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5 reasons why the Garmin Venu X1 could be my new favorite Apple Watch Ultra 2 alternative
Garmin has officially declared war on Apple with the launch of the Garmin Venu X1, a square-shaped wellness-tracking powerhouse with an enormous AMOLED screen, slender titanium case and several high-end smartwatch bells and whistles. In short, it looks a whole lot like an Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a similarly heady price tag to match: $799.
Full disclosure: I’ve yet to get the Venu X1 on my wrist — my colleague Nick has — but based on specs and initial impressions alone, Garmin’s new sporty smartwatch seems to have a lot going for it. Will it be enough to lure away prospective Apple Watch Ultra 2 customers? It could be!
As someone who reviews smartwatches for a living, I field a lot of questions from folks considering ditching their Apple Watch for something new.
While their biggest Apple Watch complaint is regarding battery life… or lack thereof, a deficiency of advanced fitness tracking and training tools is another criticism I hear a lot. That, and a shortage of support for nuanced workout types.
While Garmin watches don’t have nearly as many third-party apps and smart features found on the best Apple Watch models, they generally excel when it comes to battery longevity, holistic tracking reliability and high-end exercise features. The brand also supports well over a hundred workout types, including everything from disc golf to boxing.
Prior to the X1, Garmin already had solid alternatives for the Apple Watch Series 10 with the Garmin Venu 3, and the Apple Watch SE (2022) with the Garmin Vivoactive series. Now, the Kansas-based brand has a potentially worthy model to take on Cupertino’s premier flagship.
With that in mind, here are the five biggest things the Garmin Venu X1 has going for it, along with three things that could potentially hold it back from competing with the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
1. Giant AMOLED screen
Not only is this Garmin’s first high-end smartwatch with a square face, but the screen, which stretches from bezel edge to bezel edge, is the brand’s largest ever. In fact, it’s slightly bigger than even the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s display.
Garmin doesn’t provide max brightness figures for devices, but 2,000 nits is a likely bet. That’s not quite as bright as the Ultra 2’s 3,000 nit max brightness figure, but it’s still impressive and means that the X1 will be visible even in very bright light.
2. Super-thin case
At just 7.9mm, this is also Garmin’s thinnest smartwatch case to date. Compare that to the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s 14.4mm case depth, and suddenly it feels downright clunky.
Fortunately, despite the thin case, my colleague Nick reports that it feels anything but flimsy on the wrist. On a similar note, the sapphire crystal offers peace of mind when it comes to screen protection.
By the way, at 9.7mm in thickness, even the latest Apple Watch Series 10 isn’t as thin as the Venu X1.
3. Garmin’s best holistic tracking tech
For its price, the Garmin Venu X1 ought to sport Garmin’s latest and greatest holistic sensor tech. Thankfully, it does, which means you’re getting equally as reliable (if not more) heart rate data from the X1.
Garmin’s sleep tracking insights are also the best in the biz, and more detailed and actionable, IMHO, than Apple’s. Plus, Garmin’s workout training and recovery tools blow Cupertino’s out of the water. And that’s not an opinion. That’s a fact.
4. Onboard LED ‘torch’ flashlight
Like the Garmin Instinct 3, the sporty, new Venu X1 has a built-in LED flashlight, something you won’t find on any Apple Watch. Tucked into the top of the case, the nifty onboard ‘torch’ has an adjustable output and can be set to white or red light.
Perfect for late-night dog walks and finding items in a darkened bedroom without waking a sleeping partner, this is a feature I truly wish Apple (and Google and Samsung, etc.) would rip off and add to their own devices.
5. Built-in speaker and microphone
The best Garmin watches aren’t exactly known for their smart features. While most higher-end Garmins offer the basics, like onboard music storage, NFC payments and mirrored smartphone notifications, that tends to be where the list ends.
The Venu X1 offers a bit more. It isn’t Garmin’s first smartwatch with an onboard microphone and speaker, but it’s a nice addition for folks who want to take phone calls from the wrist, as you would with an Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Of course, Garmin doesn’t offer cellular connectivity on any of the brand’s smartwatches, so you’ll need to have a paired phone nearby to make the most of the mic and speaker.
Where the Venu X1 falls short vs. the Apple Watch Ultra 2
While the Garmin Venu X1 has a lot going for it against the Apple Watch Ultra 2, battery life is one area it doesn’t impress. Sure, in smartwatch mode, you can get up to eight days of usage, but that drops to just two days when using the always-on screen mode.
And when using GPS to track an activity, battery life is just 14 hours. By comparison, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is good for roughly 36 hours in smartwatch mode (or 72 hours in low-power mode) with the always-on display and 12 hours when using GPS to track an activity.
Another downside to the Venu X1 compared to the Ultra 2 is that the former doesn’t have multiband GPS; the latter does. The advantage of multiband is better tracking reliability, particularly in areas where the sky may be obstructed.
Finally, the Garmin Veny X1 has just 50 meters of water resistance. That’s enough for brief periods of surface-level swimming but nothing more. The Ultra 2, meanwhile, offers 100 meters of water resistance and is suitable for scuba diving.
