Garmin Venu 3: Release date, rumors, specs, price, and what we want to see

When the Garmin Venu 2 Plus launched, we called it the best smartwatch Garmin’s ever made. Since then, we’ve been patiently waiting for the company to drop an even better follow-up. While we’ve kept an eye out for Venu 3 rumors and leaks, Garmin launched a slew of fantastic fitness trackers including a Forerunner 965 packing an AMOLED display, and Pro models of the latest Fenix and Epix devices. Thanks to an official filing, we finally now know the Garmin Venu 3 is close at hand and we couldn’t be more excited.

Official regulatory filings with SIRIM in Malaysia confirm that a Garmin Venu 3 is in the works and suggest a launch is likely imminent. There are even model numbers for two unique sizes meaning we’ll see the return of an S model.

When is the Garmin Venu 3 release date?

• Garmin Venu: September 2019
• Garmin Venu Sq: September 2020
• Garmin Venu 2: April 2021
• Garmin Venu 2 Plus: January 2022
• Garmin Venu Sq 2: September 2022

The launch schedule for Garmin’s Venu lineup hasn’t exactly been methodical. At least, it’s hard to identify a pattern with so few products and different launch months for each one. When you take Sq models into account, September seems like a popular month to shop for a new Venu device.

We think it’s likely the Venu 3 will arrive this year but it’s hard to narrow it down much further. Our best guess is the Summer or Fall of 2023.

Rumors about what to expect on Garmin’s next Venu lineup are few and far between. As mentioned, official filings confirm the watch will arrive in two case sizes ensuring a snug fit for all wrists. On both the Venu 3 and Venu 3S, we expect a similar aesthetic and general build as the Venu 2 Plus, though we’d hope to see the adoption of the company’s latest Gen 5 Elevate heart rate sensor.

We also think it’s likely users will find the same advanced training metrics introduced on Garmin’s fitness trackers across the multisport and running lineups, including Training Readiness and multi-band GNSS. Meanwhile, we’re crossing our fingers for an even better smartwatch experience including smooth voice assistant support, more third-party apps, and maybe even an LTE model. We can dream, right? We’ll update this section as we confirm more details about what the watch will offer. In the meantime, keep reading below to find out our complete wish list.

What will the Garmin Venu 3 price be?

As excited as we are to see what the Venu 3 has in store, we’re also buckling in for an expensive price tag. In 2019, the original Venu launched at $349.99. The Venu 2 followed it two years later at $399.99. Then, in 2022, the Venu 2 Plus asked shoppers to fork over even more, launching at $449.99. Considering the line’s historically rising cost and the current general uptick in the market, we anticipate a Venu 3 price tag to land around $499.99.

We don’t always get what we want, but that never stops us from asking. To that end, our Garmin Venu 3 feature wish list is short and to the point.

Better battery life and wireless charging

The Venu 2 offered up to 11 days in “smartwatch” mode and up to eight hours with GPS and music. When the Venu 2 Plus arrived, it cut those stats to nine days and eight hours. More importantly, we found Garmin’s claims overly generous, often clocking closer to five days between charges on our devices.

Sure five days is fantastic compared to an Apple Watch or even Samsung’s best specs, but we want to see Garmin push the envelope even further. The best watch is always the watch on your wrist, and great battery life keeps Garmin’s products on users’ wrists the longest. We want to see Garmin stretch its lead.

Finally, while we’re on the subject, let’s go ahead and drop the proprietary charging cable as well. Wireless charging would elevate the Venu 3 series and align the smartwatch with market comparables.

This one seems like a long shot, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised before. We’d love to see Garmin break its LTE abstinence and bring the Venu lineup into true smartwatch territory. LTE connectivity would allow athletes to tap into more features on the go and leave their phones behind without sacrificing any convenience, connectivity, or safety.

As of now, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus is the only device in the company’s stable to offer an ECG app. It seems like a no-brainer that the Venu 3 offer the same. We also want to see the new device pack in all the latest training and performance metrics introduced in recent Garmin launches. These include everything from Training Readiness to Endurance Score.

Advanced health and fitness training tools separate Garmin from the pack. A fully-loaded smartwatch with the best of Garmin’s toolkit could make the Venu 3 a home run for dedicated athletes.

A splash of color

The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is available in three colorways: Silver, Slate, and Cream Gold. As much as we love a good neutral, we wouldn’t mind seeing Garmin pull out the stops and add more variety to the lineup. A navy, forest green, or even brighter case could do a lot to make the Venu 3 more exciting on the wrist. If not, we’ll have to depend on Garmin’s interchangeable bands to add flair on our own time.