As if Garmin wasn't already extremely well-represented on our list of the best smartwatches money can buy in 2024, the wearable industry veteran has just formally unveiled (and commercially released) yet another phenomenal Apple Watch alternative that seems to strike a nearly flawless balance between power and affordability.
Conceived as a long overdue sequel to 2021's entry-level Forerunner 55, the hot new Forerunner 165 looks an awful lot like the decidedly higher-end Forerunner 265... while costing much less in both "standard" and Music variants.
Who said that budget smartwatches need to be rudimentary?
Not Garmin, that's for sure, which is incredibly charging a measly $249.99 right off the bat for an AMOLED display-sporting device largely capable of doing the same things as the $400 and up Apple Watch Series 9 or the Android-only Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, which normally starts at $300.
The 1.2-inch touchscreen on both the Forerunner 165 and Forerunner 165 Music is perhaps not the most generously sized in the industry (even if we only consider the sub-$300 segment), but that's presumably one of the key reasons why Garmin can make a (realistic) 11-day battery life promise that crushes virtually all of its direct competitors.
Make no mistake, that 1.2-inch display is no pushover in the resolution department, at 390 x 390 pixels, not to mention that it also supports "always-on" functionality... with the typical adverse effects on battery endurance. Another feature that can obviously greatly reduce this thing's running times between charges is standalone GPS, which is also a field where the $450 Forerunner 265 holds an important advantage over its younger and cheaper brother with "multi-band" technology and thus superior positioning accuracy.
Is that enough to justify a price gap of $200 (or $150 if we consider the $299.99 Forerunner 165 Music)? It certainly doesn't seem so at a first glance of the feature set of the new Android and iOS-supporting Garmin Forerunner 165 Series, which includes everything from "constant" wrist-based heart rate monitoring to all-day stress tracking, blood oxygen saturation, women's health supervision, body battery energy tech, and "advanced" sleep tracking with nap detection.
But wait, there's more
More ways to "light up your run" and improve your fitness, that is, from race adaptive training plans to wrist-based running power and dynamics, and perhaps most importantly, training effect functionality.
While hardcore Garmin fans probably already know exactly what all of these things mean and precisely how they can help you run faster, better, and smarter, those not very familiar with the company's Forerunner product roster will likely be pleasantly surprised by the utility and sophistication of the aforementioned tools, especially considering the aforementioned $250 price point.
Granted, the Forerunner 265 can do even more stuff, providing insight into training readiness and training status in addition to training effects, but again, the differences don't seem significant enough to justify the spending of 450 bucks right now on the slightly better-equipped device.
The Forerunner 165 is predictably overall smaller, lighter, and thinner than the 265 while rocking a reasonably durable (although certainly not exactly rugged) fiber-reinforced polymer build with a "chemically strengthened" glass designed to protect the AMOLED display against scratches and a simple but always popular silicone strap.
You can opt for one of two (rather boring) color combinations as far as the "regular" variant is concerned, while the Forerunner 165 Music is available in a grand total of four hues, including two flashier turquoise/aqua and berry/lilac flavors. All models can already be purchased directly from Garmin, with US availability likely to expand to major third-party retailers like Best Buy and Amazon... any minute now.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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