The battle for the best smartwatch for Android phones has intensified with the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Series.
Garmin Watches have traditionally been more fitness-focused while Samsung Watches have had more connectivity features and functionality. Over the years, both companies have made significant strides in closing the gap between their offerings.
In an attempt to compete with the dominant players like Apple and Samsung, Garmin added a touchscreen AMOLED display and practical smarts like NFC payment and music streaming to its Venu Series. The latest watch in the lineup is the Venu 2 Plus, which boasts voice assistant support and Bluetooth calling.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Series has been unveiled just recently and it basically takes everything that was good about its predecessor and makes it even better. It has a more robust design, an improved battery life, a new health tracking sensor, and a more refined user interface.
The series has two watches namely the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The latter is targeted at outdoor enthusiasts and so a more rugged construction, while the former is for more general users.
Now that you know a bit about both the devices, let’s see how Garmin Venu 2 fares when pitted against Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 in a head-to-head comparison.
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Table of Contents
Galaxy Watch 5 vs Garmin Venu 2: General Comparison
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | August 10, 2022 | August 10, 2022 | Garmin Venu 2/2S: April 22, 2021, & Garmin Venu 2 Plus: January 4, 2022 |
| Predecessor | Galaxy Watch 4 | Galaxy Watch 4 Classic | Garmin Venu |
| Company | Samsung | Samsung | Garmin |
| Operating System | WearOS (One UI) | WearOS (One UI) | Garmin OS |
| Compatible Smartphones | Android (Works best with Samsung) | Android (Works best with Samsung) | Android, iOS |
| Competition | Fitbit Sense, Ticwatch Pro 4G, Garmin Venu 2 | Garmin Fenix 7, Garmin Instinct 2, Polar Vantage 2 | Galaxy Watch 4, Fitbit Sense, Fossil Gen 6, Apple Watch 7, |
| Sensors | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor | Garmin Elevate heart rate sensor, Barometric altimeter Compass Gyroscope Accelerometer Thermometer Ambient light sensor Pulse ox blood oxygen saturation monitor |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5/5 Pro vs Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2 Plus: Price and Value
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth/GPS | 40mm: $279 | 44mm: $299 | $449 | $400-$450 |
| LTE | 40mm: 329 | 44mm: $349 | $499 | No LTE Model |
Which one is the better value for your money?
To start, let’s take a look at the price. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 starts at $279 for the 40mm Bluetooth model. It goes up to $349 for the larger 44mm version with LTE support. Whereas, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has only one size (45mm) and has a difference of $50 between its Bluetooth and LTE model.
The Garmin Venu 2 is priced at $399.99 for both the 40mm and 45mm case sizes. However, Garmin Venu 2 Plus is priced a little higher at around $450.
When it comes to price and value, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 has a slight edge over the Garmin Venu 2. You don’t have to take our word for it. Let’s see how these two devices fare when we compare their specs and features.
