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The Garmin Venu 4 (September 2025, from $549) adds a full metal case, ECG-capable Elevate Gen 5 sensor, LED flashlight, multi-band GPS, and health-alert features the Venu 3 lacks — but costs $100 more and has slightly shorter battery life (up to 12 days vs 14). The Venu 3 remains the better value; the Venu 4 is the better watch.

The Venu is Garmin’s answer to the Apple Watch — an AMOLED lifestyle smartwatch with serious fitness chops — and the Venu 4 (September 2025) is its biggest redesign yet. But at $549, it’s also $100 pricier than the Venu 3 was at launch.

Here’s what actually changed, and who should buy which in 2026.

Garmin Venu 4 vs Venu 3: Spec Comparison

FeatureVenu 4Venu 3
ReleasedSeptember 22, 2025August 2023
Launch price$549.99$449.99
Sizes41mm / 45mm41mm (Venu 3S) / 45mm
CaseFull metalPolymer + stainless bezel
Heart-rate sensorElevate Gen 5 with ECGElevate Gen 4 (no ECG)
GPSMulti-band GNSS + SatIQAll-systems GNSS
FlashlightLED (white + red)No
Buttons23
Battery (smartwatch)Up to 12 daysUp to 14 days
Calls/voice assistantYes (speaker + mic)Yes (speaker + mic)

Check Venu 4 price on Amazon · Check Venu 3 price on Amazon

Design: Metal Moves It Upmarket

The Venu 4 swaps the Venu 3’s fiber-reinforced polymer case for a full metal build that looks and feels closer to Garmin’s premium lines. Garmin also trimmed the buttons from three to two. The one genuinely new hardware trick borrowed from the Fenix line is the built-in LED flashlight with white and red modes — a small feature that Fenix owners consistently rank among their most-used.

Health Tracking: ECG and Smarter Sleep

The Elevate Gen 5 sensor brings ECG capability to the Venu line for the first time, plus improved heart-rate accuracy during exercise. Two new software features stand out:

  • Lifestyle Logging — log caffeine, alcohol, and other habits, then see how they move your sleep, stress, and HRV.
  • Sleep health alerts (beta) — the watch watches your overnight heart rate, HRV, respiration, skin temp, and Pulse Ox, and flags deviations from your baseline that can signal illness or overtraining.

The Venu 3 still has excellent sleep tracking (with a proper Sleep Coach), but it won’t get the ECG — that’s hardware.

GPS and Battery

Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ makes the Venu 4 noticeably more accurate in cities, canyons, and tree cover — the same tech that flows down from the Fenix 8 (see our Fenix 8 vs Forerunner guide). The price is battery: up to 12 days in smartwatch mode versus the Venu 3’s 14. Both remain in a different universe from the Apple Watch’s day-and-a-bit.

Verdict: Which Venu Should You Buy?

  • Buy the Venu 4 if: you want ECG, the flashlight, top-tier GPS accuracy, and a metal case you’ll wear for years. It’s the most complete lifestyle watch Garmin has made.
  • Buy the Venu 3 if: value matters more — discounts since the Venu 4 launch have made it one of the best AMOLED-watch deals anywhere, and its core tracking is the same day to day.

Neither requires a subscription — all essentials are free in Garmin Connect, unlike Whoop’s membership model. For the full brand timeline, see our Garmin watch models by release date guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Garmin Venu 4 and Venu 3?
The Venu 4 adds an all-metal case, the Elevate Gen 5 heart-rate sensor with ECG, a white/red LED flashlight, multi-band GNSS positioning with SatIQ, Lifestyle Logging (tracking how caffeine or alcohol affect your metrics), and sleep-time health alerts. It has two buttons instead of the Venu 3's three, and battery drops slightly to up to 12 days.
How much does the Garmin Venu 4 cost?
The Venu 4 starts at $549.99 — about $100 more than the Venu 3's launch price — and rises to around $599 with a leather band. Both come in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Does the Garmin Venu 4 have ECG?
Yes. The Venu 4 uses Garmin's Elevate Gen 5 optical sensor with ECG capability, letting you take on-demand heart-rhythm readings — a feature the Venu 3's older sensor doesn't support.
Is the Venu 3 still worth buying in 2026?
Yes, especially at a discount. It has the same AMOLED display quality, speaker and mic for calls, excellent sleep tracking, and up to 14 days of battery. If you don't need ECG, the flashlight, or multi-band GPS, it's the smarter buy.
Does the Garmin Venu 4 require a subscription?
No. All core features work free in Garmin Connect. Garmin's optional Connect+ plan ($6.99/month) adds AI insights, but nothing that was free has moved behind the paywall.