Latest news with #Forerunner965
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I wore the Garmin Forerunner 970 for over a week — here's 5 things I like and 3 things I don't
Ever since the Garmin Forerunner 935 converted me to using the best sports watches instead of a smartwatch, I've been a fan of the Garmin 9XX series. This line of watches usually offers all the features you get on the flagship Fenix models in a lightweight, mostly-plastic design that's smaller and also cheaper. As a keen runner the Garmin Forerunner 965 was often the watch I turned to when not testing something new. The Garmin Forerunner 970 is an impressive update to the line and adds some key features from the Garmin Fenix 8 as well as some completely new ones. I'm testing the watch now for our full review, which will take a few weeks to make sure every new feature is fully explored. But there are already some positives and negatives that have stood out to me after just over a week of use. Garmin promised a brighter display on the Forerunner 970 compared with the Forerunner 965, but didn't give details in terms of nits. Since the 965 was always bright enough for me, I didn't expect too much. In testing, however, the upgrade in brightness is very noticeable, especially during activities when the white stats on a black background are clearer on the Forerunner 970. It's also a clear upgrade when using the watch in bright sunlight. The Forerunner 965's screen is still bright enough, but the Forerunner 970's display has exceeded my expectations. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. One of the big new sports features on the Forerunner 970 is running tolerance, which estimates how many miles or kilometers you can/should run in a week based on your training history, with the aim of avoiding injury. This ties into established ideas about building your load gradually rather than suddenly doing a lot more running than your body might be able to handle. What I like about the feature is that it takes into account the type of runs you're doing. Instead of simply saying you ran 10 miles, it looks at those miles, and if you've been running quickly or on challenging, hilly terrain, it increases the load factor of that run, so it will get logged as 11 or 12 miles of "impact load." The Forerunner 970 will show the actual distance you've run, along with the impact load of those runs, and you can check this against your estimated tolerance to see if you're overdoing it. This is a useful feature for runners of all levels to ensure they're adding a safe amount of mileage each week if building, and also considering the impact of the harder runs on their plan correctly. One major reason to upgrade to the Garmin Fenix line from the Forerunner 965 is the sapphire crystal display available on the Fenix, which is more durable than the glass one used on the Forerunner. I scratched the Forerunner 965 without even realizing it during my testing. But having a sapphire screen on the Forerunner 970 gives peace of mind that you don't need to use a screen protector. Another big reason to upgrade to the Garmin Fenix 8 has been eliminated by the Forerunner 970 getting a built-in flashlight. That feature is just incredibly handy to have on your wrist. During the time I've been testing the watch I've had two sick kids to get up and see to during the night, so the flashlight has been in regular use. I've yet to unlock the running economy stats on the Forerunner 970, but you can see the new step speed loss measurement during each run if you pair the watch with the Garmin HRM600 chest strap. This measures how much you slow down when your foot hits the ground when running, with a lower value being better — lower braking force on each stride means you have to put less effort into speeding up again. I've been looking at this stat during runs and you can see how it changes when running at faster speeds — my step speed loss improves when I hit my marathon pace compared to easy run paces, for example. These step speed loss measurements feed into Garmin's running economy stats, but are interesting in their own right. The Forerunner 970 is not a cheap watch, and to unlock some of its most interesting new features like step speed loss and running economy measurements, you also need to buy the Garmin HRM600 chest strap, which is $169. This is a great, rechargeable chest strap, but incredibly expensive for a heart rate monitor — the Wahoo TRACKR heart rate monitor is $89, for comparison. It's a significant extra outlay just to get these running technique stats, especially as the Forerunner 970 has Garmin's Elevate Gen5 optical heart rate sensor, which has always been pretty accurate for me when testing it on various watches. The cost of the bright display on the Forerunner 970 is short battery life. It lasted me just over four days on my first charge with the screen always-on; the Forerunner 965 lasts me seven days reliably. You can increase the battery life considerably using the screen in raise-to-wake mode, but if you're regularly logging workouts using GPS and the always-on screen, the Forerunner 970 will still need regular charging. A small dislike this, but it would be great if there were more size options of the Forerunner 970, like there are with both the Forerunner 570 and Fenix 8. Some people with small wrists still want the greater sports tracking capabilities of the Forerunner 970, so if there was a 42mm or 43mm model along with the 47mm watch I'm sure it would be a success.
