The line between a smartwatch and a fitness watch continues to dissolve on a day-by-day basis. It used to be that if you were interested in fitness you’d get a dedicated, nondescript fitness tracker with a super basic dot-matrix display (I’m looking at you, Nike FuelBand). Then Apple came out with their watch, and I remember thinking how silly it sounded. I mean, I already had a smartphone — wasn’t a smartwatch a little redundant? Oh how the times change, and there’s no better example of watch evolution than the Venu from Garmin. The Venu is basically the same thing as the Vivoactive 4 — a multisport smartwatch that still has all the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections necessary for Android and Apple notifications. However, the Venu has a key difference in its display. The Venu’s 390 x 390 pixel AMOLED display blows the Vivoactive’s 260 x 260 MIP display out of the water. While their physical sizes are similar at 1.2 inches and 1.3 inches respectively, the Venu’s screen has a far crisper p...

AMOLED Display; Activity Tracking; Workout Animations; Loads of Sensors;

Lack of in-depth fitness metrics; Lack of storage;

“The Garmin Venu is a solid fitness tracker, but its gorgeous AMOLED display is the killer feature.”

AMOLED Display; Activity Tracking; Workout Animations; Loads of Sensors

Lack of in-depth fitness metrics; Lack of storage

The Venu’s steep asking price is hard to ignore; it's likely be a better purchase for some once the price drops. However, if you’re a fitness buff who needs a stellar workout companion that can also double as a stylish timepiece, then the Garmin Venu is for you.

Best-in-class fitness tracking; Up to 5-day battery life; Bright AMOLED display

High asking price; Too similar to the Vivoactive 4

The Venu’s screen is Garmin’s best, but it’s not enough to recommend it over its cheaper stablemates

The always-on AMOLED screen is bright and easy to see in all conditions, and it hasn’t had too much of an effect on battery life – I got three or four days out of a charge; You get the usual excellent Garmin sports tracking, and the guided strength, yoga and Pilates workouts with animations are...

The smart features are limited; with Garmin Pay having only one UK high street bank partnered and the ConnectIQ app store lacking apps beyond extra watch faces and data screens for sports.

If you're looking for a true smartwatch with a colour screen that can outlast the Apple Watch, the Venu is your answer.

Bright and sharp display; Plenty of sports tracking features; Solid battery life

Design a little uninspiring; Shorter battery life in always-on mode; Garmin Connect still a bit overwhelming

The screen and sports-tracking features are impressive, but the Venu lacks the smarts to really compete with the Apple Watch

Vibrant; always-on AMOLED screen; Music playback with Spotify support; Guided workouts with animations

Shorter battery life than other Garmin watches; Same features as Vivoactive 4; Limited app store

The Garmin Venu is a big improvement on the Vivoactive 3 and the beautifully crisp and vibrant AMOLED display puts it well ahead of the Vivoactive 4. If you’re looking for an attractive 24/7 watch to manage your overall wellness and help you hit fitness goals, this is one of the best around.

Beautiful AMOLED screen; Still impressive 5-day battery life; New breathing and respiration tools; Accurate heart rate and GPS

The screen and sports-tracking features are impressive, but the Venu lacks the smarts to really compete with the Apple Watch

Vibrant, always-on AMOLED screen; Music playback with Spotify support; Guided workouts with animations;

Shorter battery life than other Garmin watches; Same features as Vivoactive 4; Limited app store;

With a brilliant display, strong battery life and a full suite of fitness features, the Garmin Venu is one of the best all-round activity trackers. While its app library and touch interface won’t trouble the Apple Watch, the Venu is also a stellar smartwatch for those of a sporting disposition. It's also superior to the similarly named Garmin Venu Sq when it comes to both looks and functionality, with storage for up to 500 songs and a wide range of navigational sensors for outdoor adventures.

Vibrant AMOLED display; Full suite of fitness features; Offline music support;

Design is slightly generic; Limited range of apps; Touchscreen can be fiddly

If you're looking for a true smartwatch with a colour screen that can outlast the Apple Watch, the Venu is your answer.

Bright and sharp display; Plenty of sports tracking features; Solid battery life;

Design a little uninspiring; Shorter battery life in always-on mode; Garmin Connect still a bit overwhelming;