Garmin Venu 3 vs Amazfit Balance: All-purpose watch face-off

In the all-purpose smartwatch space, the Amazfit Balance and the Garmin Venu 3 and 3S emerge as direct competitors, each boasting unique features and capabilities. This article aims to dissect and compare these models, shedding light on their strengths and weaknesses.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

These offerings are relatively new, having launched around the same time – in late August 2023. Garmin is renowned for its sophisticated sports tracking technology, a hallmark of the Venu 3 and 3S models. Amazfit, on the other hand, has been making significant strides, offering watches that are well-regarded for their exceptional value. The all-purpose smartwatch sector is very competitive and both brands are compelled to consistently evolve and improve, adapting to the ever-changing demands of the market.

Key takeaways

The Amazfit Balance stands out for its value-for-money proposition, offering unique features like the BIA sensor and AI-powered wellness guidance at a competitive price. The Garmin Venu 3 and 3S, with their advanced health sensors including ECG and temperature monitoring, cater to users seeking in-depth health and fitness tracking. They also go further as far as sports tracking. Both the Amazfit and Garmin pack features such as offline storage for music and NFC for payments.

View on Amazfit / Garmin; View on Amazon (Amazfit Balance, Garmin Venu 3).

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Hardware
Technical specs
Features
Bottom line

Garmin Venu 3 vs Amazfit Balance: Hardware

Design & display

Starting with shape and build, all three of these watches share a round design. But the Amazfit Balance pairs an aluminum alloy middle frame with a fiber-reinforced polymer bottom shell, offering a sleek yet durable construction. In contrast, the Garmin Venu 3 and 3S opt for an all-stainless steel case. This gives them a more robust and premium feel. As you’ve probably guessed, Balance comes in only one size option (46mm diameter), the Venu range in two (45 & 41mm diameter).

The display is another battleground. The Amazfit Balance boasts a 1.5-inch AMOLED screen with a high resolution of 480 x 480 pixels, making for vivid and sharp visuals. The Garmin Venu 3 isn’t far behind with a 1.4-inch AMOLED display, with a slightly lower resolution of 454×454 pixels. The Venu 3S, tailored for smaller wrists, features a 1.2-inch display with a 390 x 390 pixel resolution. All models offer clear, bright displays, but the Balance takes a slight lead.

In terms of physical interaction, the Balance and the Garmin models both incorporate buttons. However, the Garmin models edge out with three buttons, potentially offering more direct control functions. The Balance on the other hand has a rotating crown, in addition to a flat physical button, that you can use to navigate the screen menus.

Water resistance is a tie, with all models rated at 5 ATM. This ensures they can withstand splashes, showers, and even swimming. Color options, however, reveal a divergence in style approaches. The Amazfit Balance keeps it simple with two color choices – Midnight and Sunset Grey. This should appeal to those who prefer classic and understated looks. The Garmin series, on the other hand, offers a broader palette. It includes Whitestone, Black, French Grey, Pebble Grey, Sage Grey, Dust Rose, and Ivory.

Sensor technology

Under the hood, the Amazfit Balance, Garmin Venu 3, and Garmin Venu 3S pack an impressive array of technology. The Amazfit Balance is equipped with the BioTracker 5.0 PPG biometric sensor, which includes 8PD + 2LED for advanced heart rate monitoring, along with a BIA Bioelectric Impedance Sensor. It also includes a suite of sensors like a 3-axis acceleration sensor, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, air pressure sensor, temperature sensor, and ambient light sensor. The Garmin Venu 3 and 3S pack a heart rate monitor (HRM), accelerometer, altimeter, compass, gyroscope, Pulse Ox, thermometer, and ambient light sensor. They also boast an ECG and temperature sensor, adding to their health tracking prowess.

When it comes to NFC capabilities, all three models are on an equal footing, offering contactless payment options. This feature is becoming increasingly important, allowing for seamless transactions on the go. It’s worth mentioning that both Garmin and Amazfit Pay are currently quite limited. But no doubt, in time the region and bank compatibility will widen.

GPS connectivity is another critical aspect. The Amazfit Balance comes with a circularly-polarized GPS antenna and supports dual-band positioning with access to 6 satellite positioning systems, ensuring precise location tracking. The Garmin Venu 3 and 3S also excel in this area, offering GPS, GLONASS, and GALILEO support.

The inclusion of built-in speakers and microphones is also worth a mention. This feature allows users to make and receive calls directly from their wrist, adding a layer of convenience and accessibility.

