The vivoactive 6 is catching as much as the Garmin Venu collection

I’ve been testing Garmin’s Vivoactive and Venu collection for generations, and up to now, every line clearly catered to distinct consumer wants. The Vivoactive line was my go-to suggestion for budget-conscious athletes. The Venu stood as Garmin’s most suitable choice for a rounded smartwatch expertise. With the discharge of the Garmin Vivoactive 6, nevertheless, the road between the 2 collection feels blurrier than ever, and for the primary time, I’m struggling to differentiate between them clearly.

Midway by way of testing the Vivoactive 6, I spotted that the variations between it and the Venu 3 are far much less clear than I anticipated. The 2 watches every boast an AMOLED show and make the most of predictably comparable design language. Each function glossy, light-weight polymer builds, comfy, quick-release silicone straps, and 5ATM water resistance. I put on both one and not using a second considered sturdiness or consolation. The Vivoactive 6 is smaller and lighter, with an aluminum bezel as a substitute of a chrome steel one, however I nonetheless discover it a comparatively elegant accent, identical to the Venu 3.

Beneath the hood, each watches ship over per week of battery life, so I’m by no means left stranded with a useless gadget, together with music storage, NFC help, and entry to Garmin’s Join IQ app retailer. On high of that, they share practically similar core well being and health monitoring options. The Venu 3 does embrace a more recent coronary heart fee sensor and a barometric altimeter, however in my testing, each gadgets proved remarkably correct in comparison with my chest strap.

On each gadgets, customers will discover superior sleep monitoring, SpO2 monitoring, sturdy health monitoring toolkits, and extremely dependable built-in GPS. Every additionally affords Garmin’s full suite of security and monitoring options, Discover My Telephone and Watch, sleep coach and nap detection, and Garmin-specific favorites like Physique Battery and Morning Report. Briefly, each cowl all of the bases.

This overlap raises considerations about product line differentiation and, for me, serves as a knock towards the Venu line. The Vivoactive 6 is priced a lot decrease at $299 however consists of a wide range of options that had been as soon as unique to the Venu collection. The Venu 3, in the meantime, asks customers to drop $499. That’s a tough promote when the Vivoactive 6 supplies a comparable expertise at a extra accessible worth level. The cheaper gadget additionally packs in a couple of training-specific instruments not discovered on the Venu, like additional sport modes, route and course monitoring, Good Wake, and day by day steered strolling exercises.

After all, that isn’t to say the Vivoactive 6 has every part customers might like concerning the Venu. I used to be most disenchanted to see the ECG app remains to be lacking from the Vivoactive 6 (as a result of older coronary heart fee sensor). There’s additionally the additional button, metallic detailing, and microphone/speaker package deal for voice help and Bluetooth cellphone name help. But absolutely these variations don’t equate to a $200 markup, do they?

The constructive spin is that the Vivoactive 6’s function set and proximity to the Venu 3’s choices might spark evolution for the Venu collection. To keep up the road’s premium standing, Garmin must reposition the lineup as a real smartwatch. I, for one, would like to see LTE help and expanded third-party app integrations. This could make the Venu collection extra aggressive with gadgets just like the Pixel Watch 3 or Apple Watch.

All in all, the Garmin Vivoactive 6 and Venu 3 are each nice watches, however the line between them is getting blurry. Because the Vivoactive retains leveling up, the Venu has to evolve too, not simply in worth, however in function. Garmin doesn’t have to scrap both lineup. The corporate simply wants to offer customers clearer causes to decide on one over the opposite.