Phone Arena
18-05-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Amazon launches a rare Garmin Forerunner 265 promo you just can't pass up
Get the Forerunner 265 at its best price of 2025! $100 off (22%) Want multi-day battery life, a beautiful AMOLED touchscreen, and countless sports features on your next Garmin watch? The Forerunner 265 fits the bill, and it's now down to its best price of 2025 on Amazon. Save $100 before it's too late. Buy at Amazon Garmin Forerunner 965: $100 off at Amazon $100 off (17%) Garmin's high-end Forerunner 965 is also available at its best price of 2025 at the e-commerce giant. This model has a slightly larger 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen, longer battery life, and extras like full color, built-in maps. Buy at Amazon Receive the latest mobile news By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Seeking a Garmin Forerunner model with an AMOLED touchscreen and multi-day battery life for under $400? The Forerunner 265 meets those requirements and can now be yours at its lowest price! That's no typo — Amazon has slashed $100 off its original ~$450 asking price, knocking it to an all-time low for our knowledge, the 46mm sports watch hasn't seen any significant discounts since Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024. In other words, Amazon's current promo isn't just super attractive; it's also quite rare! So, if you're after highly accurate performance metrics, long battery life, and a touchscreen, the Forerunner 265 might be the right case you missed it, the more premium Forerunner 965 has also dropped to its lowest price so far in 2025 at Amazon. Consider this Garmin watch if you don't mind spending an extra $150 for extras like full color, built-in maps and even longer battery what makes the slightly less premium Forerunner 265 an attractive choice? Well, it's not just one thing! To begin with, the unit packs a plethora of sports-related features, including support for triathlons and multisport profiles. There's also training status and Garmin Coach on deck to help you optimize workout times and stay on track with your performance the workout features, the Garmin watch gives you a personalized morning report featuring insights on HRV status, sleep, and weather. It tracks naps, offers sleep coaching, and keeps your heart rate on track. As if that's not enough, it can stay on your wrist for up to 13 days between charges, surpassing even the best smartwatches for Android lovers on the battery life things considered, the Garmin Forerunner 265 is one of the best Garmin watches money can buy. While it may be pricey at its standard price, the model is definitely more attractive at $100 off. Get it at its best price of 2025 through Amazon while you can!
Tom's Guide
15-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
I test Garmin watches for a living — here are the 5 coolest new features of the Forerunner 570 and 970
Two of the best Garmin watches just got upgraded, with the new Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 replacing the Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965 in the brand's range. I've been testing Garmin's for almost a decade, and in that time, I've almost always had at least one of the brand's watches strapped to my wrist to support my marathon training. I've often had two, in fact, including when I set my marathon PR lately wearing both the Garmin Fenix 8 and Garmin Forerunner 965. I'm excited to start testing the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970, and also the new Garmin HRM600 heart rate chest strap, which unlocks the new feature I'm most excited about — running economy measurements. Here's why I'm looking forward to tracking my running economy in particular, and four other new features on the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 that have caught my eye. To use this feature on the Forerunner 970, you need to wear the Garmin HRM600 chest strap. Running economy is a measure of your running efficiency, and basically, the more economical or efficient you are, the less energy it costs to run at a certain pace. This is very interesting to me not only as way to look at my running form to see if I can make it more efficient to help improve my times, but also as a way to test running shoes — if a shoe helps you to run more efficiently, as many of the best carbon plate running shoes claim, then that's a reason to stick with it. Running economy measurements from the wrist are not something I've come across before from any brand, and if it's done well, this will be a star feature for Garmin's high-end watches, assuming it also comes to models like the Fenix 8 in time. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. When Garmin introduced a built-in LED flashlight to the Fenix line, it was a huge hit, and it's since been added to Epix and Instinct models among others, but Forerunner users have had to wait until now to get a flashlight on their watch. The Forerunner 970's flashlight has multiple brightness settings and also a red mode, and it's a very handy addition to the watch, whether you use it for camping or running at night, or just to get downstairs to see to crying toddlers without turning on any lights. I've been testing out the Forerunner 570, and the increased brightness of its display compared to a Forerunner 965 is noticeable. What's more, the colorful bezel and band options within the range make for a welcome change to the more conservative styles of most sports watches. Rest assured, if you're dead against the bright colors, there is a black model available in both sizes of the Forerunner 570. With the 47mm model of the watch, you also get a bigger screen than on past models — at 1.4 inches, it's as large as the screens of the 47mm and 51mm Fenix 8 models, but in a much smaller and lighter watch. Using this new feature, you can load the course for a race into Garmin Connect with the mile or kilometer markers logged, and then when you run the race, the watch will detect when you pass the timing gate and mark a lap, then, rather than relying on GPS. As someone who always worries about poor GPS during races affecting pace and distance stats, this feature could be a fantastic upgrade, especially in events in city centers where skyscrapers can play havoc with GPS accuracy. Even when running marathons on open courses, I often notice a discrepancy between the official measured distance and what my watch measures, and I've used a Connect IQ app called Peter's Race Pacer in the past that allows you to manually adjust the distance measured when passing a mile marker. Having that done automatically using a course will make for a much easier experience, and mean you can rely on the pace stats from your watch being accurate. You will need the course you add to the watch to be accurate, though, so hopefully, race organizers work with Garmin to create official routes you can use. A simple but much-needed upgrade, the Forerunner 970 now has a sapphire crystal screen instead of a glass one. As someone who scratched the screen on the Garmin Forerunner 965, this is a great upgrade — I've used many Fenix models with sapphire displays and have never managed to so much as mark them.
