3 days ago
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ZDNET's key takeaways
- The Garmin Venu X1 is available in two color options for $799.99.
- The big 2-inch display is fantastic, the LED flashlight is brilliant, the thin case and light band make it a joy to wear, and the calculator now has a tip button.
- The always-on mode reduces battery life significantly, the watch is expensive, and dual-band GPS is not installed.
I've been using Garmin sports watches for over a decade and have pretty clear expectations for when new models will be released, but I was caught completely off guard by the recent announcement of the Garmin Venu X1. It's unique for Garmin, but clearly looks like a fairly direct competitor to the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
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The Garmin Venu X1 stands out with its bold, almost square design and a vivid two-inch AMOLED screen -- the largest ever on a Garmin smartwatch. It offers noticeably more screen real estate than even the Watch Ultra 2, making room for up to eight data fields during workouts. The result? Crisp, easy-to-read stats at a glance, even for aging eyes like mine.
I've worn Venu models before, but usually only for a month or two before switching back to a Fenix, Enduro, Instinct, or Forerunner for my daily use. The main reason was that the Venu series leans heavily on a touchscreen with just two hardware buttons, and after getting used to Garmin's five-button setup, the UI takes a bit of adjustment.
That said, the Venu was the first Garmin watch with an AMOLED display, and the X1 takes things to the next level with this new bigger form factor.
Like the Fenix 8 series, the Venu X1 has a speaker and microphone so you can hold calls from your wrist, record voice notes while you exercise, and activate several control functions with your voice.
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Three shortcuts can be assigned to the two buttons so that you can quickly get to regular functions without swiping or tapping on the display. I have them set to voice command, flashlight, and alarms, giving me more utility quickly.
Speaking of the LED flashlight, Garmin positioned one off to the right side of the top on the Venu X1, and it has the same four white levels and one red light level that appears on the display after activation. Strobe and other advanced LED light controls during activities can be enabled on the Venu X1, and I've found them to be plenty bright and useful when out at night in or darker environments.
The Venu X1 (top) is much thinner than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (bottom).
A minor feature of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 that I use regularly is the easy tip calculator found in the calculator app. I was pleasantly surprised to see Garmin include a tip button on the calculator and these small functions help ease the transition from an Apple Watch to the Venu X1.
One key differentiator of the Venu X1 compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the much longer battery life. If you turn off the always-on display mode, you can expect up to eight days of battery life. Fortunately, the twist-to-turn-on works flawlessly, so I'm not missing the always-on mode.
In fact, I found the always-on display to cut down the Garmin's battery life to about two days, reminiscent of the limited battery life of the Apple Watch Ultra. With a full charge, GPS tracking mode should provide 14-16 hours of activity tracking.
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Despite the large display size, the watch is very lightweight at just 40 grams, thanks to the incredibly light and comfortable new ComfortFit fabric band. The Venu X1 is also thin at just 7.9mm, which makes it an even better watch for sleep tracking. However, the thin form factor and big screen may make me compromise on battery life with other Garmin devices.
The Garmin Venu X1 is a better GPS sports watch than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 thanks to its customizable data fields, native support for more activities, and longer battery life. However, it lacks cellular connectivity, which would have been great if it were available just for safety reasons, like the old Forerunner 945 LTE.
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This new watch is not really a Venu successor, but more of a slimmer, sleeker Fenix with a large square display. The lack of multi-band GPS and ECG support is a bit of a miss at this price point, but the thin form factor may have limited internal space, and I'm willing to give up those specs for this form factor.
Die-hard Garmin users may not like it, but it is a great transition device for Apple Watch Ultra (and other wearables) fans.
ZDNET's buying advice
Many of us were caught off guard by the launch of the Garmin Venu X1, and it remains a bit polarizing with the big screen, limited battery life, and high price. But from testing it for a little more than a week, it's been a great surprise.
For those who want a more capable wearable similar to the Apple Watch Ultra, the Venu X1 is a welcome addition to the Garmin lineup. The big display, thin form factor, and all of the Garmin customization people have come to love are found in this compelling smartwatch.
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