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Does the Venu SQ use Firstbeat's algorithm to calculate calories?

Hello all,

question is basically in the title.

I find it pretty weird that is so hard to get any information about what devices and what functions on each device use firstbeat algorithms.

The german support site tells me to look at firstbeat's homepage where I would find a list of garmin devices that use firstbeat's algorithms. (https://support.garmin.com/de-DE/?faq=cQk5lIEi6i9gFOrle4qHL6) That is simply not true as there is no category called "garmin" on the linked page I could click.

The english support site only tells me, that "most devices" use them which is not helpful either (https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=cQk5lIEi6i9gFOrle4qHL6).

Regards,

Max

  • I don't know about FirstBeat  for calories, but I'd guess it's unlikely since the Venu is not using FirstBeat for sleep tracking, which is just primitive compared to my old Fitbit Versa.

    I don't understand why Garmin is not using the Venu, which is what brings users like me to the brand, as a showpiece.  It has a great screen, it's GPS and HR monitoring appears pretty accurate, but other bits are just substandard.

    Sleep is like my Samsung from 4 years ago -- it thinks I am asleep while I am l laying down and either watching TV or reading.  Fitbit was much better and I believe that Firstbeat, which is now owned by Garmin, would do a much better job.

    The calorie tracking uses a different formula than Cronometer, which is what I use to track nutrients, so the two don't sync well.

    It doesn't have native Hiking, which is probably about as common for most people as Walking and Running, but it has Golf?!! Thanks to the Hike2 app this is not an issue for me, otherwise, I would have gotten rid of the watch.


    Then there are little things which are diminishing the experience:  If you click for example Walk and start before the GPS locks in, it will buzz to let you know when it locked.  But if you forget to press the Start button, it doesn't track anything.  Bad UX.

    Anyway, they really need to roll in FirstBeat to the Venu, or as is, it's not worth the price of admission.

  • Hello, The Garmin Venu does not have the Firstbeat feature.

  • The Venu and VA4 both use Firstbeat algorithms on device for;

    • Calories burned
    • All day stress and recovery
    • V02max fitness level
    • Respiration rate
    • Body resources

    Why not make it an complete device aimed at the health concious crowd, stop keeping an obviously useful feature from a wellnes device aimed at the mainstream. We basically want our devices to be able to give us this information at a glace;

    • Sleep Detection Stages (REM,Light, awake) 
    • Sleep Quality Score (Sleep score: 0-100)

    I dont belive that is too much to ask for, especially when this company now owns the firstbeat algrorithms....

  • Especially when the FR245 a cheaper watch gets it and it isn't even focused on "health conciousness",  more running.
    The fact that the FR245's selling page doesn't mention "advanced sleep tracking" as any of the notable features yet still gets it is funny. Whereas the Venu and VA4 have that as a selling point, but it's anything but advanced.


    "Found it interesting how the FR245 got sleep tracking. The venu/va4 are in the same price bracket and are more targeted towards features like lifestyle, which sleep falls under. At this point, the 245 is probably the watch with the most value because of how many new firstbeat stuff got added on to it after its initial release. Kind of salty because the 245 already has way more firstbeat algorithms and isn’t even targeted towards “health/wellness/lifestyle” and is at a comparable price. In the case of the Venu, the 245 is less expensive. Lmao'd. They use the logic that the Venu doesn't have training effect and training load because it isn't a training watch, but the 245 gets confirmation of firstbeat sleep tracking coming to it? Then bring training load and training effect to the Venu/VA4 because *** doesnt make sense. You would assume that a device marketed towards lifestyle health and wellness  SLEEP Tracking would be higher on the priority list. *** this"

  • Does it not? Why does it have Firstbeat logo on the box then?

  • The Venu and VA4 both use Firstbeat algorithms on device for;

    • Calories burned
    • All day stress and recovery
    • V02max fitness level
    • Respiration rate
    • Body resources

    Why not make it an complete device aimed at the health concious crowd, stop keeping an obviously useful feature from a wellnes device aimed at the mainstream. We basically want our devices to be able to give us this information at a glace;

    • Sleep Detection Stages (REM,Light, awake) 
    • Sleep Quality Score (Sleep score: 0-100)

    I dont belive that is too much to ask for, especially when this company now owns the firstbeat algrorithms....

    Where can this Information be confirmed?

    I find it that my Venu shows quite a lot less total daily burned calories than my Fitbit Ionic used to show. So now I'm not sure which one is more accurate.

  • After Garmin bought Firstbeat its been more difficult to find proper information regarding device capabilities...

    Here's a list of the current features available through firstbeat; https://www.firstbeatanalytics.com/en/features/ 

  • That is obviously not true as at least the body battery function and the VO2Max calculations are firstbeat driven.

    Are you still sure it does not use firstbeat for calorie computation?

  • I own both FR245 and a Venu Sq which I test for my girlfriend.

    On the box of Venu sq is written Firstbeat and also on the watch itself - Settings - System - About it's mention 'Advaced Heart Beat analytics by Firstbeat'

    The same for Forerunner 245: on the box and in the System - Settings - About

    Facts:

    - Sleep tracking is similar on both devices I see no difference - there is indeed no sleep quality (like probably on Fitbit) but you have Body battery (which is charging when you have a good sleep) and other related functions

    - Calories calculation - some for both devices or I didn't notice any substantial difference

    Now, just to remember that Garmin is implementing different set of software features based on their target audience