Garmin Venu 3 vs Apple Watch Series 10: Which one should you go for?
Intro
Garmin has been the go-to brand for sports watches in the last decade and its Garmin Venu 3 model is the closest the company gets to a smartwatch, with support for a voice assistant, routing calls through the watch and so on.
But when it comes to true smartwatches, the Apple Watch has been by far the most popular option, and it becomes even better in this latest Apple Watch Series 10 iteration.
The Garmin Venu 3 has improved functionality, but it still runs on the proprietary Garmin operating system, so you still don't have an app store, watchfaces don't look nearly as good and lack functionality, so it is definitely limited.
However, at the same time, the Venu 3 has a beautiful OLED screen, it feels fast to use, and you have a few other smartwatch-like features. For the most part, it feels like a smartwatch!
So should you get it? Or is it better to buy the Apple Watch? We compare the Garmin Venu 3 against the Apple Watch Series 10, telling you about all the differences.
Garmin Venu 3 vs Apple Watch Series 10 differences:
- Both come in a small and larger size versions
- Both have OLED screens
- Round design on Venu 3, while Apple Watch is rectangle
- Both have single-band GPS
- Support for SpO2, ECG, Skin temp on both (Garmin need an update to enable some of these)
- Garmin has roughly 5-day battery life with screen on, Apple Watch only lasts one day to day and a half
- Similar price, the Garmin is slightly more expensive
Table of Contents:
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Design & Sizes
Are you a round watch or a square watch person?
The Garmin has a round body, the Apple Watch is a rectangle (Image by PhoneArena)
We are glad that both the Garmin Venu 3 and Apple Watch Series 10 are available in two sizes: a 41mm S-sized model (Garmin calls it the Venu 3S), and a bigger 45mm version (Venu 3), and you have slightly bigger sizes on the Apple Watch at 42mm and 46mm.
Which size should you go for? Typically, if you wrist size is 170mm or less, it makes sense to consider the smaller model, while people with bigger wrists would usually go for the larger size.
Let's address the elephant in the room: the Venu 3 is round, the Apple Watch is a rectangle! Which one is better? Well, everyone has their own opinion, so this really boils down to personal preference. Pick the one you like better, and don't worry about others opinions here.
As for build quality: both have a similar water resistance rating, and you can use them for swimming. However, the Apple Watch now also supports diving at depths of up to 6M, which is an advantage, and you can use it for snorkeling activities.
One downsides of the Venu 3 is that it is made of plastic and feels and looks a bit cheap. This might be a surprise considering you pay more for it, but that's the way things are.
Plastic does not feel premium, but it has one advantage: it weighs a bit less, but the Series 10 also gets a reduced weight, so the gap is not big.
Finally, in terms of buttons, you have three buttons on the right side of the Garmin, while the Apple Watch has the digital crown and one other button below it.
Bands
Spring bars on the Garmin, Apple's own system on the Apple Watch
Apple Watch on top, Garmin on the bottom (Image by PhoneArena)
The Venu 3 uses regular spring bar bands in a size of 22mm (for the Venu 3) and 18mm (for the Venu 3S). The Series 10, on the other hand, uses Apple's proprietary band swap system, where you press a button and slide the band sideways to change it.
It's definitely a bit easier to swap bands on the Apple Watch, but the good old system that Garmin uses is also not too bad.
As for the default bands, the Garmin arrives with a sport band with easy of adjustment and one that feels soft and comfortable for prolonged wear. On the Apple Watch, you can choose a band when purchasing, so you are not limited to just one. The sport loop band is also very soft and comfy, but we find adjustments a bit more difficult.
Of course, you have tons of other bands available for both devices.
Software & Features
Apple is light years ahead with software!
The Apple Watch is easier to operate and has prettier graphics (Image by PhoneArena)
Let's start with this: the Apple Watch interface and software feels much, much more refined and capable than the Garmin one. There is no contest!
Even clearing a notification is a bit tedious on the Garmin, let alone some more complex tasks like creating a timer or an alarm. Many of the menu elements are also arranged weirdly and take time to get used to. Read our full Garmin Venu 3 review for all the details, but we should definitely single out the lack of watchface complications that you can tap on. And Garmin's watchfaces are just incredibly... average.
The Apple Watch looks next-level in terms of graphics and refinement, and it is also perfectly smooth, while on the Garmin you do notice a bit of a stutter every once in a while.
Heart Rate Accuracy
Both have accurate heart rate sensing, but the Apple Watch is a bit ahead (Image by PhoneArena)
The Venu 3 has Garmin's lastest Elevate Gen 5 sensor, the same one as on the premium Fenix 8 series, but is it as good as the Apple Watch?
