Garmin announces Forerunner 965 and 265 with AMOLED displays
Brilliant displays and colorful bezel/band options
You may notice I typically wear a watch on both of my arms with one side rocking some Garmin model and the other side sporting a Samsung, Google, or Apple smartwatch. If I was limited to just one, then it would be a Garmin.
I had the privilege of testing out a host of Garmin watches last year, including the stunning Epix and Quatix 7 that both had AMOLED displays. These are the same type of vibrant displays that are found on smartwatches. The primary tradeoff is reduced battery life, but even then these watches still last for more than a week and blow the socks off of smartwatches.
Garmin Forerunner 965
The new Garmin Forerunner 965 builds upon the popular 955 that Garmin released in 2022. It will be available in late March for $599.99 in three different bezel/band colors. Like the Garmin Epix, it comes in one size and is not available with a solar charging option like we see on Garmin watches with MIP (memory-in-pixel) displays.
This watch is slightly thinner than the Forerunner 955, but still provides up to 31 hours of battery life in GPS mode. The 1.4-inch AMOLED display is a touchscreen while there is still the traditional five button Garmin navigation system.
Garmin has been doing an amazing job of updating its watches with quarterly feature updates and the features found on the 965 are very similar to the latest supported on the 955 with the updates applied.
It’s also nice to see Garmin now supporting running power from the wrist with no external device needed to feed this data to the watch. Running power is useful for those of us who run on hills and want a data source a bit more responsive than heart rate for training.
One new software feature, likely coming to the 955 and other watches, is the acute load and related load ratio data that is designed to help optimize your training regime.
Garmin Forerunner 265
As amazing as the Forerunner 965 is, most people will be perfectly satisfied with the Forerunner 265 while also saving themselves $150. The Forerunner 265 is available in 42mm (265S) and 46mm diameter sizes so those with smaller wrists will appreciate these options. There are three bezel/band color options for each of the two sizes, so six models available to choose from.
The Forerunner 265 has a 1.3-inch AMOLED display with a GPS tracking mode battery life of up to 20 hours. Other differences between this model and the 965 include:
Size: 42 and 46 mm diameter vs 47 mm on the 965
Weight: 47 grams (46mm) vs 53 grams
Bezel material: fiber reinforced polymer vs titanium
On-board storage: 8GB vs 32GB
Software functions found on 965, not 265: Garmin Golf support, realtime stamina, heat and altitude acclimation, Garmin Live segments, Strava Live segments, round trip course creator, Trendline popularity routing, mapping
If you are primarily a runner then the 265 will meet all of your needs. However, if you use your watch for golf, trail running, or other activities where mapping is important then you may want to look to the 965.
Am I buying one?
After having the opportunity to test so many Garmin watches last year, including a couple with AMOLED displays, I personally find that the Garmin Enduro 2 is my absolute favorite Garmin watch. It has a MIP display, but I prefer the always-on nature of that display and given the larger size of the watch I can see everything perfectly. I am a bit worried that Garmin eventually moves away from MIP, but let’s hope the company keeps it as an option for those looking for the best battery life.
The other major functionality that keeps the Enduro 2 on my wrist is the integrated LED flashlight. I use this DAILY (honestly, I do) and I won’t consider moving to another Garmin until I see a model released with this useful light.