Garmin has announced the arrival of the AMOLED-packing Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965.
The two running watches have been the subject of extensive leaks over the past few weeks, but, still, their release comes as somewhat of a surprise.
Garmin only released the last generation - the Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 255 - nine months ago, meaning the upgrade cycle has spun much quicker than we typically see from the company. For reference, we had to wait three years between the release of the Forerunner 945 and 955.
The design improvements, however, are much more substantial than we received through the 2022 Forerunner models; the display is now the same AMOLED beauty packed into the Epix 2 and Marq 2, while the battery estimates have been bumped up in both watches. Let's dive into the details.
Garmin Forerunner 265
The Forerunner 265 will once again be available in two case sizes, with the smaller, 42mm 'S' model coming in black (black/yellow band), pink (pink/white band) and grey (grey/teal band).
The standard 46mm model, instead, will be available in blue (blue/black band), black (black/grey band) and grey (grey/blue band), with all versions costing $449.99 / £429.99.
This represents a huge bump in price. The standard version of the Forerunner 255, by comparison, launched at $349.99 / £299.99.
Check price: Buy Garmin Forerunner 265
Thankfully, the display isn't the only upgrade the mid-range Forerunner is getting. After the 255 missed out on Training Readiness, the feature arrives this time around, with other features including wrist-based running power, Garmin Pay and 13 days of battery in smartwatch mode (15 days for the 265S).
There's no 'Music' edition this time, with support instead present for Spotify, Amazon Music and more as standard. As you would expect, the dual-frequency GPS that impressed in testing last year is also present.
Garmin Forerunner 965
Garmin
It's a similar story with the more expensive, 47mm Forerunner 965 - the display has been completely redesigned to include the 1.4-inch AMOLED display, with the solar power feature present in the more advanced version of the 955 dropped this time around.
It means the display is not only improved, but it's also slightly bigger than the last generation. The case design, too, has received a substantial makeover; it's now much more premium-looking, thanks to the new titanium bezel.
Like the 265, this upgrade is also much more about aesthetics than the internals.
Garmin hasn't included any features that aren't available on the 955, though features like maps, for example, will no doubt be much improved given the change in display.
That said, things like battery life have also been improved. Instead of the 20 days in smartwatch mode that you get with the 955, Garmin has managed to bump this up to 23 days for the 965 - impressive considering the change in display.
Check price: Buy Garmin Forerunner 965
For that privilege, though, you'll have to shell out more than the last generation - Garmin is pricing the 965 at $599.99 / £599.99, which is a $100 / £120 increase over the standard model.
We'll be extensively testing both devices over the coming weeks, so stay tuned for our full verdicts.
How we test
Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.