Winner: Galaxy Watch 5 & 5 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5/5 Pro vs Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2 Plus: Design & Display
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 40mm: 39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8 mm |44mm: 43.3 x 44.4 x 9.8 mm, 33.5g | 45.4 x 45.4 x 10.5 mm | 40mm(2S): 40.4 x 40.4 x 12.1 mm; 43mm(2 Plus): 43.6 x 43.6 x 12.6 mm; 45mm(2): 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm |
| Buttons | 2 Buttons | 2 Buttons | 2 Buttons |
| Weight | 40mm: 28.7g | 44mm: 33.5g | 46.5g | 40mm(2S): 38.2g; 43mm(2 Plus): 51.0g; 45mm(2): 49.0g |
| Colors | Graphite, Silver, Sapphire, Pink Gold | Black Titanium, Gray Titanium | Venu 2S: Slate/Graphite, LightGold/LightSand, Silver/MistGrey, Rose Gold/White | Venu 2 Plus: CreamGold/Ivory, Silver/PowderGray, Slate/Black | Venu 2: Silver/Granite Blue, Slate/Black |
| Band Size | 20mm (M/L) | 20mm (M/L) | 40mm(2S): 18mm; 43mm(2 Plus): 20mm ; 45mm(2): 22mm |
| Casing Material | Aluminum | Titanium | Venu 2/2S: Fiber-Reinforced Polymer | Venu 2 Plus: Fiber-Reinforced Polymer with stainless-steel rear cover |
| Strap Material | Silicone | Silicone | Silicone |
| Screen Size | 40mm: 1.2 inches (396×396 Pixels) | 44mm: 1.4 inches, Super AMOLED (450×450 Pixels) | 1.4 inches,, | 40mm(2S): 1.1 inches; 43mm(2 Plus): 1.3 inches; 45mm(2): 1.3 inches |
| Screen Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED | AMOLED optional always-on mode |
| Screen Resolution | 40mm: 396×396 Pixels; 44mm: 450×450 Pixels | 450×450 Pixels | 40mm(2S): 360 x 360 pixels; 43mm(2 Plus): 416 x 416 pixels; 45mm(2): 416 x 416 pixels |
| Screen Protection | Sapphire Crystal Glass | Sapphire Crystal Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Always-on Display | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rotating Bezel | Touch | Touch | No |
| Waterproofing | 5 ATM (up to 50m) | Suitable for Shower, Swimming | 5 ATM (up to 50m) | Suitable for Shower, Swimming | 5 ATM (up to 50m) | Suitable for Shower, Swimming |
In the design department, the differences between the Galaxy Watch 5 and Venu 2 are quite marginal. Both have a similar circular design, lust AMOLED display, and side buttons. You get swappable watch bands with both these wearables.
Watches within Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro series differ in terms of sizes, screen resolution, and color options. The same can be said about Venu 2, Venu 2S, and Venu 2 Plus. The comparison table given above will make things clearer for you.
Apart from the looks, there are a couple of other design-related features that are worth mentioning here. Samsung has featured ‘Sapphire Glass’ on both Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro, whereas the latter also gets a bonus for durability due mainly to its titanium casing.
Sapphire Glass is not uncommon to Garmin watches but it’s only featured in elite watches in Fenix, Tactix, and Swim series.
No Garmin watch in the mid-range segment like Venu has this material. Even the top of the line model, Venu 2 Plus only has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection.
Also, Samsung Watches have metallic construction through and through which gives them a premium feel and look. Venu 2 series has both plastic and metal build.
The durability and aesthetic appeal of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series (especially 5 Pro) make them a clear winner in this department.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 vs Garmin Venu 2: Smartwatch Features
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | WearOS | WearOS | Garmin OS |
| Connectivity Options | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi(802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz), GPS, LTE | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz), GPS, LTE | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, ANT+ |
| Processor | Exynos W920 | Exynos W920 | ARM Cortex-M4 |
| RAM | 1.5GB RAM | 1.5GB RAM | 256 MB |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB | 7 GB (650 Songs Capacity |
| Speaker & Mic | Yes | Yes | Yes (Only Venu 2 Plus) |
| Companion App | Galaxy Wearable | Galaxy Wearable | Garmin Connect |
| Contactless Payment (NFC) | Samsung+Google Pay | Samsung+Google Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Standalone Calling and Texting | Yes (LTE model) | Yes (LTE model) | No |
| Voice Assistant | Bixby, Google Assistant | Bixby, Google Assistant | Phones’ Voice Assistant (only in Venu 2 Plus) |
| Timer & Alarms | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Popular Apps | Strava, Spotify, Google Maps, Youtube Music, Google Keep, Google Pay, Nike Run Club | Strava, Spotify, Google Maps, Youtube Music, Google Keep, Google Pay, Nike Run Club | Strava, Spotify, Google Maps, Nike Run Club, Google Pay |
For years, Samsung and Apple have been leading the way when it comes to smartwatch features.
The Galaxy Watch 5 runs Wear OS powered by Samsung, which gives users access to Google Suite including services like Gmail and Google Maps, and Google Assistant, as well as, thousands of third-party apps on Google Playstore.
