ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Garmin Venu X1 is out there in two colour choices for $599 (on sale).
- The massive 2-inch show is unbelievable, the LED flashlight is sensible, the skinny case and lightweight band make it a pleasure to put on, and the calculator now has a tip button.
- The always-on mode reduces battery life considerably, the watch is pricey, and dual-band GPS shouldn’t be put in.
extra shopping for decisions
jun / 2025
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I have been utilizing Garmin sports watches for over a decade and have fairly clear expectations for when new fashions shall be launched, however I used to be caught fully off guard by the announcement of the Garmin Venu X1 through the summer season.
It is distinctive for Garmin, nevertheless it clearly appears to be like like a reasonably direct competitor to the Apple Watch Extremely.
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The Garmin Venu X1 stands out with its daring, virtually sq. design and a vivid two-inch AMOLED display — the most important ever on a Garmin smartwatch. It gives noticeably extra display actual property than even the Watch Extremely 2, making room for as much as eight information fields throughout exercises. The end result? Crisp, easy-to-read stats at a look, even for growing older eyes like mine.
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I’ve worn Venu fashions earlier than, however normally just for a month or two earlier than switching again to a Fenix, Enduro, Intuition, or Forerunner for my day by day use. The primary purpose was that the Venu sequence depends closely on a touchscreen with simply two {hardware} buttons, and after getting used to Garmin’s five-button setup, the UI requires some adjustment.
That mentioned, the Venu was the primary Garmin watch with an AMOLED show, and the X1 takes issues to the subsequent stage with this new, greater kind issue.
Just like the Fenix 8 sequence, the Venu X1 contains a speaker and microphone, permitting you to make and obtain calls out of your wrist, file voice notes whereas exercising, and activate varied management features together with your voice.
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Three shortcuts may be assigned to the 2 buttons, permitting you to shortly entry common features with out swiping or tapping on the show. I’ve them set to voice command, flashlight, and alarms, giving me extra utility shortly.
Talking of the LED flashlight, Garmin positioned one off to the proper facet of the highest on the Venu X1, and it has the identical 4 white ranges and one pink gentle stage that seem on the show after activation. Strobe and different superior LED gentle controls throughout actions may be enabled on the Venu X1, and I’ve discovered them to be loads vibrant and helpful when out at evening in or darker environments.
The Venu X1 (high) is far thinner than the Apple Watch Extremely 2 (backside).
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
A minor function of the Apple Watch Extremely 2 that I take advantage of recurrently is the straightforward tip calculator discovered within the calculator app. I used to be pleasantly stunned to see Garmin embrace a tip button on the calculator, and these small features assist ease the transition from an Apple Watch to the Venu X1.
One key differentiator of the Venu X1 in comparison with the Apple Watch Extremely 2 is the for much longer battery life. In case you flip off the always-on show mode, you possibly can anticipate as much as eight days of battery life. Happily, the twist-to-turn-on works flawlessly, so I am not lacking the always-on mode.
In truth, I discovered that the always-on show lower down Garmin’s battery life to about two days, paying homage to the restricted battery lifetime of the Apple Watch Extremely. With a full cost, GPS monitoring mode ought to present 14-16 hours of exercise monitoring.
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Regardless of the big show dimension, the watch may be very light-weight at simply 40 grams, because of the extremely gentle and cozy new ComfortFit material band. The Venu X1 can also be skinny at simply 7.9mm, which makes it a fair higher look ahead to sleep monitoring. Nevertheless, the skinny kind issue and enormous display might make me compromise on battery life in comparison with different Garmin units.
The Garmin Venu X1 is a greater GPS sports activities watch than the Apple Watch Extremely 2 because of its customizable information fields, native help for extra actions, and longer battery life. Nevertheless, it lacks mobile connectivity, which might have been useful for security causes, just like the outdated Forerunner 945 LTE.
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This new watch shouldn’t be actually a Venu successor, however extra of a slimmer, sleeker Fenix with a big sq. show. The dearth of multi-band GPS and ECG help is a little bit of a miss at this worth level, however the skinny kind issue might have restricted inner area, and I am keen to surrender these specs for this kind issue.
Die-hard Garmin customers might not prefer it, however it’s a nice transition gadget for Apple Watch Extremely (and different wearables) followers.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Many people had been caught off guard by the launch of the Garmin Venu X1, and it stays considerably polarizing attributable to its massive display, restricted battery life, and excessive worth. Nevertheless, after testing it for months now, it has been an excellent shock.
For these looking for a extra succesful wearable just like the Apple Watch Extremely, the Venu X1 is a welcome addition to Garmin’s lineup. The big show, slim kind issue, and in depth Garmin customization choices folks have come to like are all discovered on this compelling smartwatch.
The Garmin Venu X1 will get ZDNET’s Editors’ Alternative award for its refreshingly useful design, slew of well being and health options, and long-lasting battery life. “It is the Garmin model of the Apple Watch Extremely that I’ve been hoping for,” says Matthew Miller, ZDNET’s wearables knowledgeable. It ticks many of the containers of the Fenix 8 AMOLED at a cheaper price level, has a way more snug kind issue, and an LED flashlight that is excellent for out of doors actions and security functions.
