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The Garmin Forerunner 955 was only available for purchase for a period of nine months before Garmin watches decided to give its flagship running watch, the Forerunner 955, an upgrade and a makeover. The Garmin Forerunner 965 has a gorgeous AMOLED display that is 1.4 inches in size, and it also has a new titanium bezel that gives it a premium feel both while you are running and when you are not.
However, other than that, not much has changed in the situation. Although there are some training measures that are a little bit new (and actually quite helpful), and the watch still has a respectable battery life in comparison to its competitors (cough, Apple Watch Ultra), this does not represent a significant advancement in the running watch industry. Is the screen on this watch bright enough to warrant the upgrade from the previous model? You can find out more by reading my comprehensive hands-on review of the Garmin Forerunner 965.
Garmin Forerunner 965 Specifications
| Specification | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Garmin Forerunner 965 |
| Display | 1.3″ color touchscreen |
| Resolution | 240 x 240 pixels |
| Dimensions | 42 x 42 x 13.5 mm |
| Weight | 47 grams |
| Battery Life | Up to 14 days (Smartwatch mode) |
| GPS Battery Life | Up to 36 hours (GPS mode) |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ |
Design and Display
When the screen is off, the Forerunner 965 looks a lot like the Forerunner 955, but the frame is a little different. Both watches have a touchscreen and five buttons, three on the left and two on the right. Still, the Forerunner 965 is just a bit bigger than the Forerunner 955. Instead of 46.5mm (1.3 inches), it is now 47.2mm (1.4 inches) wide. As with the new Forerunner 265, which also has an improved AMOLED screen, Garmin has made the start/stop button on the top right a little bigger.
This helps if you can’t remember which button to press at a sign to stop running. But things change when you turn the watch on. The Forerunner 965 has a screen that is much brighter than the Forerunner 955. The Forerunner 955 has a 260 x 260-pixel MIP display with 64 colors. You can buy this watch fom its official website
Health and Fitness
The 965 can be understood most simply as the 955 upgraded to an AMOLED display. Comparable to the Garmin Epix, which is essentially an AMOLED-equipped Fenix. That means it’s just as capable of tracking other sports as it is of tracking runs, and you’re getting all the same capabilities to boot.
The same optical sensors are present, including one for monitoring blood oxygen levels; however, doing so continually uses more power than doing so for heart rate. The same satellite support is included, as is Garmin’s superior multiband mode for enhanced outdoor tracking precision in densely wooded areas and urban settings with many tall structures.
Garmin Forerunner 965: Performance
Garmin’s best core technology is in the Garmin Forerunner 965. Multi-Band GPS is likely the real star of this show. It connects very quickly, and the watch has an Auto mode that turns Multi-Band on or off depending on whether or not it is needed. It makes the signal stronger in hard-to-reach places, but it uses more power. We wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t do anything at all when we were following it. You can also choose GPS modes by hand, which is very Garmin.
Distance and location tracking worked just as well as we’ve come to expect from other Garmin watches we’ve looked at in the past year. There are no drop-outs or blips, and the differences between this watch and an iPhone are partly due to how each device handles routes. Apple gets smoother and follows paths better.
Garmin Forerunner 965: Battery Life
You can see that the Forerunner 965’s battery life is comparable, despite the increased demands of the device’s larger screen and greater resolution. However, there are a few exceptions, including the Forerunner 965’s always-on display option. When enabled, Garmin estimates a decrease from 23 days to 7 days in smartwatch mode battery life. It’s worth noting if you plan on using the watch for many days without access to a charger, although the Apple Watch Ultra has a much longer battery life.
Price and Availability
The Garmin Forerunner 965 came out in March 2023, and it costs £600/$600/AU$999 from Garmin UK, Garmin US, and Garmin AU. At RRP, the Forerunner 965 costs about 10% more than the Forerunner 955 Solar, which was to be expected.
There is only one size and three color options for the watch: Carbon Gray DLC Titanium Bezel with Black Case and Amp Yellow/Black Silicone Band, Carbon Gray DLC Titanium Bezel with Black Case and Black/Powder Grey Silicone Band.
Final Words
The Forerunner 965 is an attractive running watch that is loaded with features that will improve your knowledge of your workouts and recovery. In addition to improving the watch’s usefulness as a smartwatch, the Forerunner 965’s screen makes reading maps while on the go a vastly superior experience. But aside from the display, not much has changed, and I’m not sure Garmin has done enough to convince me to upgrade from my Fenix 7 or Forerunner 955.
Garmin Forerunner 965 review: The good and The bad
The Good
- Two new training metrics
- Accurate GPS
The Bad
- No ECG sensor
Questions and Answer
At $600 (£600, AU$999), the Forerunner 965 is identically priced to last year’s Forerunner 955 Solar, albeit lacking the solar charging feature. Due to the switch to AMOLED displays, Garmin is not producing a solar-powered version of their flagship running watch for 2018.
You can listen to music or podcasts on your Forerunner 965 even if your phone isn’t close by, thanks to the watch’s ability to save audio files downloaded from your computer or a third-party service.