CNET

Garmin Venu 2 Plus hands-on: Garmin’s best smartwatch yet

Garmin’s latest watch is trying to bridge the gap between a true fitness watch and smartwatch. Spoiler alert: It’s pretty darn good. It now comes with a speaker and microphone so you can talk to your voice assistant, take quick calls and even play music from your wrist. Read more about the Garmin Venu 2…

Published

4 years ago

January 5, 2022

CYBER TECH TV

Read more about the Garmin Venu 2 Plus:
Garmin Venu 2 review (previous model):

You can see the products featured in this video here ????
Garmin Venu 2 Plus

Garmin Venu 2

*CNET may get a commission from these offers.

Subscribe to CNET:
Like us on Facebook:
Follow us on Twitter:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on TikTok:

Related Topics:CNET featured fitness garmin News review smartwatch tech technology venu venu 2 plus watch wearable

Up Next

PlayStation VR 2: Everything we know

Don't Miss

Biggest reveals from GM at CES 2022 (InnerSpace Concept car!)

32 Comments

JogBird

January 5, 2022 at 7:14 pm

ive managed to be fit and active my whole life without a smartwatch

Reply
- Buc_Odie
  
  January 5, 2022 at 7:23 pm
  
  ????
  
  Reply
R S

January 5, 2022 at 7:22 pm

Qi wireless charging ?

Reply
- Lexy Savvides
  
  January 5, 2022 at 7:41 pm
  
  No just Garmin’s standard 4-pin charger
  
  Reply
Dayner

January 5, 2022 at 7:30 pm

Trash

Reply
Liad Sagi

January 5, 2022 at 7:31 pm

GW4 is ~200USD, you can buy 2 and have 50 bucks spare

Reply
- Tiago Thinks
  
  January 5, 2022 at 10:07 pm
  
  And even with the two you’ll still have to charge em before the venu 2 plus ????
  
  Reply
Milan Zarkov

January 5, 2022 at 8:04 pm

Bixby? LOL

Reply
Kent C

January 5, 2022 at 8:10 pm

Does anyone know if this would be good as a fitness tracker for a wheelchair user?

Reply
Josef Alejandrino

January 5, 2022 at 8:22 pm

Lexy is one of the few tech reviewers that actually understands the value of a smartwatch and can do a proper review of one

Reply
Dave M

January 5, 2022 at 8:23 pm

Just buy an Apple Watch

Reply
- dale Webb
  
  January 5, 2022 at 10:07 pm
  
  Apple is crap! Have to download too many apps for best of that watch, garmin is better and cheaper
  
  Reply
- Dave M
  
  January 5, 2022 at 10:48 pm
  
  @dale Webb starting price of $450!? You can literally get a Apple Watch series 7 for 50 dollars cheaper lol
  
  Reply
- Ondra Wilson
  
  January 6, 2022 at 1:19 am
  
  @dale Webb my Garmin is $1k and doesn’t do half of what my Apple Watch does. You’re essentially paying for the name
  
  Reply
Øystein Heimstad

January 5, 2022 at 8:23 pm

Yet another watch making the iwatch look like a toy 😀

Reply
Francis Manga

January 5, 2022 at 8:36 pm

Watching this on my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

Reply
- Tiago Thinks
  
  January 5, 2022 at 10:06 pm
  
  I have the watch 4 and I’m mostly liking returning it and grabbing the venu 2 plus!
  
  Reply
James Ryan

January 5, 2022 at 8:45 pm

Ty Lexy, Do you know if there are any new fitness functions? PacePro on the Garmin forerunner 55 is compelling for running only and the Apple Watch for everything else. I am waiting for the Fenix 7 line to release before getting a running only watch. The article tied in nicely with the video, I’d really like the Apple Watch to play tunes without Bluetooth headphones like that as well and fully get that.

Reply
- Tiago Thinks
  
  January 5, 2022 at 10:05 pm
  
  No pacepro bro. ????
  
  Reply
- James Ryan
  
  January 6, 2022 at 12:37 am
  
  @Tiago Thinks hmmm, it’s a pretty important function. They must be diversifying the watches, looks like it’s worth waiting a little longer
  
  Reply
- Tiago Thinks
  
  January 6, 2022 at 12:43 am
  
  @James Ryan basically all the fitness functions on the venu 2 can be found on the plus. I hear the Fenix 7 will be announced before March. I personally think the Venu 2 Plus has everything I need. I just ordered mine today. I also have been testing out Samsungs watch 4 and I’m really liking it.
  
  Reply
Dami Fash

January 5, 2022 at 9:09 pm

Was really paying attention and admiring the watch till heard that price ????

I got my watcg SE for about $220

Reply
whatthewhat?

January 5, 2022 at 9:27 pm

I have the Garmin Vivoactive 4. The pulse oxygen meter doesn’t work 99% of the time and when it does, it’s way off. If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t.

Reply
Francesco Varrato

January 5, 2022 at 9:50 pm

Did you really say “music storage”? Wow :-

Reply
- Tiago Thinks
  
  January 5, 2022 at 10:07 pm
  
  Yeah, that’s an awesome feature. You can have up to 650 songs on the device and go for a run without your phone. It’s awesome!
  
  Reply
Rory Leighton

January 5, 2022 at 10:10 pm

So you have to have a phone near by to take calls or reply to messages and you can’t use the assistant to control the watch?? Doesn’t sound very well thought through tbh, the regular Venu 2 sounds way more sensible.

