Venu 3 software development DEAD

Garmin are changing - they are more money focused than ever before and seem to be losing touch with there users - Connect+ and the complete lack of empathy towards there users (unless you spend 1k for your device). The prices of there devices have gone crazy (they have always been hight but worth but now....) and now they are hiding features behind a paywall.

The Venu 3 is not a cheap device (there are now better devices out there for less money) and for them to have such a dismissive attitude to it and its users is terrible! I have been using Garmin for 30 odd years and have owned so many devices from them but now I'm thinking that they are no longer worth the considerable outlay they are demanding, especially when you factor in there dismissive attitude to there "everyday" watches.

RobCX said:

The Venu 3 is not a cheap device (there are now better devices out there for less money)

Well, unfortunately this is not quite the case. It turns out that if you need a device that tracks sleep really well and gives you reliable data on heart rate and exercise, you are either stuck with the Apple Watch or you generally have no alternative because all the amazfit or Huawei watches and even other Garmins give you data on sleep from the cosmos. Venu 3 is really good fitness and health tracker with poor firmware development 
Although the Venu 3 still presents some data taken from the ceiling for example the respiratory rate in my case is half the real one because I do 7 breaths per minute and the watch shows 14 but other data like heart rate or sleep tracking are really here at a higher level than in much more expensive models like Epix or Fenix.
If Garmin really started to count only on money it is a very big mistake because the market will quickly verify it and other brands improving their products in a better and better way will present reliable results of measurements from the wrist both sleep tracking breathing frequency steps and heart rate floors and all other data that our devices collect. I think the most important thing for a brand to do is to be true to its users by improving its products and if any of them are reading this then they should really get on with improving and fixing the bugs in the existing firmware first and foremost.

You fell for Garmin marketing. There are much better watches for the price on the market. Plus, Garmin watches (including Venu 3) have numerous connectivity, quality, sleep and HR tracking issues that people reported on this forum but no solution was provided.

Whatsmore, Garmn is not interested much in fixing bugs. It even started saying that bugs are thing thst "work as designed" although they are obviously bugs - this is especialy the case with fenix 7 and epix, their premium watches.

And to come back to the point of original post - no matter how you put it or what justifications you try to find for it, software development for Venu 3 is dead - it will receive no new features. No other vendor sells such expensive watch with nonexistent feature support.

Vizi said:

You fell for Garmin marketing. There are much better watches for the price

I didn't fall for any marketing. Just belive in this guy testing method

Quantified scientist

Just look at this chart of his examinations 

As you can see it's not quite like that because the Venu 3 if you don't want to own an Apple Watch or Fitbit then the best sleep monitor is just the Venu 3.
On the chart better are watches that you have to charge daily or fitbit for which you have to pay a subscription.
Garmin venu 3 therefore has no alternative when it comes to sleep monitoring of course I think the software development is surprisingly poor and this should be improved But I still don't see any alternative to this Smartwatch

Please provide examples of such watches.

So you conveniently skipped over all those points related to OP in which I proved you wrong and now ask a question not related to the OP. 

Nevertheless, for other readers, here are watches that outperform Garmin Venu 3 by features or are at least in same league, but are significantly cheaper and are getting significant updates (unlike Venu 3):

• Suunto Race S: Much better quality, more advanced sports tracking and more sport profiles, better battery, offline maps and superior navigation (best on market).
• Amazfit T-Rex 3: Longer battery life, rugged durability, great HR accuracy, better GPS accuracy, has resume later, much more customization in every aspect including battery saving, AI feature, voice controls, better GPS, offline maps and superior navigation.
• Amazfit Active 2: More sport profiles, resume later, sapphire display (more durable), much more customization in every aspect, offline maps and superior navigation, has voice calls and speakers, AI feature.
• Coros Pace pro: Exceptional battery life, precise running metrics, more sport profiles, much better navigation.
• Huawei Watch GT 5: Significantly better design and quality, great battery life, more sport profiles, offline maps and much better navigation, has voice calls and speakers, only downside is less customization.

To come back to the OP topic, feel free to read some more threads about same issues as in this OP:

https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/healthandwellness/f/venu-3-series/408207/garmin-has-definitely-lost-it-s-mind-with-venu-3

https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/healthandwellness/f/venu-3-series/410630/disappointed-with-garmin-s-update-policy-on-the-venu-3

https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/healthandwellness/f/venu-3-series/408678/new-features-for-venu-3

Plus, those watches I enlisted above do not have all those connectivity issues and battery drain issues that Venu 3 has. Those are very important points in every day usage. 

Plenty to choose from. Thank god for competition. 

First of all, I'm not defending Garmin because they should release watches WITHOUT BUGS - first and most important thing. If this watch had everything that the manufacturer declares without defects it would be perfect.

But the watches you mentioned above do not grow up to the heels of the Venu 3 when it comes to tracking health and body activity..

See that photo I pasted above? A man is testing watches and comparing them with professional medical EEG equipment. So you can see that the watches you listed don't even come close to the Venu 3.

Perhaps the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro actually stands out for its build quality, but that's about it. Both the heart rate sensor and everything else is inferior to the Venu 3.
Additionally, neither of these watches can be used to pay by contactless as easily as the Venu 3.

I don't know where you live, but in Europe there are 14 days to return purchased goods. After my oncology adventure, when I found out that nothing was wrong with me and I didn't have cancer, I decided to make a gift and exchange my Venu 2 watch for a new one. I bought a Venu 3. And even though I became familiar with the bugs, I didn't return it. Why?

