Garmin Venu X1 Rating: Apple's latest rival of Apple

The Venu X1 packs the largest screen of all Garmin watch so far with a 2-inch-high display, which is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire lens and is framed in a titanium housing. You can choose between the black or moss housing (green), which both are equipped with a suitable Comfortfit nylon band. I tested the black model that looks very good on my wrist, but I would personally like to see some lighter housing options (e.g. white, silver or gold) – especially if Garmin is serious to go down the smartwatch route. I found the nylongurt to be sweating for the most part, apart from the sweaty summer treadmill sessions, where it became so moist that I had to dry afterwards.

The Venu X1 measures only 8 mm thick and weighs 34 g (without straps), whereby the rectangular shape and rounded corners of older Venu 2 are borrowed, but with a much elegant premium finish. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 14.4 mm thick measures the context, weighs 61.4 g and has a 1.92-inch display. The Venu X1 certainly feels much easier compared to the wrist and it didn't feel about minors when I made my daily life or even sleeping.

In order to prove that Garmin comes to the eye of the smartwatch market, you can select from various watch faces and change font size for easy readability – although there is probably less choice than Apple offers.

With regard to the controls, the Venu X1 works via a touchscreen, although on the right side two physical keys (similar to Ultra 2) you need. I have found that I only really use the upper right button to start and break an activity. Otherwise, the touchscreen is suitable for all of my needs, so that I can easily navigate through training and recovery knowledge (more about these below), notifications, weather notifications and other settings.

The Venu X1 is charged with more than 100 sports, including running, golf, strength training and hike. For runners, they can become even more specific with track run, tread, trail run and ultra run.

You can access Garmin Coach plans for running, strength and cycling, together with Garmin's most advanced training skills, including training, training status, endurance assessment, Hill -Score, Running Power, Race Predictor and a variety of running metrics within the Garmin app, from cadence Contact time to Earth. The Venu X1 even grabs Garmins PacePro tool with GPS-based speed instructions for selected courses or distances and climbing profro for real-time information on upcoming climbs.

When it comes to health, you get Garmin's healthy surveillance functions around the clock. This includes body battery, sleep trainer, morning report, HRV status and heart rate monitoring, voltage tracking, blood oxygen sensor, height and heat climatization and even jet lag consultant – quite neat.

Garmins Hill Score feature is reserved for its premium watches.

With regard to the running functionality, the Venu X1 packs in some serious practical functions that Apple has not mastered. For example, take navigation. The Ultra 2 is based on third-party apps for uploading and exporting GPX routes, while the Venu X1 benefits from full color, integrated mapping, with a altitude, barometer and 3-axis electronics compass, which offers precise navigation. In my opinion, this is a big draw about the Apple Watch for Trail runners and adventurers.

At the beginning of June, I was 100 km with the Venu X1 race and invited the GPX file of the race to the clock to take part. To be fair, the course was so pronounced that I hardly needed the loaded route, but I still calmed down to know that I was on track. I also downloaded hiking routes from all trails during the vacation in Slovenia, whereby the full color cards made it easier to check my smartphone.

The Venu X1 finally strives for an integrated speaker and a microphone to nail the smartwatch letter so that you can make and call directly from your wrist. Certain voice commands such as “Start A Running Activity” and “Set a timer for 5 minutes” can be activated directly from the clock. Talk about hardcore.

With regard to GPS, the Garmin Venu X1 has two main modes: only GPS and all systems for better accuracy. This means that there is no first-class multi-band that you will find in the (even) more expensive fenix models. Nevertheless, I found that the entire system mode quickly establishes a connection -even at 2100 m in the Julian Alps -which largely blocked routes (see below), and land well within the edge for errors over the total removal. If you are worried about the battery life, you can activate Ultratrac, which is less precisely, but longer means without charge.

All-Systems GPS accuracy is mostly precise, but can sometimes falter in mountain areas.

In addition, the main flex via Apple is the battery life of the Venu X1. On paper, it has a battery life of up to eight days in smartwatch mode, up to 16 hours in GPS-GNSS mode and up to 14 hours in the all-system GPS. This is a big leap on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which went between the runs in our tests for about two days with a general daily use. During my 100 km ultra, the Venu X1 in the GPS mode of the All-System took a little more than 13 hours before it died (which was ironically the same point on which I was DNFD I DNFD). This is decent, especially for a watch with such a bright display, but it is only 14 hours shortly before the term. If you take over a longer endurance race (we talk in a stint for over 10 hours), I would instead choose the Forerunner 970, Fenix 8 or Enduro 3.

I also have the Venu X1 up and down on a one-week trip to Slovenia, which included four separate hikes through the Julian Alps (4.5 hours, 4 hours, 1.5 hours or 4 hours), together with three runs (5k, 12 km). I had to charge the clock twice during the week. This is still better for miles than the Apple Watch Ultra, but the forerunner 970 made it on the connector all week without time.

For me, the Venu X1 is a real gap in the occupation of Garmin and finally offers a real smartwatch that combines premium aesthetics with Garmins-leading fitness and navigation functions. It is the first Garmin clock that I wore and that really competes with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in terms of style and smarts – and surpasses it in many ways.

The lack of multi-band GPS could quench hardcore ultra runners, and the battery life does not extend to adventures for several days without charging. For most runners, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, the combination of full color mapping, deep training views, light design and a light, beautiful amoled display makes the most complete lifestyle clock of this Garmin to date to the price tag from 679.00 GBP.

Come in autumn, Apple is better off in the sleeve – because Garmin may have nailed it.

Buy the Garmin Venu X1