Making a choice between two almost similar smartwatches from the same brand can be a dicey decision to make, the Venu Sq which is a lower-end version of Venu is cheaper but lacks on-screen animated workout, can’t count floors, and lacks gyroscope – features you’ll get with Vivoactive 4 which also has a more sophisticated design. If you recall, Vivoactive 4 was released last year alongside Venu, the only difference between the two is that AMOLED powers Venu, while its MIP LCD for Vivoactive 4. However, in this comparison post, we take a look at the differences between Garmin Venu Sq vs Vivoactive 4. Both smartwatches share a lot of similarities in common, except for a few differences which we’ll discuss in this post.
Please note: that Venu Sq is available in two models; Venu Sq Music and Venu Sq. Likewise, Vivoactive 4 is available in two sizes; 45mm and 40mm, but this comparison is between Venu Sq Music and Vivoactive 4 45mm.
Garmin Venu Sq Music vs Vivoactive 4 Full Specifications Compared
| Garmin Venu Sq | Garmin Vivoactive 4 | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
ABOUT DEVICE | ||
| Device name | Garmin Venu Sq | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
| Device type | Sport/Fitness smartwatch | Sport/Fitness smartwatch |
| Predessesor | __ | Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music |
| Successor | Garmin Venu Sq 2 | -- |
| Released date | September, 2020 | September, 2019 |
| Ideal for | Unisex | Unisex |
DISPLAY | ||
| Display type | LCD | Transflective memory-in-display (MIP) |
| Display size | 1.3 inches | 1.3 inch |
| Display resolution | 240 x 240 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Pixel density | 261 PPI | -- |
| Input type | Touchscreen plus 2 physical button | Touchscreen plus 2 physical button |
| Always-on | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable watch face | Yes | Yes |
BODY | ||
| Shape | Square | Circular |
| Dimension | 40.6 x 37 x 11.5 mm | 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm |
| Weight | 37.6 grams | 50.5 grams |
| Casing material | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Fiber-reinforced polymer with polymer rear cover |
| Strap/band material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel Material | Anodized aluminum | Stainless steel |
| Strap size | 20mm | 22mm |
| Interchangeable band | Yes, 20mm | Yes, 22mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla glass 3 | Corning Gorilla glass 3 |
| Water resistant/Protection | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color(s) | Venu Sq Music Black Light-gold/navy Rose-gold/tan Slate/moss Venu Sq Standard Black Light-gold/white Orchid purple | Black/black |
MEMORY | ||
| RAM | -- | -- |
| Internal storage | 4GB (Venu Sq Music) | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
CONNECTIVITY | ||
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth smart v4.2 LE, ANT+ | Bluetooth smart, ANT+ |
| Bluetooth calling | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Venu Sq music) | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Payment system | Garmin pay | Garmin pay |
| GPS | GPS/GLONASS/Galileo | GPS/GLONASS/Galileo |
CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY | ||
| Technology | No | No |
| SIM | No | No |
| Band | No | No |
NOTIFICATIONS | ||
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps | Yes | Yes |
| Text response | Yes | Yes |
FITNESS TRACKING | ||
| Sleep apnea | No | No |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | No | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max. | Yes | Yes |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Blood pressure | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Swim tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Under-water heart rate tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded maps | No | No |
| On-screen workout modes | No | Yes |
| Triathlon mode | No | Yes |
| ECG Tracking | No | No |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes | Yes |
| Safety tracking | Yes | Yes |
MEDIA | ||
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Music streaming | Yes (Venu Sq music) | Yes |
| Bluetooth music | Yes (Venu Sq music) | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | No | No |
| Microphone | No | No |
| Camera | No | No |
SENSORS | ||
PLATFORM | ||
| Operating system (OS) | Proprietary OS | Proprietary OS |
| Chipset | -- | -- |
| CPU | -- | -- |
| GPU | -- | -- |
BATTERY | ||
| Type of battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | -- | -- |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 6 days GPS mode with music: Up to 6 hours | Smartwatch mode: Up to 8 days GPS mode with music: Up to 6 hours |
| Charging type | USB charging cable | USB charging cable |
| Charging time | About 1-2 hours | About 1-2 hours |
| Battery saver mode | Yes | Yes |
| Solar power | No | No |
| Rapid charging | No | No |
CLOCK FEATURES | ||
| Time/Date | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes | Yes |
OTHER FUNCTIONS | ||
| Control camera | Yes | Yes |
| Music control | Yes | Yes |
| Find phone | Yes | Yes |
MISC | ||
| Compatibility | Android and iOS Check if your device is compatible | Android and iOS Check if your device is compatible |
| Companion app | Garmin connect IQ | Garmin connect IQ |
| Voice command | No | No |
BOX CONTENTS | ||
| Garmin Venu Sq | Garmin Vivoactive 4 | |
| Straps | Straps | |
| USB charging cable | USB charging cable | |
| Quick start guide | Quick start guide | |
| NOTE: We can't guarantee that all the information on this table are 100% correct. Read full disclaimer. Please, report an error. | ||
| Official Site | Official Site | |
At a Glance – The Difference Between Venu Sq and Vivoactive 4
Basically, the difference between these two is that Venu Sq is cheaper, has a square shape, anodized aluminum bezel, lacks a gyroscope, lacks an on-screen workout mode and can’t count floors climbed. Meanwhile, Vivoactive 4 is circular in shape, has a stainless steel bezel, can count floors climbed, has a gyroscope, has on-screen animated workout modes and slightly longer battery life.