Samsung watches can make and receive calls, send texts, stream music (on Spotify & Youtube), browse the internet, and make NFC payments. You don’t need to pair it with your smartphone if you invest in the LTE model.
In addition to this, Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro offer seamless integration with Samsung and other Android phones. The support for IoT devices is also better on these watches. For instance, the sleep tracking feature sync with smart bulbs to automatically adjust the light in your room according to your normal sleep schedule.
On the other hand, Venu 2 imitates some of the Samsung watch features including the ability to mirror notifications from a paired phone, store music, and make contactless payments (Via Garmin Pay). Venu 2 Plus has added support for voice assistant but it only works when the phone is connected. The same goes for the calling and texting feature on this premium watch.
We don’t need to dig any further than this to prove the superiority of the Galaxy Watch 5 in this domain.
Winner: Galaxy Watch 5 & 5 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5/5 Pro vs Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2 Plus: Health & Fitness
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Monitoring | Yes (Advanced) | Yes (Advanced) | Yes (Basic) |
| Stress Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECG Monitoring | Yes | Yes | No |
| Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Body Composition | Yes | Yes | No |
| Blood Pressure Tracking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Workouts | 30+ | 30+ | 75+ |
| Automatic Workout Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Tracking | Yes +Glonass/Beidou/Galileo | Yes +Glonass/Beidou/Galileo | Yes + GLONASS/ GALILEO |
Let’s discuss health monitoring first. Both Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Venu 2 come with support for a range of sensors and features that enable them to track various health metrics.
These include heart rate sensor, SpO2 sensor, GPS, stress tracking, sleep tracking, breathing exercises, menstrual cycle tracking, and more. Their accuracy is comparable for the most part but some of the features work better on the Garmin Watch.
Also, a couple of metrics like ECG monitoring, blood pressure tracking, and body composition analysis are exclusive only to Galaxy Watch 5.
Garmin Venu 2 counters this advantage to some extent by offering advanced tracking features for a variety of sports and activities and a top-notch GPS system.
The support for on-screen workouts is also better on Venu 2 as it offers more than 20 live animations for different exercises. You can also download custom-made workout programs from the Garmin Connect app and follow them on your watch.
Garmin takes the raw metrics like heart rate tracking, sleep, and stress data and turns that into actionable insights that can help you improve your overall fitness. We are particularly fond of its body battery, recovery, and VO2 max data.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has made an effort to put a dent in Garmin’s armor by featuring dedicated GPS tools like tracking back and the ability to navigate a downloaded.GPX file (route). However, it remains to be seen how accurate these features are in the real world.
Winner: Garmin Venu 2/2s or Venu 2 Plus
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5/5 Pro vs Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2 Plus: Battery Life & Charging
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Garmin Venu 2/2S & 2 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Size | 40mm: 284mAh | 44mm: 410mAh | 590mAh | Not Specified. |
| Expected Battery Performance | Almost 50 hours | Almost 80 hours | Almost 10-12 days |
| Fast Charging Support | Yes | Yes | No |
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a smartwatch is battery life. After all, even the most feature-packed watch is useless if it needs to be charged every few hours.
In this respect, Garmin has the upper hand. All the watches in the Venu 2 series offer week-long battery performance in smartwatch mode, irrespective of the fact that they feature the same high-resolution displays as found on high-end Samsung watches.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Series, on the other hand, offers only 3 to 5 days of battery life (depending on the size and model).
However, Samsung has brought some major improvements to the way you can charge the device. The new Galaxy Watch 5 comes with fast charging support.
As per Samsung’s claim, an 8-minute charge should give you 8 hours of sleep tracking, while 30 minutes of charging should give you a full day’s use without any issue.
Garmin Venu 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 5: Ultimate Winner?
If you take pride and value into account, Galaxy Watch 5 wins hands down. It’s more affordable, packs in more features, and has better build quality.
However, if your main focus is on everyday fitness tracking, you should go for Garmin Venu 2/2S or Venu 2 Plus. You won’t have to compromise on useful smart features and will get better accuracy for tracking various health metrics and workout profiles.
