Verdict
The Garmin Forerunner 265s is a dandy multisports watch with an even lovelier display than the 255 , but that screen and some other software system extras do hail at significantly greater toll .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Garmin Forerunner 265s is the successor to what you’re able to fundamentally call the center appendage of the Forerunner see home . It bid more in advance training metric and features than the budget - well-disposed Forerunner 55 , but lack the richer mapping capableness of the 965 .
This is a watch for people who mainly run , but it will also cover some swim , cycling and even indoor workout time with the key big difference between the 265s and theGarmin Forerunner 255being the accession of an AMOLED exhibit .
It link up Garmin ’s Venu and Epix series watches by add a stir of colour to better compete with sports tracking smartwatches like theApple Watch 8andSamsung Galaxy Watch 5 . Garmin already has the sport trailing origin so has that add blind elevate the Forerunner to become one of the honorable sports watch and a worthy upgrade on the 255 ? Here ’s our take .
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Design and screen
While the 265s retains that intimate sports watch styling , there are some change on the face front outside of that new display technology .
For starters , the 265s comes with a slightly larger case . It ’s now 41.7 mm as opposed to 41 millimetre , while the big 265 sticks to a 46 millimeter one . That does n’t really change the s version from being a dinky little thing to wear and if you wish your watches small and light then that ’s what you get here .
It ’s still an all polymer case with an 18 mm quick - release silicone polymer band that arrive in three unlike colors and still feel as sporty as its predecessor . There ’s five forcible button with the main workout clit now a gravid , flatter clitoris with the parole ‘ Run ’ written across it to make it more distinct and easier to start / bar a workout .
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The big story here is the display as Garmin swaps its go - to transflective display technology for an AMOLED one . It ’s a 1.1 - inch , 360 x 360 resolving screen that does extend an always - on way and also has nicely antiphonal raise to waken gesture musical accompaniment . That screen is toughened up with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 like its harbinger and while it ’s the same size screen as the one sport on the 255 , the experience of depend at it and interact with it certainly is different in a incontrovertible way .
It ’s a small screen , but it ’s a vibrant one . It ’s got those lovely recondite blacks and rich , precise colours that you associate with high quality AMOLED panels and it just feels great to reckon at . catch angles and profile in bright outdoor light have n’t been a major issue either , although it does n’t surpass what you ’ll get from a transflective show from a profile tip of opinion . The touchscreen support feels slick and it feel like a good summation here overall .
There are no surprises on the waterproofing front . Garmin stick to a 5 ATM grass design , which entail you’re able to keep it on in the shower and you’re able to put it to the examination during puddle and exposed swim .
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Software and smartwatch features
Before bring forth into its sports tracking credential , it ’s deserving highlight the package experience on the 265s because along with a colour sieve , Garmin has tinkered with the sentinel UI . It ’s best described as a mix of the UI featured on its Venu serial publication and pricier Epix watches , where features like Garmin ’s Glances ( widgets ) flow or cutoff place setting are a swipe or a button public press aside .
The UI animation have certainly been bolstered and that ’s obtrusive on features like Garmin ’s quite handy Morning Report feature where it ’ll secern you how right or bad your slumber was , suggest workouts for the day , pull up central calendar appointments and can be customised to show the datum you ’d find useful first thing in the morning .
Smartwatch feature in universal have remain largely the same as the 255 , but you are receive 8 GB as opposed to 4 GB of work up - in storage and now offline music playback fall as a standard feature across all models where previously you could spare some money by ditching it with the 255 .
The experience of using the 265s as a smartwatch really depends on what features you note value . If you ’re going to mainly habituate it to view headphone notifications and for operate and streaming music , then it does those types of things well . It does include Garmin Pay and you do have memory access to Garmin ’s Connect IQ Store , but these are n’t really the strengths of Garmin ’s smartwatch ecosystem . It ’s absolutely not an Apple Watch or a Samsung Galaxy Watch in terminal figure of the overall experience , but the core group features work well and it certainly does mean that the 265s is useful to have on when it ’s not tracking your exercise .
Fitness tracking
Like all of Garmin ’s Forerunner watches , run trailing is the primary focal point but it ’s outfit to chase a flock more activity . Cycling and swim are also core modes , but it ’s equipped to track indoor exercise like rowing and the Elliptical , and it has profiles for skiing and snowboarding . The lookout does include a dedicated triathlon mood as well , which has n’t been the case in the past times .
run is the main reason why you ’d need to corrupt it though and from that period of view , it ’s moderately much everything you could want in a running watch . It ’s nice and light to incline with , the screen is light to see your real - fourth dimension stats , customise them and crucially , those stats are authentic too .