In my testing, the two were really close most of the time, with some slight differences visible with more vigorous activities, like outdoor bike riding, which is a challenge for watches as the watch moves around quickly and unpredictably.
Sleep Tracking Accuracy
Both the Garmin and the Apple Watch keep track of when you fell asleep, when you woke up, and how much time you spent in each of the sleep stages: deep sleep, light / core sleep, and REM sleep.
The Garmin app, however, gives a bit more context, telling you how your sleep stages compare to recommendations, while you don't get that piece of information on the Apple Watch.
Scientific measurements from various testers show that the Apple Watch has more accurate sleep tracking estimations, while Garmin watches are not quite as good, but still pretty close. To be more specific, when measuring REM sleep, the Garmin is a bit less precise. But in the few nights where we wore both the Venu 3 and Apple Watch Series 10 to bed the results were very close.
GPS Accuracy
Despite both these watches offering single L1 band GPS, both provide excellent accuracy. Unless your run in a very dense urban area like Manhattan (where you do need dual-band GPS), you will see fairly accurate GPS data from both these watches.
Battery and Charging
Garmin wins by a mile
In our real-world testing, with one workout a day and the always-on function enabled, the Venu 3S we had lasted around 5 days between charges, while on the Apple Watch we had to recharge every single day, way more annoying.
This alone is a big reason why Garmin is still so popular, many people just don't want to worry about charging yet another device.
But the Series 10 remedies this a little bit with a much faster charging experience, as you can now get a day's worth of charge in just 30 mintues. The Garmin charges quite quickly as well, but just not as fast.
Also, the Venu 3 uses its own proprietary cable, so it is a wired connection that you have to plug in, while the Apple Watch uses a magnetic charger, which is an easier process.
Models and Prices
When it comes to the models, Garmin watches are not available with cellular connectivity, so they are more dependent on your phone connection, while with Apple Watches you can get the cellular version and go out on a hike or a run without your phone, and still get notifications and calls.
As for prices, you will find them right below:
- Garmin Venu 3 / Venu 3S: $450
- Apple Watch Series 10 Aluminum 42mm / 46mm: $400 / $430, add $100 on top of that for Cellular connectivity
- Apple Watch Series 10 Titanium 42mm / 46mm: $700 / $750 (all models have Cellular connectivity)
Voice Calls and Haptics
Of course, you have had this functionality on the Apple Watch for years.
As for haptics, though, the vibration motor on the Apple Watch feels more refined and sharper.
Specs
Below, you can see a brief overview of the Garmin Venu 3 vs Apple Watch Series 10 specs:
| Specs | Garmin Venu 3 | Apple Watch Series 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Models (Size, Weight, Prices) | Venu 3: 45mm, 1.4-inch screen, 30g weight Venu 3S: 41mm, 1.2-inch screen, 27g Gorilla Glass 3 - Metal bezel, plastic body 12mm thickness on both | 46mm, 36.4g aluminum, 41.7g titanium 42mm, 30g aluminum, 34.4g titanium Ion-X glass (aluminum) Sapphire (stainless steel) Metal and glass body 9.7mm thickness |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Processor, RAM, Storage | Unknown 8GB storage | Apple S10 SiP 64GB storage |
| Software | Garmin proprietary OS | watchOS 11 |
| Battery and Charging | 14 days in smartwatch mode - Venu 3 10 days in smartwatch mode - Venu 3S Proprietary Garmin cable | 18-hour battery life for both models 327 mAh for 46mm Unknonw for 42mm |
| Sensors | Garmin Elevate V5 (Gen5) | Apple Watch sensor |
| New features | Nap detection Improved GPS accuracy Wheelchair mode Guided Meditation | Double Tap Brighter screen, better viewing angles |
Summary
If you are into sports and value battery life, the Garmin is still the way to go, but for everything else the Apple Watch feels superior (Image by PhoneArena)
With the Garmin Venu 3 you can forget about the nuisance of daily charging and with moderate use, you can expect to charge it about once a week. And you get that amazing battery life with a vibrant OLED screen on board too. There is a bit less refinement though: watchfaces are not as pretty, the performance is just a beat slower and so on.
However, if you want a true smartwatch with watchfaces that offer complications, a fast and beautiful user interface, perfect integration with iPhones, and various apps, the Apple Watch Series 10 certainly has the upper hand.
So, pick what you value more and get the watch that excels in that area. So... which team are you on, team Garmin or team Apple?
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