Venu X1 Smart Watch Review

 

If you're a fan of bold smartwatches, Garmin just unveiled its biggest watch ever. 

 Garmin announced its newest smartwatch Thursday, the Venu X1.  The size of the Venu X1 is the first thing that comes to mind. It has a thin design and a large, rectangular face, according to Garmin. It's a watch that's easy to see, but it doesn't look overpowering or like it's too heavy to wear.

 

The watch's press release describes several additional design features, including an 8mm case, a sapphire lens that is scratch-resistant for outdoor activities, a 2-inch screen, and a titanium caseback. The Venu X1 has a built-in LED flashlight, speaker, and microphone. It will be available in black and moss. It will have access to more than 100 sports apps, mapping, the ability to make and take calls, a sleep coach, and the wealth of fitness and health information Garmin's devices are known for.

In smartwatch mode, the watch will have a battery life of up to 8 days, according to Garmin. That will be less if you use the tracking features a lot and enable the always-on screen, but several early online reviews I've read indicate that it still takes about two days. The Venu X1 will be available for purchase on June 18 and has a suggested retail price of $799.99. For comparison, the Pixel Watch 3, the Apple Watch Series 10, and the Garmin Venu 3S are all fitness tracking watches priced between $300 and $400. Overall, it seems to be a direct competitor to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which comes in at the same price point.  These are two very different watches, though, offering a different app library, different phone connectivity, and different design.