Beyond these differences, both smartwatches feature the same fitness tracking features like incidental fall detections, Spo2 measurement, stress, sleep, and heart rate tracking and as well as smart notifications, music storage, Garmin Pay, and more.
Design: Garmin Vivoactive 4 has a more sophisticated and attractive design
Starting with the appearance which is the most notable difference between these two, while Venu Sq has a square shape, Vivoactive 4 has a circular shape. Furthermore, Venu Sq weighs just 37.6 grams – thanks to its slimmer design, while Vivoactive 4 weighs 50.5 grams. Although, each of these two is very lightweight when compared to Versa 3 or Active 2.
Gamin Venu Sq – Source: DC Rainmaker
Another difference you’ll notice between these two is the different bezel materials, while Venu Sq has an anodized aluminum bezel, Vivoactive 4 has a stainless steel bezel which is more durable and attractive. Although, both smartwatches have the same case material made of fiber-reinforced polymer. The strap materials come in silicone material which is interchangeable with compatible straps; 20mm for both Venu Sq and Vivoactive 4 (40mm), and 22mm for the 45mm size.
So, as far as design is concerned, Vivoactive 4 has a more presentable design, it’s more durable and attractive even though Venu Sq is also a decent looking smartwatch.
Fitness Tracking: Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a more comprehensive fitness tracker than Venu Sq
Like mentioned earlier, both smartwatches are basically fitness trackers before any other thing else. As a result, each of these two tracks all the basics such as sleep, heart rate, steps, calories, and have inbuilt GPS that allows you to track your outdoor activities like routes and locations. Each of these also features a pulse OX sensor that gauges your blood oxygen saturation during the day and even as you sleep.
Garmin Vivoactive 4 – Source: Zdnet.com
Other activity tracking features include menstrual cycle tracking, incidental fall detection, stress measurement, hydration tracking, and more. You also get access to 20 preloaded sport modes on both smartwatches which gives you the choice of choosing your preferred sports activities.
However, Vivoactive 4 is equipped with more activity tracking features which makes it a more comprehensive fitness smartwatch than Venu Sq. This includes the ability to count floors climbed and on-screen animated workout modes that can coach you through some of your favorite activities, and can save you money on fitness program subscriptions. Vivoactive 4 has both gyroscope and accelerometer, while Venu Sq has only an accelerometer, the implication is that Vivoactive 4 will give a more accurate measurement for angular activities as it can sense both linear and rotational movements.
Battery Life: Garmin Vivoactive 4 has a slightly longer battery life than Venu Sq
The battery life also differs as Vivoactive 4 has a slightly longer battery life than Venu Sq, although both smartwatches will allow you to go long from a single charge. However, while you can get about a week or more battery life with Vivoactive 4, it’s about 5 days or more with Venu Sq.
Price: Garmin Venu Sq is cheaper
As a result of the lack of the features mentioned earlier, Venu Sq is cheaper than Vivoactive 4. So, like most products, it’s a lower-price for a cut in features. In other words, if you go with Vivoactive 4, you get more features and a more durable design, while Venu Sq lacks these extra features, but is cheaper. You can view the prices at the end of this post.
