September 25, 2025 · By Helen Kurt
New · 2025
Venu 4
$549.99
Released September 2025
VS
Garmin
Lifestyle Series
Previous Gen · 2021
Venu 2
~$249.99
Released April 2021

Key Differences at a Glance

Feature
Venu 4
Venu 2
ECG Support
Yes — Garmin ECG App ✓
No — Not Supported ✗
GPS Technology
Multi-band GPS + SatIQ
Standard GPS only
GPS Networks
GPS · GLONASS · Galileo · BeiDou · QZSS
GPS · GLONASS · Galileo
Display Size
36 mm (45 mm case)
33 mm (45 mm case)
Display Resolution
454 × 454 px
416 × 416 px
Build Materials
Stainless steel bezel + fiber body
Full fiber polymer body & bezel
Battery (Smartwatch)
Up to 12 days (~8% longer)
Up to 11 days
Speaker & Mic
Yes — Wrist Calling ✓
No ✗
🛰️

GPS & Navigation

Venu 4
  • Multi-band GPS with SatIQ — auto-selects best satellites
  • Supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS
  • BeiDou (China) and QZSS (Japan) improve accuracy across Asia
  • Dual-frequency improves precision near tall buildings and tree canopy
  • SatIQ conserves battery by disabling dual-frequency in open sky
Venu 2
  • Standard single-band GPS
  • Supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo only
  • No BeiDou or QZSS support — reduced accuracy in Asia
  • No multi-band GPS sensor — cannot be added via firmware
  • Reduced accuracy in challenging environments (urban, forest)
❤️‍🩺

ECG & Cardiac Health

Venu 4
  • Compatible with the Garmin ECG App (FDA approved)
  • Take on-demand electrocardiogram readings from your wrist
  • Monitors cardiac health and tracks heart responses to activity
  • Elevate Gen 5 heart rate sensor
  • HRV status monitoring
Venu 2
  • No ECG support — Garmin ECG App is incompatible
  • Elevate Gen 4 heart rate sensor
  • Standard wrist-based heart rate monitoring
  • Body Battery, SpO2, and stress tracking available
  • Health Snapshot reading (HR, SpO2, stress in one session)
📱

Display & Design

Venu 4
  • 36 mm AMOLED display in 45 mm case (also 41 mm option)
  • Resolution: 454 × 454 pixels
  • Stainless steel bezel with fiber-reinforced polymer body
  • Premium build — improved aesthetics over Venu 2
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens
  • Built-in LED flashlight — new in the Venu line
Venu 2
  • 33 mm AMOLED display in 45 mm case
  • Resolution: 416 × 416 pixels
  • Full fiber polymer body and bezel
  • Lighter construction due to all-polymer build
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens
  • No flashlight
🎙️

Speaker, Mic & Calling

Venu 4
  • Built-in speaker and microphone
  • Answer and make calls directly from the wrist
  • Send voice messages
  • Bluetooth calling via paired smartphone
  • Voice assistants: Siri, Google Assistant, Bixby
  • On-watch voice commands for Garmin OS
Venu 2
  • No built-in speaker or microphone
  • Cannot answer or make calls from the watch
  • Receives smart notifications from phone
  • No voice assistant support on-watch
  • Music playback control via Garmin Connect app
🔋

Battery Life

Venu 4 (45 mm)
  • Smartwatch mode: up to 12 days
  • Always-on display: up to 4 days
  • GPS mode: up to 19 hours
  • ~8% longer smartwatch battery life than Venu 2
Venu 2
  • Smartwatch mode: up to 11 days
  • Always-on display: up to 2 days
  • GPS mode: up to 20 hours
  • GPS + Music: up to 7 hours
🏃

Health & Fitness Tracking

Venu 4
  • Elevate Gen 5 heart rate sensor + ECG app
  • Training Readiness, Status & Load
  • Garmin Fitness Coach — 25+ sport profiles
  • Health Status daily wellness summary
  • Lifestyle Logging — caffeine, alcohol tracking
  • Sleep Alignment & circadian rhythm insights
  • Body Battery, SpO2, stress, respiration, HRV
Venu 2
  • Elevate Gen 4 heart rate sensor (no ECG)
  • 25+ built-in sports apps
  • Garmin Coach adaptive training plans
  • Body Battery, SpO2, stress, respiration
  • Sleep Score with Firstbeat algorithm insights
  • Women's health tracking
  • Health Snapshot (HR/stress/SpO2 in one reading)
📲

Smart Features

Venu 4
  • Garmin Pay (NFC contactless payments)
  • 8 GB storage — Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music
  • Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, ANT+
  • Accessibility: spoken watch faces, color-blind filters
  • Smart Alarm (wakes at optimal sleep phase)
  • Connect IQ app store
Venu 2
  • Garmin Pay (NFC contactless payments)
  • 8 GB storage — Spotify, Deezer offline music
  • Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, ANT+
  • Smart notifications from smartphone
  • Connect IQ app store
🤝

What They Share

5 ATM water resistance
8 GB internal storage
AMOLED touchscreen display
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Garmin Pay (NFC)
Offline music storage & streaming
Body Battery energy monitor
SpO2 blood oxygen tracking
Wi-Fi, ANT+, Bluetooth
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
Connect IQ app store
25+ built-in sport profiles
📋

Full Specs Comparison

SpecificationVenu 4 (45 mm)Venu 2
ReleasedSeptember 2025April 2021
Launch Price$549.99$399.99
Display Size36 mm AMOLED33 mm AMOLED
Display Resolution454 × 454 px416 × 416 px
Case MaterialStainless steel bezel + fiber bodyFiber polymer (full)
Display GlassCorning Gorilla Glass 3Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Water Rating5 ATM5 ATM
GPS NetworksGPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, Galileo
Multi-band GPSYes (SatIQ)No
Heart Rate SensorElevate Gen 5Elevate Gen 4
ECGYes (Garmin ECG App)No
Speaker & MicYesNo
Wrist CallingYesNo
Battery (Smartwatch)Up to 12 daysUp to 11 days
Battery (GPS)Up to 19 hrsUp to 20 hrs
Battery (AOD)Up to 4 daysUp to 2 days
Storage8 GB8 GB
LED FlashlightYesNo
Garmin PayYesYes
Training ReadinessYesNo
Lifestyle LoggingYesNo
ConnectivityBT 5.3, Wi-Fi, ANT+BT 5.0, Wi-Fi, ANT+
🏆

Verdict — Which Should You Buy?

Choose Venu 4 if…

  • You want ECG monitoring and advanced cardiac health tracking
  • You need multi-band GPS for precise tracking in cities or forests
  • You're in Asia and benefit from BeiDou / QZSS satellite networks
  • You want to answer calls and use voice assistants from your wrist
  • You prefer a premium stainless steel look and feel
  • A built-in LED flashlight is useful to you
  • You want deeper health tools — Health Status, Sleep Alignment, Lifestyle Logging

Choose Venu 2 if…

  • Budget is your priority — available at a significant discount now
  • Standard GPS accuracy is sufficient for your activities
  • You don't need ECG or wrist-based calling
  • You prefer a lighter, all-polymer build
  • Core health tracking covers your everyday needs
  • Longer GPS session battery (20 hrs vs 19 hrs) matters more
  • You're happy with a proven, well-supported watch