Garmin has officially presented its new connected watches for running and triathlon, the Forerunner 265 and the Forerunner 965. Now they benefit from an Amoled screen.
The rumors were right. As expected, this Thursday Garmin presented two new smartwatches for sports , the new Garmin Forerunner 265 and Garmin Forerunner 965 .
These two new watches are announced less than a year after the release of previous models, the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955. A relatively short space of time, given that we had to wait three years between the Forerunner 245, launched in 2019, and the Forerunner 255 of 2022. Logically, given the rather short time between the two models, the news is rather limited.
Indeed, the main difference made to this new generation of connected watches lies in the screen incorporated in the Forerunner 265 and the Forerunner 965. Instead of the transflective MIP screen used up to now on the Forerunner range, Garmin has this time integrated AMOLED screens on its two connected watches. A technology that has advantages and disadvantages for sports watches.
For the benefits, AMOLED will allow for a sharper display, with a definition of 416 x 416 pixels for the Forerunner 265 (320 pixels per inch), 360 x 360 pixels for the Forerunner 265S (327 dpi), and 454 x 454 pixels for the Forerunner 965 (324dpi).
For comparison, the Forerunner 255 was limited to a density of 200 pixels per inch. For its part, the Garmin Epix Gen 2, also equipped with an Amoled screen, but on an even more sophisticated positioning, benefits from a resolution of 320dpi. In addition to this definition, AMOLED also allows you to enjoy a much more contrasted display, with deep blacks and more vivid colours.
However, many athletes prefer transflective MIP technology for two reasons. First, the screen can be read even in direct sunlight, without requiring a backlight. Thus, this technology is much less energy intensive and generally allows for a much better range. Garmin ensures that the panel used for its new Forerunner 265 and 965 is “ultra bright”, without however giving a figure on the brightness value.
In addition to this Amoled screen, the two new Garmin watches can also be used via touch, in addition to the five traditional physical buttons of the American manufacturer. A feature that was already present on the Forerunner 955, but not on the Forerunner 255.
Of course, both watches take advantage of all the features offered on previous models. They will allow you to measure heart rate during exercise, SpO2 at rest, estimate your fitness level with Body Battery, track your route with a multi-GNSS compatible dual-frequency GPS, estimate your running power in watts , assess your “workout readiness” score (or workout readiness), and measure heart rate variability.
They can also deliver new measurements directly to the wrist, without the need for a sensor to attach to your running shoe or lap belt, such as ground contact time. Both watches also benefit from some functions outside of sport, such as receiving notifications on the wrist, contactless payment via Garmin Pay or the possibility of installing some third-party applications.
As was the case previously on the Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 255 ranges, we will find some differences between the two new models.
Unlike the Garmin Forerunner 265, the new Forerunner 965 uses the map view and the Stamina function to evaluate your energy reserves during training. The Forerunner 965 also benefits from 32GB of storage, versus the Forerunner 265’s 8GB. Keep in mind that, until now, only the Forerunner 255 Music allowed you to store music files. This is now included across the entire range.
As for autonomy, Garmin announces up to 13 days for the Forerunner 265 (20 hours of GPS tracking), 15 days for the Forerunner 265S (24 hours of GPS tracking) and 23 days for the Forerunner 965 (31 hours of tracking). GPS).
The 46mm Garmin Forerunner 265 retails for $499.99, as does the 42mm version: the Forerunner 265S. For its part, the Garmin Forerunner 965, a little larger – 47 mm – will be offered at 649.99 euros.