Garmin Venu Sq vs Vivoactive 4 Features Compared
ACTIVITY TRACKING FEATURES | Garmin Venu Sq | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
|---|---|---|
SMART FEATURES | ||
| Connect IQ (Downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets, and apps) | Yes | Yes |
| On-device Connect IQ store | No | No |
| Text response/reject phone calls with text (Android only) | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | No | No |
| Battery saver - customizable low power watch | No | No |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes |
| Plays and Control Watch Music | Yes | |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Find my watch | Yes | Yes |
| Virb remote | Yes | Yes |
HEALTH MONITORING FEATURES | ||
| Wrist-based Heart Rate tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Daily resting heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| AbNormal heart rate alert | Yes (high and low) | Yes (high and low) |
| Respiration Rate (24/7) | Yes | Yes |
| Fitness Age | Yes | |
| Blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring | Yes (spot-check, and optionally all-day and in sleep) | Yes (spot-check, and optionally all-day and in sleep) |
| Battery energy monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Stress tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced sleep tracking/Sleep Score | No | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | Yes (in Garmin Connect™) | Yes (in Garmin Connect) |
| Hydration tracking | Yes (in Garmin Connect) | Yes (in Garmin Connect) |
| Health Snapshot | No | |
SAFETY AND TRACKING FEATURES | ||
| Livetrack | Yes | Yes |
| Group Livetrack | No | No |
| Live event sharing | No | No |
| Incident detection during select activities | Yes | Yes |
| Assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Spectator Messaging (New) | No | |
| Assistance Plus (New) | No | |
TACTICAL FEATURES | ||
| Stealth mode | No | No |
| Night vision mode | No | No |
| Dual Grid Coordinates | No | No |
| Kill switch | No | No |
ACTIVITY TRACKING FEATURES | ||
| Steps Counter | Yes | Yes |
| Move bar (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | Yes | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring (monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep) | Yes | Yes |
| Calories burned | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | No | Yes |
| Distance travelled | Yes | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes |
| Trueup | Yes | Yes |
| Move IQ | Yes | Yes |
GYM & FITNESS EQUIPMENT | ||
| Available gym activity profiles | strength, cardio and elliptical training, stair stepping, floor climbing, indoor rowing, pilates and yoga | strength, cardio and elliptical training, stair stepping, floor climbing, indoor rowing, pilates and yoga |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Strength workouts | Yes | Yes |
| HIIT workouts | No | |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | Yes |
| On-screen workout animations | No | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | No | |
TRAINING, PLANNING & ANALYSIS FEATURES | ||
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Pause | Yes | Yes |
| Interval training | No | No |
| Improved interval (Includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) (New) | No | |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | Yes |
| Power modes - customizable in-activity battery settings | No | Yes |
| Auto lap | Yes | Yes |
| Manual lap | Yes | Yes |
| Rest timer (New) | No | |
| Configurable lap alerts | No | No |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | No | No |
| VO2 Max. (Run) | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max. (Trail run) | No | No |
| Real-Time stamina | No | |
| Training status (lets you see if you're training effectively by tracking your training history and fitness level trend.) | No | No |
| Training load (your total training load for the last 7 days calculated from estimated epoc) | No | No |
| Training load focus | No | No |
| Training effect (aerobic) | No | No |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | No | No |
| Primary Benefit (training effect labels) | No | No |
| Improved Recovery Time (New) | No | |
| Daily Suggested Workouts (New) | No | |
| Custom alerts | No | No |
| Audio prompts | No | No |
| Finish time | No | No |
| Virtual partner | No | No |
| Race an activity | No | No |
| Auto multisport activities | No | No |
| Manual multisport activities | No | No |
| Course guidance | No | No |
| Garmin Live Segments | No | No |
| Strava Live Segments | No | No |
| Round-Trip course creator (running/cycling) | No | No |
| Trendline Popularity Routing | No | No |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | Yes |
| Hot keys | No | Yes |
| Auto scroll | Yes | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | Yes |
| Noopener Noreferrer">Physio Trueup | Yes | Yes |
HEART RATE TRACKING FEATURES | ||
| HR zones | Yes | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes | Yes |
| HR calories | Yes | Yes |
| % HR max. | Yes | Yes |
| % HRR | No | No |
| Recovery time | No | No |
| Auto max HR | No | No |
| Morning report (New) | No | |
| Race glance/widget (New) | No | |
| HRV status (New) | No | |
| Training readiness (New) | No | |
| HRV stress test (measures your heart rate variability while standing still, for 3 minutes, to provide you with an estimated stress level; the scale of this is 1 to 100; low scores indicate lower stress levels) | No | No |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+ to paired devices) | Yes | Yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | Yoga and breathwork only | Yoga and breathwork only |
RUNNING FEATURES | ||