Reply
James Rogers

January 5, 2022 at 10:28 pm

This looks better than any Apple Watch

Reply
C Alvz

January 5, 2022 at 10:36 pm

Lexy make a video on the Amazfit GTR 3 Pro, it’s very similar to this if not better but costs less

Reply
김창언

January 5, 2022 at 11:05 pm

ㅃ

Reply
Evan Rodgers

January 5, 2022 at 11:51 pm

Garmin secretly makes the best range of smartwatches available.

Reply
Kaveman _

January 6, 2022 at 12:27 am

Great review 🙂

Reply
My DJI Flight's

January 6, 2022 at 12:49 am

finally Garmin sent this new release watches to some body with android phone to test and review it. like always nice presentation.

Reply

CNET

Google Speaks on Quantum Hackers and the Threat to Crypto | What the Future

Google just warned that quantum computers could start breaking the complex encryption protecting cryptocurrencies much easier and sooner than expected. 0:00 Google’s Quantum Warning 0:13 Quantum Computers: A Faster Frontier 0:39 Assessing the Threat 0:58 The Move to Post-Quantum Cryptography 1:26 Understanding Post-Quantum Cryptography 2:10 The Power of Entanglement 2:43 Exploring Quantum Computing Add CNET…

Published

1 day ago

April 5, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Google just warned that quantum computers could start breaking the complex encryption protecting cryptocurrencies much easier and sooner than expected.

0:00 Google’s Quantum Warning
0:13 Quantum Computers: A Faster Frontier
0:39 Assessing the Threat
0:58 The Move to Post-Quantum Cryptography
1:26 Understanding Post-Quantum Cryptography
2:10 The Power of Entanglement
2:43 Exploring Quantum Computing

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com:

#google #quantum #computing #hacker #crypto

CNET

I Was in AWE of This Techie Art Exhibit (Ministry of Awe)

Scott Stein takes you inside the Ministry of Awe, Philadelphia’s immersive six story art experience. Go on a journey with him as he explores how technology and art meet in this space. Hear from the founders of Spatial Pixel, who explain what inspires them to combine AI with this physical art experience. 0:00 Entering the…

Published

2 days ago

April 4, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Scott Stein takes you inside the Ministry of Awe, Philadelphia’s immersive six story art experience. Go on a journey with him as he explores how technology and art meet in this space.
Hear from the founders of Spatial Pixel, who explain what inspires them to combine AI with this physical art experience.

0:00 Entering the Vault
0:13 The Concept
1:07 Programmable Space
1:41 Interacting with AI
3:12 The Future of Immersive Tech

#MinistryOfAwe #ImmersiveArt #PhiladelphiaEvents #SpatialAI #FutureOfTech #CNET #InteractiveArt #SpatialPixel #OldCityPhilly

CNET

Apple at 50: Sharing Our Biggest Apple Memories

With Apple turning 50 this week, Bridget Carey goes down memory lane with her CNET teammates on what it was like to cover the iconic company and how the products shaped our lives. Read more on CNET.com Apple’s 50-Year Legacy of Product Innovation, Through CNET’s Lens 0:15 CNET reporters share their favorite Apple memories 0:22…

Published

3 days ago

April 3, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

With Apple turning 50 this week, Bridget Carey goes down memory lane with her CNET teammates on what it was like to cover the iconic company and how the products shaped our lives.

Read more on CNET.com
Apple’s 50-Year Legacy of Product Innovation, Through CNET’s Lens

0:15 CNET reporters share their favorite Apple memories
0:22 Bridget Carey’s start with Apple
0:39 iMac G3
0:48 Jeff Carlson learns newspaper layout and Page Maker on a Mac
0:56 Aldus PageMaker
1:02 Transporting a Mac Classic across campus on a bike
1:15 Scott Stein takes a PowerBook 145 to college
1:46 Abrar Al-Heeti’s favorite gadget is the iPod Nano (3rd Gen)
2:05 Faith Chihil bought an iPod with a click wheel in 2021 and uses it today
2:25 Can someone help Faith Chihil fix her Scion’s aux input?
2:43 Bridget Carey holds off on buying the first iPhones
2:48 iPhone 3Gs was Bridget Carey’s first Apple purchase
3:00 Vanessa Hand Orellana stands in line for iPhone 3s
3:26 Patrick Holland accidentally. became the face of the Apple Store
3:56 Bridget Carey starts her job at CNET in 2011
4:07 Bridget Carey goes to the Apple Store to cover the death of Steve Jobs
4:21 Patrick Holland watched fans pay tribute to Steve Jobs by leaving notes at the Apple Store
4:52 Patrick Holland describes working at the Apple Store
5:06 Iyaz Akhtar waits in line at the Soho Apple Store for Mac OS X Leopard
5:35 Bridget Carey remembers reporting on crazy lines for Apple product launch days
5:43 Vanessa Hand Orellana remembers reporting from iPhone lines
5:56 Jeff Carlson attends Apple’s infamous U2 Songs of Innocence album release event
6:09 Tim Cook and Apple give half a billion iTunes users a U2 album for free
6:36 Apple releases a fix to delete the U2 album from your phone
6:44 Russell Holly’s iPhone 6 bendgate
6:55 Scott Stein wears AirPods for the first time and becomes a meme
7:25 The very first Apple Watch demo underwhelms Vanessa Hand Orellana
7:37 Vanessa Hand Orellana watches Tim Cook announce the very first Apple Watch
8:05 Apple Watch Series 4 changes Vanessa Hand Orellana’s opinion on the Apple Watch
8:15 Apple Watch’s pivotal move into health tech and EKG
8:30 Apple Watch helps Vanessa Hand Orellana’s family member get medical diagnosis
8:55 Bridget Carey wants to know how Apple impacted your life