Battery life

The battery life saga of the Amazfit Balance, Garmin Venu 3, and Garmin Venu 3S unfolds like a tale of lasting power and stamina. The Amazfit Balance, akin to a marathon runner, boasts a stamina of 14 days in its normal mode, stretching up to a remarkable 24 days in Battery Saver Mode, making it the long-distance champion. In the realm of GPS accuracy, it keeps pace for a solid 26 hours, ensuring you’re never lost in the wilderness of low battery anxiety.

On the other side, the Garmin siblings, present a more nuanced story. The Venu 3, like a versatile decathlete, offers a robust 14 days in Smartwatch mode, which can be dialed up to 26 days in its energy-conserving avatar. But, when it’s time to play its tunes or track your path across the globe, it scales down to a still respectable 11 hours in All-Systems GNSS mode with music. The Venu 3S, slightly more petite but no less determined, promises up to 10 days of smartwatch savvy, stretching to 20 in Battery Saver mode. Even when it’s navigating the digital wilderness with GPS and serenading you with music, it keeps going for a commendable 8 hours.

Garmin Venu 3 vs Amazfit Balance: Technical specs

In this table, we juxtapose the technical specifications of the Amazfit Balance with those of the Garmin Venu 3 and Venu 3S, offering a clear, side-by-side comparison.

Garmin Venu 3 vs Amazfit Balance: Features

In the functionality arena, both the Amazfit Balance and the Garmin Venu 3 and 3S excel as all-purpose smartwatches, offering a comprehensive suite of features that cater to a wide range of needs. They cover the essentials in fitness and health tracking, including steps, calories, distance, sports activities, heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and sleep monitoring. This makes them versatile companions for everyday health and activity tracking needs.

The Amazfit Balance steps up its game with the inclusion of the BIA (Bioelectric Impedance Analysis) sensor, a unique addition that allows users to measure body composition, providing insights into body fat percentage, muscle mass, and more. Furthermore, the Balance introduces the Readiness Score, akin to Garmin’s similar metric, which assesses your readiness for exercise based on various health indicators. While it tracks HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and incorporates it into several metrics, the Balance does not provide raw HRV data, which might be a consideration for users seeking this type of data.

Garmin’s Venu 3 and 3S, drawing from the company’s rich legacy in sports tracking, offer reliable and detailed data, especially for sports activities. Users can expect more nuanced and comprehensive performance data for individual sports, a testament to Garmin’s expertise in this domain. This makes the Venu series particularly appealing to users who prioritize sports tracking accuracy and depth.

As mentioned, the Venu range also packs a temperature sensor and an ECG (Electrocardiogram) feature, elements not found in the Amazfit Balance. These advanced sensors offer users deeper insights into their overall health, with the ECG providing critical data on heart rhythm and the temperature sensor adding another layer to wellness tracking.

Both the Amazfit Balance and the Garmin Venu 3 and 3S come equipped with built-in storage for music and support contactless payments, adding to their convenience and utility.

The Amazfit Balance further distinguishes itself with Zepp Aura, an AI-powered wellness service that provides personalized fitness, sleep guidance and relaxation tools. The watch’s chat AI offers tailored responses to user queries, making the wellness journey more interactive and personalized. Garmin offers general insights, and is yet to introduce an AI function for this purpose. No doubt, it will come in time.

Garmin Venu 3 vs Amazfit Balance: Price

In the pricing ring, the Amazfit Balance enters with a competitive edge, sporting a starting price tag of $229.99. This makes it appealing to the budget-conscious yet feature-hungry consumers.

Meanwhile, the Garmin Venu 3 and Venu 3S, both priced at $450, position themselves in the premium segment, targeting users who are willing to invest in higher-end features and brand prestige. This price juxtaposition highlights the diverse market strategies: Amazfit’s play for value-packed affordability versus Garmin’s bet on top-tier, feature-rich offerings.

Garmin Venu 3 vs Amazfit Balance: Final thoughts

The Amazfit Balance and the Garmin Venu 3 range represent two distinct philosophies in the all-purpose smartwatch market. Balance, with its competitive pricing, innovative features like the BIA sensor and AI-powered Zepp Aura, caters to those seeking a blend of affordability, health insights, and personalized guidance. Its ability to provide a holistic health overview, coupled with its budget-friendly price, makes it an attractive option for a wide range of users.

The Garmin Venu 3 and 3S, on the other hand, lean towards the premium end of the spectrum. With Garmin’s renowned sports tracking technology and a more extensive array of health sensors, including ECG and temperature sensor, these models are tailored for users who prioritize detailed fitness tracking and brand reputation.

View on Amazfit / Garmin; View on Amazon (Amazfit Balance, Garmin Venu 3).

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