Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Venu 3: Who Are They For?
By Naila Syifa
Updated August 2024
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung's latest flagship wearable, boasting a rugged design and advanced fitness tracking capabilities without sacrificing the premium smart features for everyday usability and lifestyle.
Many Garmin watches are sports-focused with little attention to daily smart features, but Garmin Venu 3 is an exception, aiming to bridge the gap between fitness and lifestyle.
How do these two smartwatches compare? Who they may be best suited for? Let's take a closer look at their key differences and similarities.
Key Takeaways
Galaxy Watch Ultra is better suited for outdoor enthusiasts and serious athletes who don't mind a premium price for advanced features and durability. Meanwhile, Garmin Venu 3 is a better fit for those seeking a well-rounded smartwatch that balances fitness tracking with everyday smart features at a more affordable price point.
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Premium Outdoor Smartwatch
✓ Multisport Workout
✓ ECG, BIA, Sleep Apnea
✓ On-Wrist Calling, Texting, and Music
✓ Galaxy AI
Garmin Venu 3
Lifestyle & Fitness Smartwatch
✓ Body Battery Energy Monitoring
✓ On-Screen Workout Animations
✓ Garmin Coach
✓ Wheelchair Mode
#1 Price
Garmin Venu 3
The two smartwatches are $200 apart, with the Galaxy Watch Ultra as the more expensive option at US$649. Garmin Venu 3 is more affordable at US$449, but it is still quite an investment for a smartwatch.
While both smartwatches are on the more premium end of the market, if budget is a major concern, the Garmin Venu 3 may be the more suitable option.
#2 Design & Display
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Garmin Venu 3 comes in a 45mm case with a stainless steel bezel, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens, and a 1.4" AMOLED display. It is also available as a Venu 3S variant, which has a smaller 41mm case and 1.2" display.
Galaxy Watch Ultra is more rugged and sporty-looking, featuring a durable titanium body and Sapphire Crystal glass covering its 1.5" Super AMOLED display. The case size is 47mm, making it a larger and bulkier watch compared to the Venu 3.
Galaxy Watch Ultra doesn't only 'appear' to be more rugged, it essentially is. The watch boasts a 10 ATM water rating, which means better resistance to water pressure than the Garmin Venu 3's 5 ATM rating. In addition, Galaxy Watch Ultra has IP68 water and dust resistance and MIL-STD 810H military-grade durability certification, making it a more durable option that can withstand more extreme conditions.
#3 Health Features
Body Battery on Garmin Venu 3
Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin Venu 3 don't only track basic health metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep but also have more advanced features like ECG and skin temperature, which aren't commonly found in most smartwatches.
Galaxy Watch Ultra expands on the health-tracking capabilities even more with an additional BIA sensor, which can measure body composition like body fat percentage, muscle mass, and body water content. Its sleep-related features are also more advanced with sleep apnea detection feature, which can identify potential sleep disorders.
Despite lacking a BIA sensor and sleep apnea detection, the Venu 3 takes pride in the Garmin Body Battery Energy Monitoring feature, which provides a comprehensive assessment of the user's energy levels throughout the day based on various health and activity data.
It is similar to the Galaxy Watch Ultra's Galaxy AI-powered Energy Score, but the Energy Score only provides a single daily score while the Garmin Body Battery Energy Monitoring gives a more granular view of the user's energy levels and variations throughout the day.
#4 Workout Features
Galaxy Watch Ultra
With support for over 100 workouts, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a versatile fitness companion for a wide range of activities, including running, biking, swimming, snorkeling, skiing, golf, hiking, mountain biking, and even triathlon and multisport activities.
It does not only deliver detailed performance metrics for each workout but also offers personalized features like racing against your past results, personalized heart rate zones, and AI-powered insights. FTP metrics for cycling are also now supported, which makes the Galaxy Watch Ultra a compelling option for serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Garmin Venu 3 supports fewer activities. For example, it doesn't support triathlon, multisport activities, mountain biking, and surfing, but still covers a wide range of popular workouts like running, cycling, swimming, strength training, and yoga.
Garmin Venu 3
One unique advantage that the Venu 3 offers is the Wheelchair Mode, which track pushes to accommodate wheelchair users to track their activity and fitness, expanding the watch's inclusivity and accessibility.
Training features and metrics on the Garmin Venu 3 are also sufficient for most casual fitness enthusiasts, including HR Zones, HRV, VO2 Max, and Garmin Coach for personalized training plans for 5K, 10K, or half-marathon races.
For some workouts like strength, cardio, yoga, and pilates, the Venu 3 even supports on-screen workout animations, providing an accessible guide for users on proper form and technique. On-screen workout muscle maps are also available for certain activities, which can help users better understand the muscle groups targeted during each exercise.
#5 Smartwatch Features
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Both smartwatches feature a built-in speaker and microphone, so they allow for on-wrist calling alongside the more common text messaging and notifications features. The key difference is that the Galaxy Watch Ultra supports LTE connectivity, so calling and texting can be done phone-free while the Venu 3 requires a nearby paired smartphone for those features.
Messaging features in the Galaxy Watch Ultra are also smarter, thanks to the Galaxy AI-powered Suggested Replies feature that can provide contextual responses for incoming messages. Meanwhile, quick reply in the Venu 3 is limited to pre-defined responses, while the on-watch keyboard functionality is supported only on Android phones.
When the Galaxy Watch Ultra is paired with a compatible smartphone, it can also serve as a camera controller, making it easy to take selfies or group photos remotely. Garmin Venu 3 doesn't have this capability.
In addition, the Galaxy Watch Ultra offers a built-in flashlight and an 86dB siren, which can be useful in emergency situations. This makes the Galaxy Watch Ultra more well-equipped for outdoor adventures.
#6 Battery Life
Garmin Venu 3
Battery life can vary depending on various factors, like usage, settings, and connectivity. On typical usage with the always-on display, the Galaxy Watch Ultra claims to last for up to 60 hours, while power saving mode can extend the battery life up to 100 hours.
Meanwhile, the Garmin Venu 3 is rated to last for up to 5 days with the always-on display, 14 days in smartwatch mode, and 26 days in battery-saver smartwatch mode.
While actual runtime may vary, the Garmin Venu 3 seems to offer a longer battery life compared to the Galaxy Watch Ultra, making it a more suitable option for users who prioritize longer battery life and less frequent charging.
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Venu 3
Final Thoughts
Galaxy Watch Ultra
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is the more premium, rugged, and feature-packed option, offering advanced health tracking, robust workout capabilities, and a range of smartwatch features.
However, the Garmin Venu 3 has its own unique strengths, such as its longer battery life, inclusive Wheelchair Mode, and comprehensive Garmin Body Battery Energy Monitoring feature, making it a compelling choice for health-conscious users and casual fitness enthusiasts.
When choosing between the two, consider your specific needs, usage patterns, and budget. If you're an outdoor person who may benefit from the Galaxy Watch Ultra's ruggedness and adventure features, it could be the better fit. However, if you're a more casual urban fitness enthusiast, the Garmin Venu 3's more affordable price point can be a worthy investment.
If you like to read more on smartwatches, check out our other relevant guides here:
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Fenix 7
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Epix 2
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Forerunner 265
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Forerunner 965
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Pixel Watch 2
Don't miss out on tech
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest tech trends and guides on the best gadgets around.
