 36 hours with low power mode. The data used for this calculation is derived from 90-time checks, instant tracking activities, and 90 notifications. It also includes 45 minutes of app usage, a 60-minute workout with music playback via Bluetooth, and 18 hours of continuous use. The Apple Watch Series 8 will also stay connected to the iPhone via Bluetooth for 18 hours when using the GPS mode. This is essential for tracking activities such as running or cycling. So, with the Apple Watch Series 8, you can enjoy all-day battery life without worrying about charging.

The Garmin Venu 2 offers 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode (10 days for the Venu 2S). When using the GPS for activity tracking, battery life is shorter. The Venu 2 has a range of detailed health and fitness tracking capabilities, including sleep tracking, heart rate, respiration rate, and more. All these features combined give you a week-plus of uninterrupted measurements without needing to be taken off to charge. This makes it ideal for tracking long-term changes in your health and fitness and taking precise readings regularly.

Both smartwatches have enough battery life to enjoy your all-day activities without stopping to charge them. However, Garmin Venus 2 is the best choice if you want a smartwatch that lasts longer for days without charging. Apple Watch Series 8 still offers enough charge for a whole day without interrupting it with charging. So it all depends on your preferences and budget. 

Connectivity

The Apple Watch Series 8 features 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. You can enjoy enhanced capabilities with Bluetooth 5.0, such as increased range, higher speeds, larger broadcast message capacity, and improved compatibility with other wireless technologies. In addition to GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, and BDS positioning, Apple Watch Series 8 also supports NFC, enabling users to pay for their watch. Without carrying a wallet, it’s convenient to shop.

While the Garmin Venu 2 comes equipped with Bluetooth, ANT+, and Wi-Fi connectivity, giving users maximum compatibility when using the device with various other devices. Thanks to its strong connection, you can download watch faces, data fields, widgets, and apps with Connect IQ and connect them to Android and iOS devices. Users can also use Garmin Connect to track, analyze, and share health and fitness activities recorded by the paired Garmin device. This means that whether you’re connected to an android or an iOS device, you can still perfectly enjoy all your activities without a hitch.

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Garmin Venu 2: 5 Must-Know Facts

• You can use Apple Watch Series 8 as a remote control for music, taking pictures, and controlling Apple TV.
• Apple Watch Series 8 has an emergency detection feature that can detect a severe car crash, connect users with emergency services, provide their location, and notify their emergency contacts.
• The Apple Watch Series 8 ECG app can produce an ECG comparable to a single-lead electrocardiogram.
• The Garmin Venu 2 provides a well-rounded understanding of your feelings – from your stress levels to how much sleep you get. It’s one of the longest-lasting batteries for any smartwatch, lasting 22 hours in GPS mode.
• The Venu 2 offers fast charging, meaning 10 minutes will result in 1 day of smartwatch mode or 1 hour of GPS. Garmin’s new product, the Venu 2, includes all the features you’d expect in a product like this to help you be active and monitor your health.

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Garmin Venu 2: Which One Is Better? Which One Should You Use?

When choosing a smartwatch, two top contenders are the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Garmin Venu 2. Both offer various features and capabilities, but how do they compare? To determine which is better, let’s look at these two watches’ connectivity, fitness tracking, battery life, and other features.

Regarding connectivity, the Apple Watch Series 8 boasts cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0. The Garmin Venu 2, on the other hand, comes with GPS, ANT+, and Bluetooth 5.0, giving users access to a wide range of data from their mobile devices or laptop. Regarding fitness tracking, both watches have similar capabilities, such as step counting, sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and calorie tracking. 

However, the Garmin Venu 2 offers additional features such as stress levels, cycle tracking, and pregnancy. Yes, Apple Watch Series 8 also tracks your cycle — the latest feature for this Apple model. Battery life on both watches is comparable with the Apple Watch Series 8, offering up to 18 hours, and the Garmin Venu 2, up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and 22 hours in GPS mode. If you are looking for a smartwatch with impressive battery life and as many tracking activities as possible, then Garmin Venus 2 is the way to go. However, if you are already in the Apple ecosystem and you want premium health and safety features, the Apple series 8 is the best choice. 

At the end of the day, it all depends on personal preference when considering the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Garmin Venu 2. Both have excellent features and capabilities that help you stay connected and healthy.