Featured in this comparison post is the Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Versa 3, each of these two smartwatches is fitness-oriented, equipped with a decent number of features with a long battery life. The Venu Sq which is a lower-end version of Garmin Venu lacks an altimeter, animated workout modes, and an AMOLED display, while Versa 3 is the successor to Versa 2 and comes with inbuilt GPS, loudspeaker, and has a slightly longer battery life than its predecessor. The difference in price between the Venu Sq and Versa 3 is very close which is why this comparison is an interesting one that will most likely help you make the right choice between these two.
Please note that the Venu Sq comes in two models; Venu Sq Music and Venu Sq Standard. The difference between these two is that the Music edition comes with about 4GB storage capacity that enables onboard music storage, the Standard edition lacks music storage. You will be able to download your Amazon Music, Spotify or Deezer playlist to Venu Sq Music. Beyond this, both editions have the same features and design.
Meanwhile, in this post, we’re comparing the Venu Sq Music vs Versa 3.
Garmin Venu Sq Music vs Fitbit Versa 3: Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Garmin Venu Sq Specifications, Features and Price |
 Fitbit Versa 3 Full Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $148.47 | $154.35 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Garmin Venu Sq | Fitbit Versa 3 |
| Device type | Fitness/Sport smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2020 | September, 2020 |
| Predecessor | — | Fitbit Versa 2 |
| Successor | Garmin Venu Sq 2 | Fitbit Versa 4 |
| Versions | Garmin Venu Sq, Garmin Venu Sq Music | — |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 40.6 x 37.0 x 11.5 mm | 40.4 x 40.4 x 12.4 mm |
| Weight | 37.6g | — |
| Shape | Square | Square |
| Case material | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Aluminum |
| Strap material | Silicone | Polyester, Silicone |
| Bezel material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Strap size | 20 mm | 140 – 180mm (small), 180 -220mm (big) |
| Interchangeable strap | 20mm, Yes | Yes |
| 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, Navy, Rose-gold, White | Black/black, Midnight blue/gold, Pink/Gold |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.3 inches | 1.58 inches |
| Display type | LCD | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 px | 300 x 300 pixels |
| Pixel density | 261 PPI | 268.5 PPI |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 2 Physical buttons, Touchscreen | 1 Haptic button, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | ANT+, Bluetooth | Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | No | Yes |
| GPS | Galileo, GLONASS, GPS | 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 |
| Reply to Notifications | - | - |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | No | Yes |
| Microphone | No | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | No | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | No | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | No |
| ECG | No | No |
| Gyroscope | No | — |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | Yes | Yes |
| 1 | - | - |
| 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 |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | No | - |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | Yes | No |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | Yes | No |
| On-screen workout | No | Yes |
| Sport modes | 20 | 20+ |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | — | — |
| Battery life | GPS mode: 14 hours, Smartwatch mode: 6 days | Regular: 6 Days+ |
| Charging type | Charging dock | USB charging |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 30min-1hr |
| Solar charging | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | — | — |
| CPU | — | — |
| GPU | — | — |
| Operating system | Proprietary OS | Fitbit OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Garmin Connect | Fitbit App |
| Compatibility | Android OS 8.0+, iOS 15.0+ | Android OS 8.0+, iOS 14.0+ |
| Payment system | Garmin Pay | Fitbit Pay |
| Voice command | No | Yes, Alexa, Yes, Google Assistant |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Garmin Venu Sq, Manual, Straps | Charger, Fitbit Versa 3, Manual, Straps |
Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Versa 3 – Features Review
DESIGN
Both Venu Sq and Versa 3 have remarkable designs, each of these two is very lightweight and compact. I never had any problem wearing the Versa 3 to bed, it just fits my wrist. The case of Versa 3 is made of aluminum, while Venu Sq has a fiber-reinforced polymer case. The straps of both smartwatches come in silicone, and this is why each of these two is very lightweight. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protects the screen of both smartwatches, So I can say each of these two smartwatches is sturdy.
AMOLED powers the display of Versa 3 which is more colorful than the LCD display of Venu Sq, although the Venu Sq will be easier to read under direct sunlight.
FITNESS TRACKING
Venu Sq being a lower-end version of Venu will not count floors climbed as it lacks an altimeter and it also lacks animated workout modes, both of which are available on Versa 3. Fitbit coach on Versa 3 features animated workout illustrations that can coach you through your favorite moves and it also counts floors climbed.
Both Venu Sq and Versa 3 can measure your blood oxygen levels, however, Versa 3 has a limited blood oxygen monitoring feature that only tracks your blood oxygen overnight unlike Venu Sq which tracks your blood oxygen on demand.
Both smartwatches will track your sleep in stages and will show your sleep trend over time, as well as track your heart rate continuously. Versa 3 shows my resting heart rate as well as my heart rate zones which are also available in Venu Sq. There is now an inbuilt GPS in Versa 3 which I have tested alongside Galaxy Watch, and the result was just about the same. Venu Sq also has an inbuilt GPS that allows you to track your routes, real-time pace, and other metrics.
When connected to your phone, Venu Sq has the capability of detecting a hard fall and will send a call to a preset emergency number. This feature isn’t available on Versa 3
Other similar activity tracking features include the ability to track your steps, distance, calories, log food and water intake, menstrual cycle logging, and help you manage stress through the respective stress apps.
MEDIA
Both Venu Sq and Versa 3 allow you to store music files on the watch. Both smartwatches support music streaming with Deezer. Amazon Music is supported on Venu Sq which is not available on Versa 3. Moreover, while you can add your personal music to Venu Sq, Versa 3 doesn’t allow you to add personal music, you can only download Pandora stations, Deezer playlist and control the Spotify music app on your phone.
Meanwhile, with Venu Sq Music, you can download your Spotify, Deezer and Amazon music playlist to the watch.
There’s a microphone as well as a loudspeaker on the Versa 3 which enables on-wrist calls on the watch. As a result, you can receive and answer calls directly on Versa 3. And with your voice, you can start a call with Google Assistant on Versa 3.
Moreover, Versa 3 features two voice assistants, Alexa and Google Assistant. This gives you the option of choosing your preferred voice assistant. The Venu Sq lacks on-wrist calls and voice assistants.
NOTIFICATIONS
As per managing notifications, each of these two allows you to manage notifications effortlessly. However, while you can reply to notifications with preset replies on both smartwatches, Versa 3 has a microphone that allows you to reply with your voice.
BATTERY LIFE
I got about 5 days long battery life with Versa 3 which is just about the same as Venu Sq which has about 6 days long battery life. It’s probably the same battery life for both smartwatches as I did outdoor activity tracking with Versa 3, yet got approximately 5 days long battery life.
Garmin Venu Sq vs Fitbit Versa 3 – Which is Better?
It’s a very close call between Versa 3 and Venu Sq as both smartwatches are well equipped to track your active life and help you manage your fitness goals. Both smartwatches also have decent battery life that allows you to go long from a single charge.
Personally, the Versa 3 is a better smartwatch than Venu Sq Music. It has an AMOLED display, animated workout modes, and can counts floors climbed. It also features a microphone and speaker that enable on-wrist calls as well as two voice assistants. The Versa 3 is clearly a more comprehensive smartwatch than Venu Sq Music.
On the other hand, Venu Sq is cheaper, yet a decent fitness smartwatch.
