New Garmin Forerunner smartwatches have AMOLED displays and up to 23 days of battery

Today, Garmin is announcing its next-generation Forerunner 265 and 965 GPS smartwatches that now feature AMOLED displays. This allows for an always-on, full-color screen that’s “easy to read no matter the weather conditions.” Designed to be your outdoor training companion, these new smartwatches have a lot to offer, including up to 23 days of battery life on a single charge. Sound intriguing? Keep reading to learn more.

Garmin brings AMOLED to Forerunner 265 and 965 smartwatches

With two models being announced today from Garmin, let’s start by taking a look at the more budget-friendly of the two with the Forerunner 265. Sporting 15 days of battery life, you’ll find that this smartwatch leverages Garmin’s latest technology to deliver things like VO2 max, performance condition, training effects, and more through Firstbeat Analytics. There’s also a wrist-based pulse ox sensor, body battery energy monitoring, sleep tracking, and even both menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking functions here. All of this combines with the ability to check notifications on your wrist, download music from Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon, and enjoy up to 24 hours of battery life in GPS mode and 15 days of use in standard smartwatch mode.

However, upgrading to the Forerunner 965 will net you a few additional things. For starters, there’s built-in mapping which can be useful for a phone-free workout experience. There’s now a new load ratio feature which tracks both short- and mid-term load ratios, all within bounds that will help keep you healthy and avoid setbacks. The Forerunner 965 also features Garmin’s largest AMOLED display yet at 1.4 inches which allows the company to achieve up to 31 hours of battery life in GPS mode and 23 days of usage as a smartwatch, which is quite impressive to say the least.

Coming in at $449.99 for the Forerunner 265 and $599.99 for the Forerunner 965, these smartwatches hit a bit higher in price than some of the competitors, namely the Apple Watch and a lot from Samsung. However, you’re getting a lore more for your money here, including nearly a month of battery life, more workout-focused functions, and a build that’s ready to hit the trail with you. Both smartwatches are slated to be available late this month.

Electronicsforward’ Take

I love that Garmin is continuing to push the boundaries as to how long a smartwatch should last on a charge. While my Apple Watch requires me to charge it every single night, the thought of going nearly a month between plugging it in is something that seems so foreign to me, but at the same time, so…normal. Plus, when you consider all of the other features that are packed in here, like built-in mapping, offline music, a large AMOLED display, and more, these smartwatches become increasingly a better value for what they deliver.

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