Garmin just pulled back the curtain on the new Garmin Venu X1, a smartwatch that’s mixing things up in a big way. Think of it as Garmin trying to combine the best parts of their popular Venu series, known for mainstream fitness and lifestyle features, with the serious training power of their Forerunner line, which athletes swear by. The result? A watch that looks and feels quite different from anything else Garmin (or even competitors like the Apple Watch Ultra) offers right now.
This isn’t just another update; the Venu X1 is surprisingly different. It’s incredibly thin – in fact, Garmin says it’s their thinnest watch ever at just 8mm. But despite being so slim, it boasts a huge 2-inch AMOLED display that looks stunning and stretches almost to the edge. Plus, it sports premium materials like a titanium case and even includes a built-in LED flashlight (yes, a flashlight on your wrist!).
But the real surprise comes in its capabilities. While it has a simplified two-button design like the Venu, under the hood it’s packed with advanced training features usually found on high-end Forerunner watches.
What Makes the Venu X1 Stand Out?
Comparing the Venu X1 to previous Venu models or even other high-end smartwatches reveals just how unique this device is. It shares the Venu name, but its feature set is closer to serious sports watches, albeit with a focus on a sleek, thin profile.
Here’s a quick look at the key differences and new additions, especially compared to the Venu 3:
- Design & Display: It features a modern rectangular display versus the Venu 3’s round one. The X1 is significantly thinner at 8mm (vs 12.5mm on Venu 3) and houses a larger 2-inch screen (vs 1.4-inch on Venu 3). It upgrades to a sapphire crystal display and a full titanium case for durability and a premium feel. The display is also noticeably brighter.
- Advanced Training & Navigation: This is where it leaps ahead of typical Venu watches. The X1 adds full offline mapping capabilities, meaning you can download maps and navigate directly from your wrist without your phone. It includes advanced routing features like creating round trips or routing to points of interest. You also get serious training metrics like Training Readiness (helps assess if you’re ready for a hard workout), Training Status (tracks how effective your training is), Endurance Score, Hill Score, Strava Live Segments, and even a Cycling Power Guide.
- Smart Features: It brings features like Voice Notes (recording quick memos on the watch), Garmin Share, and Focus Modes. It also supports a wider range of sensor types than the Venu 3.
- Hardware Extras: The surprising built-in white and red LED flashlight is a useful addition not found on most watches. It comes with a comfortable nylon fabric band.
- Battery Life: While still good, battery life is less than the Venu 3 due to the larger, brighter screen and advanced features: up to 8 days in smartwatch mode (2 days always-on) compared to up to 14 days for the Venu 3.
- Price: The Venu X1 comes in at a much higher price point, $799 USD, reflecting its premium build and advanced features, compared to the Venu 3 at around $449 USD.
While it gains a lot, it maintains the simpler two-button interface found on some Venu models (the Venu 3 has three buttons). It also uses Garmin’s latest Elevate Gen5 optical heart rate sensor for accurate health tracking.
Interestingly, despite initial speculation, the ECG feature is not present on the Venu X1 and won’t be added later, which is a bit of a head-scratcher for a watch at this price point.
Here’s a quick look at the battery life estimates:
- Smartwatch mode: Up to 8 days (2 days display always-on)
- Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days
- GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 16 hours
- All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 14 hours
- All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 7 hours
Essentially, the Venu X1 takes the user-friendly interface styling and streamlined button design of the Venu but grafts on the powerful core software features typically found on a Forerunner 970 or Fenix 8. It has the 50-meter water rating of a Forerunner 970 (less than the Fenix 8’s 100m), meaning no advanced water sports or diving features, yet it adds some Fenix 8 features like Voice Notes while missing a few of the most recent advanced running metrics from the Forerunner 970. Garmin’s feature distribution across models can be a bit of a puzzle!
A Closer Look at the Venu X1
Let’s really see how thin this watch is. Side-by-side with the Venu 3, the difference is dramatic:
Garmin Venu X1 compared in thickness to the Venu 3 smartwatch.
And when placed next to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, known for being substantial, the Venu X1 makes it look positively bulky:
Garmin Venu X1 shown next to an Apple Watch Ultra 2, highlighting the difference in thickness.
Speaking of size, the 2-inch display is truly massive on the wrist. Even if you’re used to larger smartwatches, this screen feels notably big.