Phone Arena
15-05-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Garmin officially releases its most premium Forerunner watch and adds a lifesaving feature
Garmin has officially unveiled the Forerunner 970, its latest high-end smartwatch designed for serious runners and triathletes. As the successor to the well-regarded Forerunner 965, this new model brings a mix of premium upgrades, cutting-edge health features, and a noticeable bump in Forerunner 970 is crafted with a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal, wrapped in a lightweight 56-gram build with a 47mm diameter. The AMOLED touchscreen display maintains the sharp 454 x 454 resolution but now gets even brighter, improving visibility in all conditions. Garmin also updated the watch's aesthetic with bold color accents in green or purple and refined button shapes to give it a more modern it's not just a cosmetic refresh. One of the headline features is the addition of an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, which can detect signs of cardiac arrhythmia. This joins the existing heart rate, SpO2, and skin temperature sensors already offered on the 965. Garmin also adds new running-focused tools. Running Economy evaluates how efficiently you move, while Running Tolerance helps monitor your biomechanical load to reduce the risk of overtraining. Garmin Coach returns as well, offering more personalized and adaptive training plans. Another new feature is an integrated LED flashlight, which is a handy tool for early morning or nighttime runs. And thanks to onboard microphones and speakers, the Forerunner 970 can now handle phone calls and interact with voice assistants when connected to a smartphone. It still offers 32 GB of internal storage for maps, apps, and music, plus Garmin Pay support for contactless life takes a small hit compared to the previous model, with up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and around 26 hours when using GPS. These numbers are still respectable, but worth noting for users who prioritize long-distance endurance tracking. The Forerunner 970 will be available starting May 21st for $749.99 — a steep increase over the currently reduced $499 price of the Forerunner 965. Buyers can choose from three color options: carbon gray titanium with black case, titanium with whitestone case, and soft gold titanium with french gray case. This release follows news of another Garmin Forerunner debut, the Forerunner 570. With the Forerunner 970, Garmin is clearly pushing its premium tier forward — both in features and pricing.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Forbes
Garmin Forerunner 970 And 570 Upgrade The Best Watch Line, At What Cost?
Garmin Forerunner 970 (L) and Forerunner 570 (R) Garmin has announced the Garmin Forerunner 970 and 570, which are likely to become an important part of the backbone of the entire Garmin range for exercise enthusiasts. These watches might be considered close follow-ups to the Forerunner 965, which has since its release in 2023 been one of the best buys in the Garmin line-up for serious runners. One crucial difference between the two is the Garmin Forerunner 570 does not support on-watch maps. The Garmin Forerunner 970 does. You'll be able to send gpx routes to the lower-end watch, to navigate, but you won't see the roads and other surrounding features on the screen. The Forerunner 970 also gains ECG readings. Look at the back of each watch and you'll see why. Where the Garmin Forerunner 970 has metallic elements around the heart rate LEDs, which act as electrodes using the ECG feature, the Forerunner 570 does not. However, unlike the Vivoactive 6, it doesn't use Garmin's older style of heart rate array. It still gets the additional quartet of green LEDs, used to improve HR readings during tracked exercise. Garmin also upgrades the superficial hardware in the Forerunner 970. Its screen covering is Sapphire rather than Gorilla Glass 3, and the bezel is titanium instead of aluminium. Other additional features include an LED flashlight, and tracking of running tolerance. In practice this means Garmin will suggest a limit of the distance you should run each week. When paired with the new HRM 600 heart rate monitor, you'll also get running economy and 'step speed loss' stats, which Forerunner 570 owners won't see. Outside of this, though, the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 have a lot in common. They are both OLED screen watches, which Garmin says are the brightest it has used to date. They are packed with advanced exercise features that let them go far beyond the job given to the average casual wearable. And unlike most of Garmin's earlier high-end watches, the Forerunner 970 and Forerunner 570 have a speaker and microphone. This pair lets you take calls with the watch, acting like a Bluetooth headset, use voice commands to control features using the watch's own smarts, or connected to your phone's own voice assistant. 'Created for every athlete who is out there chasing goals and passionate about their data, the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 include innovative training tools, recovery metrics and connected features to help them perform at their best,' says Susan Lyman, Garmin's Vice President of Consumer. The Garmin Forerunner 970 is rated for 15 days of use while the Forerunner 570's battery life varies between the 42mm (10 days) and 47mm (11 days) models. There are no size options with the Forerunner 970 — it's a 47mm diameter watch. Next is the all-important part: the price. The Garmin Forerunner 570 costs $549.99, for either the 42mm or 47mm style, while the Forerunner 970 costs $749.99. The Forerunner 965 is the key comparison point here, and it shows how much the last couple of years have applied pressure to consumer tech pricing. That watch launched at $599, despite being closer to the Forerunner 970 than the Forerunner 570 in feature terms. A fortnight ago, Garmin suggested during an earnings call that tariffs were likely to hurt the affect the business to the tune of $100 million, news that clearly would make Garmin watches that seem a bargain to the consumer less likely than ever. The Garmin Forerunner 970 and Forerunner 570 will be available to order from May 21.
