What you need to know
- Garmin has announced the all-new Venu Sq 2 and Sq 2 - Music Edition smartwatches.
- The company is also introducing a limited edition version of the vivofit 3 jr. to celebrate Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
- These smartwatches are available in three different colors, and pricing starts at $249.99.
We're less than a week removed from the Galaxy Watch 5 launch, and now Garmin is coming in hot with two new smartwatches of its own. Following up on the popularity of the Garmin Venu Sq, the Venu Sq 2 and Sq 2 - Music Edition are coming soon to store shelves near you.
Aside from the ability to store music on your wrist (and a slightly higher price tag), there are no other differences between the Venu Sq 2 and Sq 2 - Music Edition. These smartwatches sport a 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen designed for those who prefer a more rectangular design for their watches. On the right side, you'll find buttons to navigate through the interface of Garmin's wearable operating system.
Along with being able to keep an eye on the time, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 is also equipped with more than 25 different sports modes to use when working out. All of these tracked metrics can be viewed right from the watch, or you can launch the accompanying Garmin app on your favorite Android phone to get a more in-depth overview.
As we've seen with some of the best smartwatches announced recently, there's a larger focus on sleep tracking. That trend continues with the Garmin Venu Sq 2 series. Not only will you be able to accurately track how long you're actually asleep, but Garmin's Body Battery lets you know when you should take it easy or when you can push yourself a bit harder.
Thanks to the various on-device sensors, the Venu Sq 2 is also capable of tracking your stress levels, Pulse Ox2, and other health metrics. And with the Venu Sq 2 - Music Edition, you can leave your phone behind as there's enough onboard storage to add up to 500 songs to your watch.
In order to make the most out of the Venu Sq 2 and everything it can track, you're going to want a smartwatch with excellent battery life. On paper, it looks like Garmin's delivering again, as the Venu Sq 2 is rated to last for up to 11 days on a single charge. This puts the likes of the Galaxy Watch 5 and even the Watch 5 Pro to shame, removing the need to charge your watch every day or two.
Something else that helps separate the best Garmin smartwatches from the rest of the pack is the other features that Garmin includes. With the Venu 2 Sq and the Music Edition, you'll also enjoy Garmin Pay. While you might have been hoping for Google Wallet, Garmin Pay bridges the gap for iOS and Android users by bringing with it a "one-size-fits-all" approach.
Pricing for the Garmin Venu Sq 2 with a standard silicone band starts at $249.99, and you can choose from three different color combinations. As for the Venu Sq 2 - Music Edition, this also is available in three different colors, but the onboard storage pushes the price up to $299.99. Regardless of which option you're interested in, if you don't want the pre-selected colors for your casing and band, you can head over to Garmin's Your Watch, Your Way landing page and customize the Venu Sq 2 to your liking.
That's not everything that Garmin has announced today, however, as the company is also introducing a new limited edition vivofit jr. 3 wearable. This is the same great kids smartwatch that we've reviewed in the past, with a bit of a twist. To help celebrate the upcoming release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, this new special edition vivofit jr. 3 is sure to excite Marvel fans everywhere.
But there's more to this release than just a new band for the existing fitness tracker. Garmin has included an array of different watch faces, with other images available to be unlocked while performing various activities and challenges. According to Garmin, children will be able to earn "Infinity Stone points that can be used to reveal new images of the Avengers." It's a great way to incentivize your kids to stay active, while also appealing to the Marvel and Avengers super-fans out there.
Besides the Black Panther and Avengers-specific features, parents will also enjoy the same great vivofit 3 jr. features that they have come to expect from Garmin. This includes using the Garmin Jr. app to view their children's activity levels along with other metrics. Garmin isn't expecting this to be around for long, and you can grab a vivofit 3 jr. for just $89.99.
