The low-cost Garmin Forerunner 165 is here to obliterate pricier smartwatches with its amazing value

The low-cost Garmin Forerunner 165 is here to obliterate pricier smartwatches with its amazing value،

As if Garmin wasn't already extremely well represented on our list of the best smartwatches you can buy in 2024, the wearable industry veteran has just officially revealed (and marketed) yet another phenomenal alternative to the Apple Watch that seems to strike a near-perfect balance between power and affordability.

Designed as a long-awaited sequel to 2021's entry-level Forerunner 55, the new Forerunner 165 looks an awful lot like the decidedly high-end Forerunner 265… while costing significantly less in both “standard” and music variants.

Who says budget smartwatches have to be basic?

Not Garmin, that's for sure, which charges an incredible $249.99 up front for a device with an AMOLED display that's largely capable of doing the same things as the $400+ Apple Watch Series 9 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 only for Android. , which normally starts at $300.

The 1.2-inch touchscreen on the Forerunner 165 and Forerunner 165 Music may not be the most generously sized in the industry (even when only considering the sub-$300 segment), but it's is probably one of the main reasons why Garmin can make a (realistic) 11-day battery life promise that crushes virtually all of its direct competitors.

Make no mistake, this 1.2-inch display is no pushover when it comes to resolution, at 390 x 390 pixels, not to mention it also supports “always on” functionality. .with the typical negative effects on battery endurance. Another feature that can obviously significantly reduce this device's run times between charges is standalone GPS, which is also an area where the $450 Forerunner 265 holds a significant advantage over its younger, less expensive sibling with the “multi-band” technology and therefore superior positioning accuracy.

Is that enough to justify a $200 price difference (or $150 when considering the $299.99 Forerunner 165 Music)? It certainly doesn't seem so at first glance of the feature set of the new Garmin Forerunner 165 series supporting Android and iOS, which includes everything from “constant” wrist-based heart rate monitoring to stress tracking all day, passing through the oxygen in the blood. saturation, women's health monitoring, body battery energy technology and “advanced” sleep tracking with nap detection.

But wait, there's more

Other ways to “light up your run” and improve your fitness, i.e. adaptive running training plans to power and wrist running dynamics, and perhaps More importantly, the ripple effect feature.

While die-hard Garmin fans probably already know exactly what all these things mean and how they can help you run faster, better, and smarter, those who aren't very familiar with the company's Forerunner product line will likely be pleasantly surprised by the usefulness and sophistication of the aforementioned tools, especially considering the aforementioned $250 price tag.

The low-cost Garmin Forerunner 165 is here to obliterate the most expensive smartwatches with its incredible value

Granted, the Forerunner 265 can do even more, providing insight into readiness and training status in addition to training effects, but again the differences don't seem like enough significant to justify spending the current $450 for a slightly better model. equipped device.

The Forerunner 165 is smaller, lighter, and thinner overall than the 265, yet features a reasonably durable (though certainly not truly robust) fiber-reinforced polymer construction with “chemically strengthened” glass designed to protect the AMOLED screen against scratches and a simple but ever popular silicone strap.

You can opt for one of two (rather boring) color schemes when it comes to the “normal” variant, while the Forerunner 165 Music comes in a total of four shades, including two flavors of turquoise/aqua and berry/ more flashy lilac. . All models can already be purchased directly from Garminwith availability in the US likely to expand to major third-party retailers like Best Buy and Amazon…any minute.