Front view comparison of the Garmin Venu X1 with its large 2-inch display next to the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
That little detail at the top edge? That’s the integrated LED flashlight.
Close-up front view of the Garmin Venu X1 showing the small LED flashlight module at the top edge of the case.
A long press of the lower right button brings up controls for the flashlight, letting you adjust brightness through four levels of white light and one red light setting.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the on-screen controls interface for adjusting the LED flashlight settings.
The included nylon band is a comfortable choice, feeling soft yet sturdy. As with any fabric band, just be prepared for it to stay damp longer than silicone after getting wet.
Navigating the watch, you’ll find the widget glances are styled like the Venu 3, keeping a familiar look. But as you scroll, you’ll see advanced metrics borrowed from higher-end lines.
Garmin Venu X1 screen showing a scrollable list of widget glances, displaying various daily stats and information.
These include detailed pages for Training Status and Training Readiness, giving you insights into your fitness and recovery.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the Training Status widget screen with current status and trends.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the Training Readiness score and factors contributing to the score.
However, not every advanced metric makes the jump. Features like Running Tolerance, Impact Load, and Running Economy, recently added to some Forerunner models, aren’t found here. The Upcoming Races feature shows your current estimated time but doesn’t offer future projections like some Forerunner models.
Accessing sports profiles uses a Venu-like menu structure, where you might tap once more to see the full list.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the initial screen for selecting an activity profile.
Once you select an activity like Run, you’re greeted with a screen more akin to the Forerunner/Fenix interface, offering extensive training and navigation options.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the detailed activity options menu for the Run profile, including training and navigation.
The navigation section is robust, allowing you to view and select courses.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the list of available saved courses within the navigation menu.
If a course includes climbs, the ClimbPro feature visualizes them on your watch, showing gradient and distance remaining.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the ClimbPro feature screen, displaying details of an upcoming climb on a course.
When following a route, you get audible turn-by-turn directions directly from the watch speaker, plus visual cues on the detailed map display.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing a map view during an activity, displaying the route and current location.
The map options are extensive, with various layers available, including support for Garmin’s detailed Outdoor+ maps. You can easily toggle different map elements on or off.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the settings menu for customizing map layers and display options.
Customization of data pages during activities is fully flexible, like on Forerunner/Fenix watches, allowing multiple custom pages with up to 8 data fields per page.
Garmin Venu X1 display showing the options for customizing data pages within an activity profile settings.
One interesting technical note: it doesn’t include multiband/dual-frequency GPS. While this might seem odd on an $800 watch that’s otherwise packed with features, Garmin has a strong track record of achieving excellent accuracy even without it. Performance in the real world will be the key test here.
Wrap-Up
The Garmin Venu X1 is a genuinely surprising release. Hardware-wise, its striking thinness and large rectangular display feel like a callback to Garmin’s early efforts to make a slim, mainstream GPS watch, bringing that design philosophy full circle.
Software-wise, it’s an ambitious move to bridge the gap between the Venu’s broader audience and the dedicated athletes who use Forerunner and Fenix watches. It successfully brings a huge chunk of Garmin’s top-tier training and navigation features to a watch that prioritizes a sleek profile and large, vibrant screen, competing directly with the concept of a premium, feature-rich smartwatch like the Apple Watch Ultra, but with a much deeper focus on sports analytics.
Despite the impressive feature set, some omissions like the 50-meter water rating (vs 100m on Fenix) and the unexpected lack of ECG (even though the hardware was initially thought to be present) stand out. Perhaps Garmin prioritized the thin design over these features.
The naming “Venu X1” is a little confusing, especially given Garmin’s existing “X1” line for bow sights. “Venu Pro” might have better communicated its position as a more advanced Venu.
Regardless of the name, the Venu X1 has the potential to be a very popular product. Its success will likely depend not just on initial sales but also on Garmin’s commitment to software updates. Historically, Venu watches haven’t received the extensive post-launch feature additions that Forerunner and Fenix lines do. How Garmin supports the Venu X1 with future updates will be a key factor for potential buyers.
This watch is definitely shaking things up in Garmin’s lineup, offering a compelling blend of design and advanced features we haven’t seen before.
For more in-depth analysis and real-world testing, stay tuned for the full review!
