Last Updated on September 17, 2024 by Luis Cooper
Are you purchasing a new smartwatch with Android compatibility and can’t determine which is the best fit between the Garmin Venu 3 and Google Pixel Watch 2?
Here’s a guide to help you.
I will mention some factors comparing both watches and the winners below.
This way, you can easily pick a watch that suits your style, budget, and preference.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive into the guide.
Garmin Venu 3 vs Google Pixel Watch 2
Design:
The Garmin 3 is a stunning smartwatch that also works as a health and workout tracker and a stylish wearable.
It comes with a silicone strap that makes the watch quite comfortable, water resistant, and sleek in design, and the stainless steel bezel provides it with a high-end look.
The quality of this watch truly shines when the screen lights up.
It features a gorgeous 1.4-inch AMOLED display with a 454 x 454-pixel resolution.
The bright, colourful display ensures that your metrics look attractive, regardless of the lighting conditions.
The Garmin 3 works excellently with the touch display, which scrolls menus and shows lovely graphical transitions that allow users to explore menus.
It’s all gathered in gorilla glass to ensure it stays scratch-free, which worked perfectly in our harsh testing.
Features:
The Venu 3 combines fitness, lifestyle, and health-tracking features, and it offers useful smartwatch apps from the Connect IQ store.
One notable feature is the AMOLED display, which is particularly handy when used with a doorbell app.
The reversal of the Venu 3 speaker and mic means you can fetch audio and even make calls on the watch.
It’s not well-defined enough to allow you to make calls using a ring app.
However, it’s unsurprising that third-party apps are incompatible with other platforms.
Garmin has never focused much on this area; instead, it primarily concentrates on fitness training.
You can expect various tracking and training options, such as heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, stress scores, and HRV measurement.
All of these features provide you with a comprehensive overview of your health.
You can also track various types of exercise, including golf and swimming.
Garmin offers a golf app that can sync with Venu 3 on your phone.
The mediation is worth mentioning as it is tailored to this watch and offers audio and visual guidance without connecting to the microphones.
The wheelchair’s user-specific tracking feature is an excellent option, allowing you to set it up in that mode from the beginning.
Performance:
The Garmin Venu 3 performed well in practice like other garmins.
That means it has faultless GPS and fast and accurate measurements.
It also showed precise heart rate data when tested with a chest strap.
The Venu 3 uses data in a special way.
For example, sleep tracking is more advanced than many sports-specific Garmin watches.
It not only provides a morning report but also an evening report, helping you find ways to improve your sleep.
It also has a nap detection feature, allowing you to take a power nap when recommended.
It was surprising to find that the speaker and microphone were not just a fad but valuable.
They provided enough guidance to follow meditations, receive calls, and listen to music.
The mic worked excellently, too, and is perfect for busy parents.
This is the best option if you are a working parent and still want to know what’s happening in the room.
Why choose a sports watch over this one?
The Venu 3 is great for tracking more than 30 sports, but it may not provide a detailed analysis of sports wearables.
For instance, while it tracks speed and heart rate and provides maps for running, it may not offer intricate metrics for running dynamics.
Specs:
| Brand | Garmin |
| Model number of the product | 010-02784-01 |
| Model name of the item | Garmin Venu 3 |
| ASIN | B0CDC6H66Y |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Dimensions of the product | 1.8 x 1.8 x 0.47 inches |
| Connectivity feature | Voice Call, Notification, Phone Call, Text Message |
| Weight of item | 1.6 Ounces |
| Size | Standard |
| Compatible devices | Smartphone |
2. Google Pixel Watch 2 
Design:
The Google Pixel Watch 2 looks exactly like the Google Pixel, which is excellent if you think the first model is useful and suitable for your size.
If not, then you are out of knowledge, as Google didn’t change its mind about making it in excessive sizes or overly designed.
It has a 41 mm thick case made from recycled aluminium and weighs 58 grams with an active band.
It’s more comfortable to wear, helped by its reduced weight and flexible new band.
I had no problem wearing it at night to track my sleep, and it takes seconds to tighten the band before a workout.
If you want to experience something light, Pixel Watch 2 is a perfect option.
The minimal circular design lacks flair, and its single size means it will look pretty small on the wrist.
This is my point of view, but no such statement is mentioned about size.
This is something we can wear every time and can connect to it on a personal level.
The Pixel 2 doesn’t succeed here and seems to be made to be noticed on your wrist.
Because of this, it’s closer to a fitness tracker than a smartwatch.
It’s not high quality.
The aluminium doesn’t add much quality; it’s glass rather than sapphire over the display, and the crown has a clicky feel.
There’s a water and dust-resistant rating.
Performance:
The Google Pixel watch display is a petite 1.2 inches and capable of 1000 nits maximum brightness.
It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 2 GB of RAM, which is an improvement over the Exynos chip in Watch 2 and is different from the Snapdragon W5+.
Their performance is quite impressive.
It’s smooth and more pleasant to use than a pixel watch.
It’s faster than usual watches but doesn’t suffer from Occasional pauses.
Even apps like Google Maps are up and running.
The display is bright but too small to capture colour or look fantastic, with large bezels surrounding it.
It’s not always quick to use when waking up, but I haven’t seen any issues.
The crowns get twisted to move through menus.
It has a button to show recent apps, but it’s hidden on the side of the case, making it awkward.
