Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 vs Garmin Venu 3
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (#2, best premium) vs Garmin Venu 3 (#4): in our Health Monitoring scoring the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 totals 8.8/10 and the Garmin Venu 3 8.4/10. At $259 versus $349, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 costs $90 less.
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TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 | Garmin Venu 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $259 | $349 |
| Display | 1.5" Super AMOLED | 1.4" AMOLED |
| OS | Wear OS 5 | — |
| Battery | 1-2 days | 10-14 days |
| Sensors | ECG, BIA, BP, HR, SpO2, temperature | HR, ECG, SpO2, temperature |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM + IP68 | 5 ATM |
| Music | — | Spotify, Amazon Music offline |
How they differ in real use
Built from our health monitoring smartwatches scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Garmin Venu 3 made our Top 5 Health Monitoring, at #2 (best premium) and #4. Most comprehensive sensor suite including FDA-cleared ECG, blood pressure monitoring, BIA body composition, and industry-first Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index metrics. 13-LED BioActive sensor with ±1.5% accuracy improvement. Best battery life among full smartwatches at 10-14 days. FDA-cleared ECG, Sleep Coach with nap detection, and Body Battery energy management. Works with both iOS and Android.
We score health monitoring on Health Sensors (35%), FDA Clearances (25%), Continuous Monitoring (20%), Battery Life (10%) and Ecosystem (10%). On that basis the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 totals 8.8 out of 10 and the Garmin Venu 3 8.4. The widest gap is Health Sensors, where the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 scores 10 against 8 for the Garmin Venu 3 — eCG, SpO2, BP, temperature. Battery Life also separates them: 10 for the Garmin Venu 3 versus 5 for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8. The Garmin Venu 3 claws back ground on Continuous Monitoring.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Display — 1.5" Super AMOLED on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 versus 1.4" AMOLED on the Garmin Venu 3; Battery — 1-2 days on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 versus 10-14 days on the Garmin Venu 3; Sensors — ECG, BIA, BP, HR, SpO2, temperature on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 versus HR, ECG, SpO2, temperature on the Garmin Venu 3; Water Resistance — 5 ATM + IP68 on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 versus 5 ATM on the Garmin Venu 3.
Pricing as of January 27, 2026: $259 for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and $349 for the Garmin Venu 3, a $90 difference in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8's favor. Owners praise the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for fDA-cleared ECG and BP and BIA body composition; the most common complaint is BP requires Samsung phone. Owners praise the Garmin Venu 3 for 10-14 day battery and fDA-cleared ECG; the most common complaint is no blood pressure.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
- FDA-cleared ECG and BP
- BIA body composition
- Vascular Load metric
- 13-LED BioActive sensor
- BP requires Samsung phone
- Short battery life
- Samsung-centric features
Garmin Venu 3
- 10-14 day battery
- FDA-cleared ECG
- Sleep Coach with nap detection
- Body Battery energy tracking
- No blood pressure
- Higher price for Garmin
- Limited app store
Which should you buy?
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is the better fit for samsung phone owners and body composition tracking — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Health Sensors and FDA Clearances. The Garmin Venu 3 is the better fit for long battery priority and cross-platform users, and the stronger choice if Battery Life and Continuous Monitoring matter more to you than the overall score. Since the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is both the higher scorer and $90 cheaper, the Garmin Venu 3 only makes sense for long battery priority. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is a poor fit for iPhone users; the Garmin Venu 3 is a poor fit for blood pressure monitoring.
Choose the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 if
- Samsung phone owners
- Body composition tracking
- Comprehensive health metrics
Skip it if
- iPhone users
- Non-Samsung BP monitoring
Choose the Garmin Venu 3 if
- Long battery priority
- Cross-platform users
- Sleep tracking focus
Skip it if
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Compact watch preference
Common questions
Is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 better than the Garmin Venu 3?
In our Health Monitoring ranking the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 scores higher overall, 8.8 to 8.4, with the biggest advantage in Health Sensors. The Garmin Venu 3 is stronger on Battery Life and Continuous Monitoring, so it is the better pick if those matter most to you.
How much more does the Garmin Venu 3 cost than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8?
$90 more as of January 27, 2026: $349 for the Garmin Venu 3 against $259 for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8. Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure.
What is the main difference between the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Garmin Venu 3?
The headline spec difference is Display: 1.5" Super AMOLED on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 versus 1.4" AMOLED on the Garmin Venu 3. In use, the gap that matters most is Health Sensors (10 vs 8 in our scoring): eCG, SpO2, BP, temperature.