Garmin has revealed theForerunner 165 , a new budget - friendly smartwatch with fundamental raise like an AMOLED showing – but how does it equate to Garmin ’s truebudget wearable , the Forerunner 55 ?

While you might take for granted that the Forerunner 165 will be wholly more able than the Forerunner 55 , come in at £ 70 more than the budget good example , that ’s not the case . alternatively , the two smartwatches propose entirely unlike propositions .

That might sound puzzling , but that ’s where we at Trusted Reviews add up in . Here , we break down the key differences between the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Garmin Forerunner 55 to help you decide which is best for your needs . If you require a better mind of the market at gravid , take a feeling at our deal - picked selection of thebest endure ticker .

The Garmin Forerunner 165 has an OLED display

One of the bountiful differences between the new Garmin Forerunner 165 and the Forerunner 55 is the video display tech the smartwatches use .

The Forerunner 55 practice a particular memory - in - pixel showing that give it a aspect not too dissimilar from an Es Ink display , albeit with colour . It ’s not only battery effective but also sunlight reflective , making it easy to see in outdoor environments . There ’s just a trade - off in overall blind calibre compared to the regular LCD and OLED screen used by much of the competition .

In fact , that includes the new Forerunner 165 which has seen the ascent to AMOLED display technical school , sporting a 1.2 - inch AMOLED panel that ’s much more vibrant , colourful and responsive than the MIP display of the Forerunner 55 . This relieve oneself looking at your stats , recovery insights and even presentment a little bit overnice on the newer model .

The Garmin Forerunner 55 has better battery life

You might assume that a newer smartwatch will offer better battery biography than older mannikin in the ingathering , but that ’s not the case with these two Garmins .

That ’s because , while the raw Garmin Forerunner 165 can last a pretty seemly 11 days in smartwatch way and 19 hours in GPS mode , that falls forgetful of the trashy Forerunner 55 . More specifically , the Forerunner 55 can last 14 days in smartwatch musical mode and a slenderly boosted 20 hours in GPS mode .

That ’s likely down to the aforementioned display tech , with the Forerunner 55 ’s MIP exhibit offering a more battery - effective alternative to the Forerunner 165 ’s upgrade AMOLED panel , but I guess there are other factor at play too .

You can listen to music on the Forerunner 165

Long run and music go hand - in - hand , right ? The correct Sung dynasty can help you power through those hard moments , after all .

If that ’s true for you and you do n’t care the idea of also post your smartphone to listen to euphony while you ’re exercising , the Forerunner 165 – or the Forerunner 165 Music , specifically – is the one to go for .

It ’s fundamentally a dissimilar interpretation of the even Forerunner 165 that permit you download Sung dynasty and playlists from Spotify , Deezer or Amazon Music . From there , simply connect your wireless earbuds via Bluetooth and leave that headphone of yours at base !

Unfortunately , the Forerunner 55 does n’t bid any similar functionality , so if that ’s important to you , there ’s only one pick for you .

Both offer high-end health and exercise tracking

no matter of the Forerunner model you opt for , you ’ll get the same high - level health and exercise trailing that Garmin is famed for . That let in fairly received smartwatch trailing like general movement and sleep monitoring , enhanced with Napoleon detective work and a sunrise paper that gives you a good idea of your recovery and an outlook on the day ’s training .

That ’s where Garmin smartwatches incline to put up out from the fitness - focused competition , offering physical exercise - specific feature like Race Adaptive Training Plans – essentially custom race grooming – along with custom courses , elements like Training Effect that provide insight into how exercise are affecting your fitness , and in - profoundness trailing for over 25 sports with individual system of measurement for each .

What ’s more , with GPS available on both mannikin of Forerunner , you ’ll get accurate measurement even when you leave your connected smartphone at home .

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is much cheaper

When it comes to the all - authoritative pricing , the Garmin Forerunner 55 is the most affordable of the two smartwatches , coming in at £ 179.99 . The Garmin Forerunner 165 , on the other hand , comes in at a pricier £ 249.99 while the Forerunner 165 Music comes in at £ 289.99 , £ 40 more .

If budget is important to you , the Forerunner 55 offers expectant time value for money . If you want a nicer display or the power to bring medicine , however , you ’ll have to cough up for the more premium Forerunner 165 or 165 Music .