1. I need good (possibly) sleep tracking. Heart rate variability (HRV), and other body parameters
2. I need seamless contactless payment, everywhere, even when I am abroad.
3. I need transparency and reliability in activity logging - I don't want unnecessary applications. That's what I value Garmin's menus for.
4. Talking on the watch instead of my phone will make it easier for me to talk every day when I'm working on the computer, for example, but I also don't have to reach for my phone when I'm running or exercising.
5. I need a watch that I don't have to charge every day - a week of battery is the minimum for me. Like the phone, the good old Pocophone F1 used with LineageOS 22 - after installing Google services holds 5 days.
6. I hate any subscriptions or subscriptions - I consider myself buying what I can have so any Fitbits, Whoop and others fall away. Garmin Connect+ also doesn't exist for me.

As you can see, the only watch that meets my requirements is still the Venu 3. When I installed GOogle services on the Pocophone F1, even the assistant through the watch works. Admittedly poorly, with bugs, but it works.

If I add to that the ability to create custom dials - and I'm a power-user and I'm very familiar with technology both doing wonders with Android phones and tablets - I also love creating my own dials for the watch. The Garmin IQ Connect store has zero selection, no dials for me there. But for what this man has done for Garmin:

Free Great Watchface builder for Garmin

Providing a powerful infrastructure to make your own shields for FREE! - should get a medal of merit from the President not just from Garmin - because it is Garmin that should create such a tool free of charge and make it available to everyone after purchasing the watch. - Taking this into account Venu 3 was the only choice for me.

Yes, I will buy Mom for Mother's Day most likely Huawei GT 4 41 mm, but she doesn't pay proximity and doesn't need sleep tracking like I do, moreover, there are no such nice watches for women in Garmin's range (my Mom is 70 years old and is very happy with her Huawei Band 4 so it's time for a change), Lily 2 Active is nice but monochrome, Venu 3s is too big and too expensive.
We bought my dad an Amazfit Active 2 for his 75th birthday and he's really happy, the watch looks beautiful - but I'm still staying with my Venu 3.

Well, I hope Garmin's CEO is about to hire me as a firmware division manager :) :) :) (of course, I'm joking a bit and writing this with a smile) and I'll sort out the programmers so that they write a FW that won't have bugs.

Yes, I realize that sleep tracking also has shortcomings. But with me, for example, naps work quite well, and even so, overall (take a look at the picture from Quantified Scientist) comparing to medical EEG equipment - Venu 3 stands at the forefront of watches that don't have a subscription and don't chew up the battery in a day.

Of course, if I find a better watch on the market and in a few years (if people don't crash this world out of their own stupidity and we survive until then) I will be buying a new smartwatch, I will not hesitate to choose another brand - if it offers much better performance.
For the time being, I'm buying another leather strap and enjoying Venu 3, giving kudos to all the developers motivating them to work to chase out all the bugs :)

You’re still clinging to that one Quantified Scientist chart like it’s gospel while ignoring every real-life other flaw I and countless others have pointed out. You seem to pretend that factual criticism is invalid just because you’ve tied your identity to a fitness watch. 

1. Sleep Tracking "Superiority": You keep parroting that chart, but conveniently ignore the numerous reports of Garmin’s sleep tracking inaccuracies - missed naps, mislabeled deep/light sleep, and the fact that all Garmin watches use the same sleep algorithm. The Venu 3 isn’t special. Even the Quantified Scientist admits wrist-based tracking is inherently flawed compared to medical-grade devices. Yet you treat it like absolute truth. Interesting how you dismiss real-world user complaints but worship a single YouTube test. All the while, you felt no need to explore the subject in more depth and learn more about actual users' experiences. 

2. Your "Unique Needs" Don’t Invalidate Facts: Congrats, the Venu 3 works for you (with very limited usage scenario). But your personal checklist (contactless payments, battery life, etc.) doesn’t magically erase its shortcomings. The Amazfit Active 2 also has voice calls, offline maps, and a week of battery. The Huawei GT 5 has better build quality (Pro even more so) and comparable health tracking, and they offer more features. The Suunto Race S has far better navigation (as do other watches on my list). You’re cherry-picking to justify your purchase while dismissing alternatives that objectively outperform Garmin in key areas.

3. Bugs & Abandoned Software: You admit the firmware is buggy yet still simp for Garmin. Why should a $450 watch need users like you to beg for basic fixes? Other brands push meaningful updates that add significant features or improvements to their watches. On the other hand, Garmin practices "release and forget" policy for the Venu series - yet you act shocked when that is called out loud.

4. The "No Alternative" Myth: You claim there’s no alternative, yet ignore all those benefits of watches I enlisted in my previous post, related to better quality and durability, better GPS accuracy, significantly better navigation, and all that with comparable HR metrics.

You’re confusing your preferences with objective feature set. It is fine that you’re happy with the Venu 3, but don’t pretend it’s flawless or that competitors "don’t grow to its heels." They do, they just prioritize different features and in many areas offer more features than Venu 3 (for much less price).  

Bottom Line: Garmin’s resting on its laurels, and fanboyism won’t change that. The Venu 3 is not the undisputed champion you paint it as - it’s a mid-tier watch with some strengths, many bugs, and zero feature software support. If that’s enough for you, great. I expect much more for 450 USD. And I am aware that competition offers much more for the better price. 

Enjoy your overpriced Venu 3 and good luck with bugs that have not been resolved since its release (nor will ever be).

Seensoul said:

See that photo I pasted above? A man is testing watches and comparing them with professional medical EEG equipment. So you can see that the watches you listed don't even come close to the Venu 3.

Do not overvalue his data. His sample set size is 1. This is absolutely ANTI-scientific method.
In one of the videos he invited a friend and to test the same watch. For him the accuracy was garbage (the corelation was around 0.6) while for her it all was fine (0.9X).