| Available run profiles | Running, indoor track running, treadmill running | Running, indoor track running, treadmill running |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | Yes |
| Running dynamics | No | No |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio (the degree of 'bounce' in your running motion and the cost-benefit ratio with stride length) | No | No |
| Ground contact time and balance (shows how much time, in the running motion, your foot is on the ground rather than in flight and lets you check your running symmetry) | No | No |
| Stride length (real time) | No | No |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes |
| Running power (New) | No | |
| Performance condition (after running 20 minutes, compares your real-time condition to your average fitness level) | No | No |
| Lactate threshold (through analysis of your pace and heart rate, estimates the point where your muscles start to rapidly fatigue) | No | No |
| PacePro pacing strategies | No | No |
| Run workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Race predictor | No | No |
| Course and weather-specific race predictor (New) | No | |
| Foot Pod Capable | Yes | Yes |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | No | |
GOLF FEATURES | ||
| Preloaded with 42,000 courses worldwide | No | No |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Yes (automatic) | Automatic |
| Digital Scorecard | Yes | Yes |
| Custom targets | No | No |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Autoshot | Yes | Yes |
| Full vector map | No | No |
| Auto Courseview updates | No | No |
| Green view with manual pin position | Yes | Yes |
| Hazards and course targets | Yes | Yes |
| Pinpointer | Yes | Yes |
| Playslike distance | No | No |
| Touch-targeting (touch target on display to see the distance to any point) (New) | No | |
| Handicap scoring | No | No |
| Truswing compatible | No | No |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | Yes |
| Tournament Legal | No | |
OUTDOOR RECREATION | ||
| Available outdoor recreation profiles | Skiing, sNowboarding, xc skiing, stand up paddleboarding, rowing | Skiing, sNowboarding, xc skiing, stand up paddleboarding, rowing |
| Point-to-Point navigation | No | Yes |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | No | No |
| Back to start | Yes | Yes |
| TracbacK | No | No |
| Ultratrac Mode | No | No |
| Around me mode | No | No |
| Up ahead | No | |
| Elevation profile | No | No |
| Distance to destination | No | No |
| Barometric trend indicator with storm alert | No | No |
| ClimbPro ascent planner | No | No |
| Trail run auto climb | No | No |
| Vertical speed | No | No |
| Total ascent/descent | No | Yes |
| Future elevation plot | No | No |
| Preloaded Topographical maps | No | No |
| Preloaded road and trail maps (New) | No | |
| Preloaded Ski resort maps | No | No |
| Downloadable cartography support | No | No |
| Compatible with Basecamp | No | No |
| GPS coordinates | No | No |
| Sight 'N GO | No | No |
| Area calculation | Yes | Yes (via Connect IQ) |
| Hunt/fish calendar | Yes | Yes (via Connect IQ) |
| Projected waypoint | No | No |
| Sun and moon information | Yes | Yes (via Connect IQ) |
| Xero locations | No | No |
| Expedition GPS activity | No | No |
| Tides | No | No |
CYCLING FEATURES | ||
| Available cycling profiles | Biking, indoor biking | Biking, indoor biking |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | Yes |
| Courses | No | No |
| MTB Grit & Flow | No | No |
| Cycle map (routable cycling-specific street map) | No | No |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | No | No |
| Race an activity | No | No |
| FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | No | No |
| Compatible with Vector (Power Meter) | No | No |
| Power Meter compatible | No | No |
| Advanced cycling dynamics | No | |
| Compatible with Varia Vision (head-mounted display) | No | No |
| Compatible with Varia Radar (Rear-Facing Radar) | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia Lights | Yes | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (with sensor) | Yes (ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart sensors) | Yes (ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart sensors) |
SWIMMING FEATURES | ||
| Available swim profiles | Pool swimming | Pool swimming |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | No | No |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes |
| Drill logging (pool swim only) | No | No |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes |
| "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only) (New) | No | |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) (New) | No | |
| Time and distance alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Pacing alerts (pool swim only) (New) | No | |
| Countdown start (pool swim only) | No | No |
| Pool swim workouts | No | No |
| Critical swim speed (New) | No | |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | No | No |
Which Should You Buy?
It all depends on your budget, Vivoactive 4 is clearly a better smartwatch than Venu Sq. It gives you a better experience with its extra features like on-screen workout mode and the ability to count floors climbed. Meanwhile, Venu Sq is a cheaper alternative. It’s a lightweight and decent looking smartwatch, it’s also a comprehensive fitness tracker, has a long battery life, allows you to store music, and more.
Prices
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Hi! I’m Jude, the chief editor at Smartwatchseries.com
I’m a graduate of biochemistry, a 3D artist and a passionate fitness enthusiast. On here, I and other smartwatch fans work hard to help you find the right smartwatch for you with our guides, reviews, and comparisons.
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