The Garmin Venu X1 lands in 2025 as Garmin’s most refined smartwatch yet—packing top-tier mapping, fitness tools, and a stunning 2-inch AMOLED screen into an ultra-slim frame. At just 7.9 mm thick and made of titanium with sapphire crystal, it's designed for users who want full-featured outdoors performance without bulk. But how does it compare to Garmin's flagship Fenix line or rival devices like the Apple Watch Ultra 2? We’ll dive into every detail.

Design & Display: Subtle Strength

Ultra-Thin Titanium Construction
Weighing just 40–41 grams, the Venu X1 is Garmin's thinnest model, yet brings premium materials—titanium case, sapphire lens, and a proprietary ComfortFit nylon band. Compared to the rugged Fenix 8, it's nearly 16 grams lighter and 4.9 mm thinner, making it an everyday elegant companion.

Expansive AMOLED Display
The 2-inch square AMOLED display offers a massive viewing area (51.2 mm diagonal, ~448 × 486 px) with up to 2,000 nits brightness for excellent sunlight clarity. It rivals even the Apple Watch Ultra 2—despite the latter’s slightly higher resolution.

User Interface & Style
The X1 adopts a two-button interface on a sleek, rounded square body hosted in two launch colours—black and moss. It's an aesthetic break from Garmin's typical industrial ruggedness, aimed directly at luxury smartwatch users.

Fitness, Sports & Mapping: Serious Tools in a Slim Package

100+ Activity Profiles
Features Garmin's advanced multisport coaching tools including Power Guide, Training Readiness, Race Widgets, Heat Acclimation, and Lactate Thresholds—some of which were previously exclusive to Forerunner 970 and Fenix models.

Full Topographical Mapping + Flashlight
Uncommonly for the Venu line, the X1 supports TopoActive offline maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and even a LED flashlight (white/red, four brightness levels) for trail use. Flashlight controls are activated via a long press on the lower right button.

Premium Health Metrics, but Missing ECG/Multi-Band GPS
It tracks heart rate, SpO₂, stress, Body Battery, pulse oximeter and offers advanced sleep analysis. However, it lacks both ECG and multi-band GPS, which remain reserved for Fenix and Forerunner models—something performance purists may miss.

Durability & Water Rating
Rated to 5 ATM/50 m, it’s suitable for swimming and water sports. It lacks the deeper-depth specs of a Fenix diver model, but still matches Forerunner 970’s waterproofing.

Safety Features & Voice Commands
Comes equipped with incident detection, live tracking, headphone-quality speaker and mic combo for on-wrist calls, and voice controls—even works offline to launch workouts or timers.

Everyday Smartwatch Features: Connectivity at the Wrist

Marketing-Grade Storage & LTE
Boasts 32GB of onboard memory for music and supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and LTE connectivity. Additionally, Garmin Pay makes contactless payments flawless.

Notifications & Controls
Notifications, assistant support, watch face customization, and voice memos are supported. While not a full AI assistant, on-device voice control keeps things convenient.

Battery Performance

Battery Life Estimates

Always-On Display: ~2 days
Smartwatch Mode: ~8 days
GPS-Only Mode: ~16 hours

That pales in comparison to the Fenix 8 (7+ days always-on) and Forerunner 970 (15 days), though reasonable given the central AMOLED display and sleek form.

Expert Perspective: Where X1 Stands in the Market

Against Garmin’s Own Lineup

Fenix 8 & Epix Pro: Offer longer battery life, ECG, multi-band GPS, and heavier-duty builds—still ideal for ultra-endurance and heavy athletes.
Forerunner 970: Maintains a performance edge in tracking and battery, but the X1 brings a much larger display and lighter weight—great for runners who want mapping without the bulk.

Against Premium Competitors

Apple Watch Ultra 2: X1 offers more outdoor tools (maps, flashlight, offline mode) and longer battery, though lacks third-party apps and full ecosystem support.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: Similar in durability but Garmin’s focus on fitness tracking, mapping, and data accuracy gives the X1 an edge for adventure users.

Pros & Cons Summary

Strengths:

Ultra-slim, premium titanium build
Massive, sharp AMOLED display
Comprehensive mapping and LED flashlight
Real-time incident detection, live tracking, and voice controls

Limitations:

Battery life lower than Fenix/Forerunner
No ECG or multi-band GPS
Square straps may not suit small wrists
Pricey at $799/£679—right in Apple Watch Ultra territory

Final Verdict – 4.5 / 5

The Garmin Venu X1 is a triumph in merging elegance, utility, and outdoor power into a surprisingly slim package. It may not replace every athlete’s go-to rugged watch, but for lifestyle-focused users, day-to-day adventurers, and trail runners wanting maps at a glance, it's a compelling choice. Garmin strikes a strong balance between premium materials, brand expertise, and modern design—though battery-conscious power users may still prefer the Fenix or Forerunner.

On balance: if you want Garmin mapping, style, and sensor smarts without the bulk—and are okay charging every 48 hours—it’s one of the most attractive premium smartwatches on the market.

Garmin Venu X1: When Premium Meets Outdoor-Ready Elegance