Garmin Venu 2s in review: Lots of great features including offline music from Spotify

Case and connectivity – Smartwatch with storage for offline music

Garmin provides the Venu 2 in two sizes: The Garmin Venu 2 in 45 mm and the Venu 2s in 41 mm. The latter is our test device. We are only aware of differences in terms of battery life as indicated below.

The looks remain sporty despite the classy, glimmering bezel made of stainless steel, which is due to the high proportion of plastic found in the 38-gram case. Garmin also provides leather alternatives for the 18 mm textured silicone strap with quick-release.

Garmin equips many watches with a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display that doesn't require backlighting outdoors, allowing for long battery life. The Venu 2 is not in that category, since it has a bright AMOLED display that adjusts brightness automatically, with the possibility to manually adjust it in three levels depending on the user's needs.

A total of 8 GB of data storage allows music to be stored for offline use. Thanks to WLAN, it synchronizes the playlists of the streaming providers directly with the corresponding servers, and it also receives system updates without the need for a smartphone.

The Garmin smartwatch is operated via the touchscreen and the two buttons on the side. It has neither a speaker nor a microphone and consequently no voice assistant, but it does come with NFC for mobile payments through a Garmin-supported bank.