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5 reasons why the Garmin Venu X1 could be my new favorite Apple Watch Ultra 2 alternative
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Forget the Apple Watch 11 — 5 reasons I want the Garmin Venu 4 instead
Dan Bracaglia
19 September 2025
The Venu 4 gives the Series 11 a run for the money
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(Image credit: Future)
The Apple Watch Series 11 may be shipping today (September 19), but I want the new Garmin Venu 4 instead. The latest Garmin offers advantages across the board over the latest flagship Apple Watch. For fitness and sleep tracking, in particular, the Venu 4 seems to have the Series 11 beat.
The Venu series is arguably Garmin’s best-looking smartwatch line — the Venu 4 is nearly identical to those Venus before it — boasting a sleek metal case design and a bright AMOLED touchscreen paired with physical controls.
Now available in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, here are the five biggest reasons I’d choose the new Garmin Venu 4 over the Apple Watch Series 11 (along with two reasons for choosing the Apple Watch instead).
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5 reasons why the Garmin Venu X1 could be my new favorite Apple Watch Ultra 2 alternative
I’m not buying the Apple Watch Ultra 3 — here’s why my Garmin Fenix is staying put on my wrist
Apple Watch 11 — 5 reasons I’d buy the new Series 11, and 2 reasons I’d skip it
Buy the Garmin Venu 4: In-depth sleep tracking
(Image credit: Garmin)
Apple Watch users now have a sleep score metric of their own to match Garmin’s — finally. But the sleep tracking tools and insights offered in the Venu 4 supersede those aboard the Series 11.
Both devices keep tabs on the consistency of your bedtime, sleep stages, and sleep disturbances, but Venu 4 takes things further. A new Health Status feature monitors your heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and more while sleeping over a period of nights to form a wellness baseline that’s then used to predict signs of potential illness and/or heightened stress.
The Venu 4 also has Garmin’s Body Battery metric, which is a reflection of your overall energy levels based on recent workouts and sleep patterns. Best of all, it updates dynamically throughout the day. Apple still lacks a metric of this sort.
Buy the Garmin Venu 4: Better battery life
(Image credit: Garmin)
While the Apple Watch Series 11 received battery life improvements over its predecessor, from 18 hours per charge to 24 hours per charge (or 38 hours in low-power mode), the Venu 4 lasts a whole lot longer.
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With the always-on display, the Venu 4 lasts up to four days per charge (or 12 days without it). When using GPS to track an activity, the Venu 4 is rated for up to 20 hours of use. The Series 11, meanwhile, is rated for 8 hours of use with GPS tracking.
Buy the Garmin Venu 4: Multi-band GPS
Speaking of GPS, when it comes to location tracking in areas with spotty views of the sky — like in midtown Manhattan or the middle of the North Cascade National Park — the more bands the better. While the Apple Watch Series 11 GPS is a single-band affair, the Venu 4 boasts a more reliable multiband antenna.
For runners, hikers, and anyone who enjoys tracking outdoor activities, this will likely result in greater location and elevation data accuracy. That said, I’ve got both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Garmin Venu 4 headed my way, and I can’t wait to test their precision head-to-head. Stay tuned for that!
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5 reasons why the Garmin Venu X1 could be my new favorite Apple Watch Ultra 2 alternative
I’m not buying the Apple Watch Ultra 3 — here’s why my Garmin Fenix is staying put on my wrist
Apple Watch 11 — 5 reasons I’d buy the new Series 11, and 2 reasons I’d skip it
Buy the Garmin Venu 4: Onboard LED flashlight
(Image credit: Garmin)
Forget turning up the screen’s brightness to max output to find your way; the new Garmin Venu 4 sports an LED flashlight with adjustable output hidden within the case.
An awesome feature borrowed from my favorite Garmin watch, the Instinct 3, Garmin’s on-wrist “Torch” light has come in handy on numerous occasions, from locating dog poop in the dark to finding my lost phone in bed without waking my sleeping partner. It can also be activated with a button press, no screen interaction required.
Buy the Garmin Venu 4: Suggested workouts for 25 activity types
(Image credit: Garmin)
Apple’s new AI-powered, personalized fitness coach, Workout Buddy, is no doubt cool, but it requires a paired iPhone 15 Pro or later to actually use it. The feature is also focused especially on running at launch.
Meanwhile, the Garmin Venu 4 offers exercise suggestions for 25 different activity types beyond running via the Garmin Coach app. For example, based on your recent workout history and preferred activity type, you can receive recommendations for cycling, walking, rowing, weight training, HIIT workouts, and more.
Buy the Apple Watch 11: Price
(Image credit: Future)
Garmin increased the price of the Venu 4 by $100 compared to the Garmin Venu 3. Regardless of whether you choose the 41mm or 45mm model, the Venu 4 is $549, a full $150 more than the Series 11 starting price.
The Series 11 starts at $399 for the smaller 42mm non-cellular model or $499 for 5G. The 42mm Series 11 starts at $429 or $529 for 5G. It’s worth noting here that the Garmin Venu 4 does not support cellular connectivity.
Buy the Apple Watch 11: Smart features and apps
(Image credit: Future)
The Garmin Venu 4 offers basic smartwatch features like onboard music storage, support for Google Maps, and tap-to-pay, but it doesn’t have nearly the same amount of smart features as the best Apple Watch models, including the Series 11.
Not only are the latest Apple Watch models jam-packed with native apps, but the number of apps available for the wearable in Apple’s App Store is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
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Dan Bracaglia
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Senior Writer, Fitness & Wearables
Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others.
An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.
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