We haven't seen any exciting Garmin watch launches in the past few months, but the wearable giant is back with a big announcement. Introducing the third iteration of the Apple Watch rival Venu series with improved health features and hardware updates, including Sleep Coach, nap detection, wheelchair mode, built-in speaker and microphone, and more.
One of the biggest updates is the wheelchair mode, which tracks daily pushes and helps users receive weight shift alerts, plus wheelchair-specific sports apps and workouts. Garmin modified the algorithms of some existing features to "enhance the meaningfulness of key insights for wheelchair users."
Sleep tracking has been significantly overhauled on the smartwatch. The new Sleep Coach feature allows you to receive a sleep score and personalised coaching for how much sleep is recommended, as well as keeping track of different sleep stages, naps and other key metrics such as blood oxygen and heart rate variability (HRV) status.
Another slumber-related update is nap detection. This feature automatically tracks and logs naps to see how they may benefit the body and the suggested time and duration they should be.
Body Battery has also been reworked, an often misunderstood option that monitors energy levels throughout the day to find the best times for activity and rest. The updated Body Battery is said to provide even more details and personal insights on how sleep, naps, daily activities and high stress specifically impact energy levels.
From a physical standpoint, the Garmin Venu 3 added a built-in speaker and microphone so you can make and take calls right from the watch (when paired with a compatible smartphone) and use the smartphone’s voice assistant to respond to text messages and more.
You also get a full suite of smart features, including fall detection, Garmin Pay contactless payments and the ability to download songs and playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer (subscription required) for phone-free listening. The only that's missing is the ECG, which was introduced with the Venu 2 Plus. We're yet to see another Garmin watch with this functionality.
Available in two sizes and featuring a lightweight, stainless steel bezel and silicone band, the Garmin Venu 3 is available in whitestone/silver and black/slate, while the smaller Garmin Venu 3S comes in pebble grey/slate, sage grey/silver, French grey/soft gold, dust rose/soft gold and ivory/soft gold. Suggested retail price of $450/ £450/AU$ 749 for silicone bands and £500 for leather bands (leather band options are currently not available on the US/AU sites).
