Garmin’s Venu X1 is giving big ‘America’ energy with a completely unnecessary but entertaining feature

Garmin has been in the spotlight recently. First, the company launched the Connect+ subscription service, followed by the Forerunner 570 and 970, the HRM 600 heart rate monitor, and, only a week ago, the new Venu X1 smartwatch.

The latest Garmin watch is a departure from the brand's other wearables, offering a more Apple Watch-esque experience and look. It has a wide, flat, and square case, a large AMOLED screen (the largest from the company to date), and only two buttons.

The watch's navigation is also similar to that of the Cupertino-based tech giant. You can scroll down to access your 'glances' – features grouped into folders such as Health, Training, etc. – and press the top button to summon other features.

Forget fitness – this Garmin feature takes you back to the Casio days

One of these summonable features has nothing to do with training or recovery. In fact, it's pretty basic and harkens back to those vintage Casios with physical keyboards. That's right; I'm talking about a calculator.

Now, I'll be the first one to admit that the inclusion of a calculator feature on a smartwatch isn't mind-blowing, but it makes a lot of sense on the Venu X1, thanks to the large, square screen. Even I can tap away on the virtual keyboard with my big monkey hands, which says a lot.

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It's a button on the calculator feature that radiates big 'American' energy. Left to the division symbol, you'll find the 'TIP' button, which does what it says on the box: it calculates the tip based on the number entered into the calculator.

It also helps you figure out how much each party member should chip in based on the tip amount using the person counter on the right. Tipping has never been more convenient – thanks, Garmin!

Why the TIP button is weirdly funny (especially outside the US)

I find this entertaining because while the US clearly has an issue with its tipping culture, nowhere else in the world will you need to work this out so precisely.

I know for a fact that people in the UK tip only occasionally. Even if they do, they round the bill up to the nearest five or ten, regardless of the amount.

(I used to find it offensive when people tipped me £1.38 on a £148.62 bill. Either tip or don't tip, people!)

Maybe it's those long years spent in menial hospitality jobs that make the existence of this feature so entertaining for me; who knows? What I do know is that it's unlikely the TIP button will be used much on my Venu X1, but it's certainly entertaining.

I just started testing the watch, and while I was captivated by its calculator prowess, I mustn't get distracted, as there are many more to see, test and review on the Venu X1.

Stay tuned for the full review! Until then, read my Garmin Forerunner 570 review.