Versa 2 is succeeded by Fitbit Versa 3 which is one of the best fitness smartwatches right now on the market, same can also be said of Garmin Venu which was released last year. So which is better between these two? We’ll try to do justice to this question in this post. The very first common similarity between Versa 3 and Venu is that each of these two is fitness-focused and are as well equipped with loads of fitness tracking features that make any of these two a comprehensive fitness tracker. Beyond the similarity in fitness tracking, each of these two will also help you manage notifications on your phone, store music on watch and allows you to go multiple days from a single charge. Read further to learn more about which is better smartwatch between these two.
Table of Contents
Fitbit Versa 3 vs Garmin Venu: Full Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Fitbit Versa 3 Full Specifications, Features and Price |
 Garmin Venu Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $229.00 | $337.00 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Fitbit Versa 3 | Garmin Venu |
| Device type | Fitness/Sport smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex, Women |
| Release date | September, 2020 | September, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Fitbit Versa 2 | Garmin Vivoactive 3 |
| Successor | — | — |
| Versions | — | — |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 40.4 x 40.4 x 12.4 mm | 43.2 x 43.2 x 12.4 mm |
| Weight | — | 46.3 grams |
| Shape | Square | Circular |
| Case material | Aluminum | Fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Strap material | Polyester, Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel material | Aluminum | Stainless steel |
| Strap size | 140 – 180mm (small), 180 -220mm (big) | 20 mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Black/black, Midnight blue/gold, Pink/Gold | Black, Gold, Rose-gold |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.58 inches | 1.2 inches |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 300 x 300 pixels | 390 x 390 px |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 1 Haptic button, Touchscreen | 2 Physical buttons, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v5.0 | ANT+, Bluetooth v4.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | No |
| GPS | GLONASS, GPS | Galileo, GLONASS, GPS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | — | — |
| ROM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| Band | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | No |
| Microphone | Yes | No |
| Camera | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | No | Yes |
| ECG | No | No |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | — | Yes |
| Other sensors | Vibration motor | — |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | No |
| Fitness Level | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-heart tracking | No | Yes |
| On-screen workout | Yes | Yes |
| Sport modes | 20+ | 20 |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | — | — |
| Battery life | Regular: 6 Days+ | GPS with music: up to 6hrs, Smartwatch mode: up to 5 days |
| Charging type | USB charging | Charging dock |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | — | — |
| CPU | — | — |
| GPU | — | — |
| Operating system | Fitbit OS | Proprietary OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Fitbit App | Garmin Connect |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS | Android 5.0+, iOS 11.0+ |
| Payment system | Fitbit Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | Yes | 20mm, Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Alexa, Yes, Google Assistant | No |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Fitbit Versa 3, Manual, Straps | Charger, Garmin Venu, Manual, Straps |
| Price | $229.00 | $337.00 |
Features Comparison
- Design: Both Versa 3 and Venu have got a lightweight, compact and durable design
- FITNESS TRACKING
- Music Storage – You can’t add personal music to Versa 3
- Versa 3 has both microphone and loudspeaker
- Versa 3 has both Alexa and Google Assistant
- 5 Days+ long battery life
- Versa 3 has both Alexa and Google Assistant
Each of these two smartwatches has got a decent design that is built with durable materials. Aluminum material has been used for the case of Versa 3, while reinforced polymer has been used for the case of Venu, both materials are very lightweight. The strap of both smartwatches is made of silicone that is also lightweight, interchangeable and compatible with 20mm-wide straps.
In terms of dimension, Versa 3 at 12mm thick is slightly slimmer than Venu which is 12.4cm thick. The shapes are also different which is very noticeable, a square shape Versa 3 vs a circular Venu, and with a stainless steel bezel, the Venu has a classic appearance as against the sporty design of Versa 3.
There are lots of watch faces to choose from on the respective platforms; Fitbit app for Versa 3 or Garmin connect store for Venu. Both are rated 5ATM which is equivalent to 50 meters and makes any of these two swim-proof.
So, as far as design is concerned, each of these has got a nice and elegant design. However, Garmin Venu looks more attractive with its circular shape and stainless steel bezel.
Going by the fitness tracking features present in each of these two, both Versa 3 and Venu are well equipped to track a whole lot of activities. Any of these two can track your sleep comprehensively in stages, and as well as your heart rate. There is inbuilt GPS on both Versa 3 and Venu, this allows you to track outdoor activities.
Other common fitness tracking features include stress measurement, 20 preloaded sport modes and the ability to count floors climbed. You can log your water intake on both smartwatches, and for women, it allows you to track your menstrual cycle.
Versa 3 through Fitbit coach app features animated workout modes that coach you through your favorite moves, Venu also features animated workout modes.
The main difference as per fitness tracking is that while each of these two can measure your blood oxygen levels, Venu can measure your blood oxygen level during the day and when you sleep, unlike Versa 3 that only measures your blood oxygen overnight when you wear it to sleep and displays your SpO2 levels through the SpO2 watch faces.
Additionally, Venu features incidental fall detection which allows the watch to call a preset emergency number when it detects a hard fall as long as it’s near to the connected phone.
Each of these two comes with 4GB storage capacity out of which about 2GB is available for use, this allows you to store your favorite tracks on the watch. However, Versa 3 has a limited option as far as music storage is concerned, it only allows you to add your Pandora, Deezer and Spotify playlists. Meanwhile, Venu allows you to download Spotify, Deezer and you can also sync Amazon music playlists as well as add your personal music tracks.
There is a loudspeaker and microphone on Versa 3 which allows you to take calls directly from the watch and as well as play music files aloud. Although, you can’t make calls for now from the Versa 3, but you can take calls and talk directly from the watch. Meanwhile, you can only answer calls on Venu which you will have to continue on your phone.
Due to the presence of a microphone and loudspeaker on Versa 3, it features Alexa voice assistant and the recently added Google Assistant. You can only use one at a time. With the latest firmware update, you can hear Alexa reply to you, while Google Assistant lacks this feature for now.
I noticed that I could use Google Assistant to start a call on my phone which wasn’t possible with Alexa. The Venu lacks voice Assistant.
From my experience, having used the Versa 3 for a couple of months now, it lasted up to 5 days on average. This is about the same with Venu which averaged about 6 days or more depending on the frequency of use. Its good to note that each of these two allow you to go multiple days from a single charge.
Both Versa 3 and Venu allow you to manage notifications that you receive on your phone. Both also feature quick reply functions that allow you to respond to messages with preset custom replies. However, Versa 3 which has a microphone allows you to reply with your voice as well which I find very useful oftentimes.
My Verdict
Each of these two has a decent design, good battery life and lots of activity tracking features, I give it to Venu as far as design and activity tracking are concerned. I thinks it’s a more comprehensive activity tracker and it also looks more attractive than Versa 3.
However, on the other hand, Versa 3 which has both a microphone and loudspeaker and features two voice assistants is a more comprehensive lifestyle smartwatch. Moreover, it’s also cheaper which I think is a great bargain.
