Earlier in the month, Garmin launched the Venu 3 and the 3S in Malaysia. More recently, the company organised an event for members of the media to get some hands-on time with the smartwatch, in addition to highlighting once again features that make it stand out from the rest.
The feature in question was the addition of being able to detect if you were taking naps as an expansion to its sleep tracking capabilities. But since that’s not something that can be tested within a single hands-on session, we’ll leave it at that.
Overall, the Garmin Venu 3 feels pretty light, both in hand and on wrist. Which is a major contrast to the imposing-looking sensors at the back. This makes it very comfortable to wear, though those who are used to conventional watches may need some time to adjust. The straps also allow for better tightness adjustment, so you won’t be stuck between feeling like it’s either too loose, or cutting off your hand’s blood supply.
As for usability, the Garmin Venu 3 has three buttons that you can use for when fingers are too sweaty for the touch screen. The company says that there is an option to turn the touchscreen off entirely too. On a personal level I prefer to use the buttons, as even with dry hands the touch screen is not as responsive as I would like it to be. At least, this is when I’m only scrolling through the available features and options rapidly, rather than using it for actual health tracking.
With the limited hands-on session, it would be unfair for me to make further judgments about the Garmin Venu 3, especially when it comes to the aforementioned health tracking stuff and its ruggedness. But with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top of the screen, stainless steel bezel and fibre-reinforced polymer case, it should be fine on that front.
As mentioned in the initial report, the Garmin Venu 3 and 3S are both priced at RM 2,299. You can get them from the brand’s offline stores, or the official online store on Lazada and Shopee.