The back of the Pixel 2 has an updated, more accurate heart rate sensor that also tracks blood oxygen, skin temperature, and stress.
The Pixel watch also takes an ECG and sends notifications if an irregular heart rate is detected.
Fitbit:
Fitbit is the Pixel 2 fitness platform.
It has a free version for everyone and access to some features; however, you must pay for Fitbit Premium.
You get a free trial for six months, and for further months, you get charged.
But if we have a look at Garmin or other watch brands, they offer these health and fitness services for free.
The next issue is that the Fitbit platform is available on cheaper products than the Watch 2, so if this is the reason you want to buy it, it’s your choice.
One updated feature is stress management.
Switch it on, and if Pixel Watch 2 notices changes in your body, it improves your mood.
It then provides a daily stress score and sends several notifications, so be prepared to interact with it.
Specs:
| Brand | Google Pixel |
| Model number of the product | GA05030US |
| Model name of the item | Google pixel watch 2 |
| ASIN | B0CCQFL1XV |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Dimensions of the product | 2.01 x 2.01 x 0.59 inches |
| Connectivity feature | Notification |
| Weight of item | 0.22 Kilograms |
| Size | Standard |
| Compatible devices | Smartphones |
Pixel watch 2 vs Garmin Venu 3 Battery
The Garmin Venu 3 has emerged as the winner with a battery life of up to 14 days on a single charge, while the Pixel Watch 2 only lasts for 24 hours on a single charge with the always-on display.
Additionally, the Venu 3’s battery lasts for 26 days in battery-saving mode.
Even when playing music in GNSS mode, the watch still functions for 11 hours straight.
The decisive factor in people’s preference for longer usage without constant charging is the difference in battery life.
Winner: Garmin Venu 3.
Pixel watch 2 vs Garmin Venu 3 Display and Design
Pixel Watch 2 has the design of the ordinary Pixel Watch but has some features that have changed.
It now comes with an aluminium casing instead of stainless steel.
Aluminium is lightweight but less durable.
It looks more premium than Garmin’s plastic casing.
The site has a Digital Crown, and the Pixel Watch 2 has a strap mechanism.
There is only a single size available, which could be distracting for many.
Considering its bezel and small size, the watch looks small on big wrists.
Venu 3 grabs a larger audience with its two-size offerings.
The water and dust resistance of both watches is similar.
You can bathe with Pixel 2, swim, and submerge the watch to 50m. The same activities can be followed for Garmin 3.
Winner: Tied.
Pixel watch 2 vs Garmin Venu 3 Health and Fitness Tracking
Let’s talk about health trackers first.
Watches cover ordinary health metrics, including heart rate, stress management, sleep cycle, burned calories, etc.
The data provided by both devices is as accurate as that from usual trackers.
However, the hardware used to track health metrics isn’t new.
Pixel Watch 2 has sensors from Fitbit Sensation 2, and Venu 3 got them from Fenix.
There is a little difference when it comes to access.
For Garmin, you don’t need a payable subscription.
Access to all metrics is free of cost.
On the other hand, pixel watches must pay additional charges after six months, when the Fitbit premium trial ends.
The health features on the paywall are accessible for free on Garmin.
However, you find different labelling for fitness age, body battery, sleep coach, and more.
I am moving on to fitness tracking.
Even if the pixel watch offers the same GPS accuracy as Garmin that it doesn’t, the watch is still unequipped for fitness tracking.
It cannot track advanced metrics like heart rate, pace, or distance and cannot detect data from your wrist.
Indeed, Even 3 isn’t a sports watch, but its fitness tracking options are way more elite than Pixel Watch 2’s.
There are various training tools to assemble your workout and advanced metrics for workouts like running or swimming.
Winner: Garmin Venu 3.
Final Thoughts
We determined that the Pixel Watch 2 is a better option for Android users. Garmin Venu 3 works well for iPhone users, as the Pixel watch is incompatible with iOS. It’s more affordable than Garmin Venu 3. However, if you are a massive fan of extended battery life with advanced sensors, Garmin Venu 3 must be your priority.
It’s usually hard to find a clear winner, but if we have clear preferences, we can choose between them.
FAQS
Is Pixel Watch 2 GPS accurate?
The previous issues with poor GPS syncing and reliability led to inconsistent results, making it difficult to recommend the Pixel Watch 2 to active users. However, Google has addressed this major problem, and the GPS now syncs quicker and is far more accurate, resulting in more reliable tracked data.
What apps are on the Pixel Watch 2?
The Google Pixel Watch comes preloaded with apps such as Fitbit, Google Assistant, Phone, and SMS texts. After updating to Wear OS 4, you will be able to download more apps. The Google Pixel Watch 2 comes preloaded with additional apps including Calendar, Fitbit, Google Wallet, Google Maps, YouTube Music, and more.
Can Pixel Watch detect an irregular heartbeat?
With irregular heart rhythm notifications and the ECG app, the Pixel Watch 2 can also spot signs of atrial fibrillation, which can be challenging to detect. Being notified of an irregular heart rhythm that may be AFib is the first step to addressing it.
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Luis Cooper
Hi, I'm Luis, the guy behind this site. I love wearing watches, especially ones that look great on small wrists (mine are about 6.3" around). The Watches Geek is dedicated to helping you learn about and buy watches that you will love wearing. I want this website to be the last destination for people to pick the best watches to fit their needs. You can find our unbiased reviews here on Thewatchesgeek.