Garmin Venu 3 leaks have us optimistic for an imminent release

What you need to know

• Fitness Tracker Test spotted a Garmin Venu 3S listing on the import site Volza on August 2. 
• Back in May, a Malaysian trade agency leak showed approval for the Garmin Venu 3 and 3S.
• So far, we only know one Venu 3S color (Dust Rose) and that it supports Wi-Fi; no other specs or release date info has leaked.
• The Garmin Venu series is known for its stylish designs and lifestyle features compared to most rugged Garmin watches.

It's been over two years since the Garmin Venu 2 launch, with the Venu 2 Plus and Venu Sq 2 bridging the gap. Now, the Garmin Venu 3 release appears to be imminent, based on a couple of recent leaks. We know very little about it officially, but we know enough to be excited.

Flo from Fitness Tracker Test spotted a listing on Volza for an import of the Garmin Venu 3S, with a Dust Rose casing and Soft Gold band. The "S" label is Garmin's typical naming method when it releases a watch in two sizes, standing for "Small."

It's the first we've heard of the Venu 3 or Venu 3S since a May leak from Malaysian regulatory org SIRIM, caught by Gadgets & Wearables. In both cases, we've learned very little about the watch, aside from its existence and that — like the Garmin Venu 2 — it'll support Wi-Fi downloads, as well as Bluetooth.

We don't know when it'll arrive, but a late summer launch for the Venu 3 seems likely. 

The Garmin Venu series is the closest the fitness brand has to a "mainstream" smartwatch, thanks in part to its use of rich AMOLED displays instead of Garmin's trademark memory-in-pixel displays. But now that the Forerunner 265 and 965 have AMOLED, the Venu 3 needs something new to make it stand out.

The Venu 2's successor, the Venu 2 Plus, added a mic and speaker for Bluetooth calling and speaking to your phone's voice assistant, and it was the first Garmin watch to support ECG readings. Since its 2022 launch, it has claimed the crown for our favorite fitness smartwatch because it strikes the right balance between smarts and fitness tech.

There's no guarantee that the Garmin Venu 3 will have a mic/speaker or ECG, but Garmin often incorporates upgrades from spin-off watches into future numbered models. The only problem is, it would make the Venu 3 have a similarly high price, pointing to the $450 Venu 2 Plus. 

Here's what the Venu 3 is almost certain to have, based on the Venu 2: An AMOLED display, stainless steel bezel, battery life just short of two weeks (a mic & speaker would subtract a couple of days), music storage, and Garmin's usual software suite. We also know it'll come in two sizes, about 0.2 inches apart in display size.

In terms of new features, we expect it'll receive recent Garmin software features like Morning Report and Training Readiness. The latter is especially useful, taking your Body Battery, training load, and recovery data to recommend if and how hard you should work out. Generally speaking, Venu watches lag behind the rest for software, so we hope that changes with the Venu 3.

Otherwise, in terms of our Garmin wishlist of new features, we can hope the Venu 3 pairs the mic & speaker with LTE support for calling without a watch. So far, Garmin's only cellular watches use LTE for tracking and safety, not actual phone calls. We can only hope this changes, even if it isn't likely. 

It'd also be exciting if the Venu 3 used its gorgeous touchscreen for full-color maps, something Garmin usually reserves for its priciest watches.

•  Smartwatch deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon | Samsung | Dell