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Venu Sq weird batter drain

kochmans
2 months ago

This is actually a question about the first Venu Sq, not the Venu Sq 2, but since the Venu Sq forum has been archived, I'll ask here.

I have the Venu Sq (non-music). Recently the watch started showing an extreme battery drain. The issue appeared suddenly a couple of weeks ago, i.e. one day the battery drain was normal (6-8 days between charges), and the next day it became excessive (barely more than 24 hours between charges). Normally I would suspect that the battery is dying, but during GPS activities (cycling, running) the battery drain seems quite normal, i.e. I get up to 20 hours of GPS activity out of one battery charge. So it looks like the battery is fine despite its age, and extreme battery drain is observable only in non-activity mode. Additional information:

  • I did not change any settings recently.
  • HR sensor is on auto, SPO2 is off.
  • I do not use any IQ apps.

What I tried so far (unsuccessfuly):

  • Rebooting the watch.
  • Resetting it to factory defaults.
  • Connecting and syncing to Garmin Express.

So only two possibilities come to my mind: Either the watch has developed a very peculiar hardware malfunction, which causes extreme battery drain in non-activity mode or there's been a recent Garmin Connect app update, which changed something in the way the watch communicates with the phone over bluetooth, and as a result causes increased battery drain. But in the latter case there would be more users who experience the issue.

Are there any users of the original Venu Sq who would have other ideas?

  • 0 1 month ago

    My 17 month old SQ 2 also has severe battery issues. It started about a month ago when it would almost immediately go from 100% battery to 73%.  Then it would be normal until it was time to recharge. Instead of up to 6 day of battery life, I had to recharge after 3 days. After a week or 2 of this behavior, the battery basically couldn't hold a charge at all. After a few days of my battery dying 3 times per day, my watch went into a drawer. I may take it out the next time there's a firmware update as it seems coincidental that people were having problems almost immediately after the latest update a month ago. I've had Garmin watches and other devices since the Vivofit 1 - in other words - decades. I contacted support and although they gave me great support in the past, I guess those days are over.

    They offered me a replacement at a price more than I paid originally. I didn't want to spend more money to buy a watch with a lifespan of less than 2 years. (My 8 year old Vivoactive 3's battery still lasts 3 days.) The VA3 is good as a backup watch while the SQ2 was being charged but not technology up to date. I thought I might upgrade to a VA5 or VA6, but Garmin wanted more than either Best Buy or Amazon to replace the SQ 2. 

    To me that was very disappointing so, after more than 20 years with Garmin, I moved to a Fitbit for now. I may come back to Garmin in the fall as they often have sales prior to the holiday season but for me now, it's Fitbit which has its pros and cons in comparison.

  • 0 1 month ago

    I also have the original Venu Sq (no music).  It also has started having issues holding a charge.  *So far* rebooting it works for me, but I have to do this now about once a week.  Based on what you wrote, I foresee that it will eventually just quit holding a charge.   I'm sorry I don't have any other solutions for you than the ones you've mentioned.  Wanted you to know another Venu Sq user has similar issues.  

  • 0 1 month ago in reply to brownwetdog

    My SQ 2 will sit in a drawer until the next firmware update. Then I'll see if it can live again. Hopefully, Garmin is paying attention and will do something about it.