Garmin has announced a new generation of Forerunner and - for the first time in this popular running series - we're getting AMOLED displays. That'll mean brighter, more vivid displays with lots of colour, just like the second generation Garmin Epix launched in 2022. On the 965 it also means more detailed, colourful maps.
For those worried about battery life being impacted, the two watches should still deliver the longevity you'd expect from a Garmin watch. The company says the new Forerunner 265 can go up to 15 days on a full charge, whereas the Forerunner 965 will offer up to 23 days.
It is worth mentioning here that being AMOLED panels means, by default, they won't be on all the time to get this length of battery life and - if you do enable the always-on display feature - the battery life will take a hit. Still, even with this on you'll likely go a week between charges, if our experience with the new Epix and Marq are anything to go by.
From a design perspective, both are similar to their predecessors. The more premium Forerunner 965 has a titanium bezel around the 1.4-inch display, which sits on top of a 47mm case. The Forerunner 265 will be available in 42mm and 46mm, with the larger of the two offering up to 13 days of smartwatch use on a full battery.
Both are equipped with advanced tracking abilities, and Garmin serves that data up in a way that helps understand your fitness condition and performance. You'll get training readiness to tell you how prepared you are for your next workout, body battery to tell you how much energy you have in the tank and insight into how your workouts are improving or impacting your fitness. All of this combines all-day heart-rate, SpO2, VO2 Max, and movement tracking to good effect, contextualising it in a way that helps you understand your training and condition.
The latest watches also make use of Garmin's latest software updates, so you'll start each day with a morning report which gives you a look at how well you slept that night and a look at the day's weather ahead, plus your 'training outlook' which can tell you how ready you are to tackle a session that day.
You'll get multi-band GPS support and SatIQ to keep your watch locked onto your location while you're running, giving you reliable and accurate positioning on outdoor activities, regardless of the conditions you're in. You also get the usual Garmin lifestyle features like Garmin Pay and offline music from Amazon Music, Spotify and Deezer.
With the Forerunner 965 you get even more performance metrics, built-in maps and more storage for downloading more music. Performance metrics include a new load ratio feature that helps you plan short term and mid-term training loads to ensure you don't burnout during a training plan. Plus, when you're running you'll get real-time stamina insight to keep an eye on how much energy you're using and how much you have left to use during the workout.
The Garmin Forerunner 265 is available to buy now for $499.99 and £429.99, and the Forerunner 965 will be available later in March and will cost $/£599.99 when it hits store shelves.