The running features though are largely the same as what we got on the 255 . That include Garmin ’s new Sat IQ technology and multiband GPS to check that you ’re using the best GPS trailing choice ground on your environment , and that you ’ve got your watch set to report for more challenging GPS signaling environment . I ’ve used it on a lot of the same type of runs I ’ve used for other Garmin watch with that same multiband mode and it ’s performed well , particularly against the also very excellentApple Watch Ultraand Garmin ’s own Forerunner 965 .
It ’s been a like story for activities like swim and indoor workouts like treadmill running and indoor rowing sessions that I strapped it on for . Initial cover treadmill run were n’t wildly inaccurate like they often can be and you’re able to of course calibrate the watch to verify it ’s more accurate for future run .
The other big scene here is how you could habituate the 265s as a preparation companion and it has everything the 255 offered on that front . It works with Garmin Coach to synchronize running - focused workout to the watch . you could upload route , but you ’ll only get the breadcrumb - mode sailing as fight to the fuller mapping support you ’ll get on pricier Garmins . There ’s the much improved race predictor and utilitarian PacePro pace strategy and analysis like VO2 Max , acute load and grooming burden information for those who desire those more hardcore metrics .
The large one that I ’m happy to see is Training Readiness . This is a centre rate variability - based sixth sense that was bestow on other Garmin watches in 2022 , but bizarrely did n’t make it to the 255 . Instead , Garmin added HRV Status , which fuels that Training Readiness brainwave , but feels more vague as a metric function in closing off . With Readiness add together , you ’re getting a grudge based on other data points like sleep quality , recovery and training cargo to better infer whether you should train or take it easy .
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After an injury , I tried to push it quite hard right after and the vigil told me my training eagerness was low and to take it tardily . It could see I had n’t civilize much and my sleep had n’t been great either , and I had a better idea of what choices I should make for that day .
Like a lot of the insights here , they ’re reliant on the tracking and the truth of those onboard sensors . I ’d say that metric like heart rate and rest have been very good in cosmopolitan for me . The smaller form factor of the 265s definitely avail on that front to get a adept honest fit for day - to - day use and more tight workout metre like interval workout .
What you get on the 265s is a full premix of trailing and analytic thinking , with scope to go heavy or light and put some cartel in Garmin ’s guidance to help oneself you do the correct thing . alfresco of Training Readiness however , it ’s not hugely unlike from what you get on the Forerunner 255 .
Battery life
With the plus of a power - hungry AMOLED CRT screen there ’s understandably go to be some business about the level of battery life you’re able to expect from the 265s .
The good news is that the shelling performance in oecumenical has been very good and should be able to overcompensate a firm week of training while using feature like notifications and euphony streaming – that is if you pick out not to have the screenland set to always - on manner . If you do , then it ’s hold up to be less .
Garmin quote a maximum of 15 - mean solar day in smartwatch style , which is up 3 - days from the 255s . With the sieve set to always - on , it drop to a uttermost of 5 - days and calculate on how much action you ’re dog , it ’ll be less than that .
The battery free fall - off when using the optimal GPS trailing mode liken to the more standard GPS mode is some about the same as what I ’ve have on other Garmin watches . Just under an hr of run with the multiband modality in use escort the battery drop cloth by 6 % . Using the watch in multiband mode run across bombardment drop-off to 15 - hours compared to 24 - hours in the stock mode , which means you ’ll see it leave out by a few more percentage during an outdoor workout .
This is a Garmin that does n’t stomach badly with that append AMOLED projection screen . It should satisfy most who are n’t expecting it to last weeks and months like Garmin ’s top - end Forerunner , Fenix and Epix watches .
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Should you buy it?
- : Garmin shoot the 255 and merges it with a great color screen to make it a more desirable sentinel to own .
That AMOLED presentation and features like Training Readiness number at a considerable excess cost over the 255 .
Final Thoughts
The Garmin Forerunner 265s continues a positive course of Garmin showing it can tally great color displays to its watches without making heavy ritual killing on battery life . If you ’ve already got the 255 , then color screen aside , there ’s not a monumental amount of new software feature to stand out ship for . If you ’ve been wait for a Forerunner with a colour screen and you ’re uncoerced to give for it , you ’ll wish what the 265s has to offer .
For anyone after a more stylish vigil with Garmin ’s usual fittingness tracking feature film , you might desire to check out theGarmin Vivomove Trend , while theGarmin Forerunner 955is still a great pick for serious runners .
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How we test
We soundly test every smartwatch we refresh . We use industriousness standard examination to compare features right and we apply the watch as our independent machine over the review period . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to look back a merchandise .
FAQs
The Garmin Forerunner 265s can not display full colour mathematical function but does tender the power to upload route and trace simpler breadcrumb - style sailing .
Yes , the Forerunner 265 can be get into in the shower and carries a 5ATM rating , making it desirable to be submerged in water up to 50 - metres depth .
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Sustainability
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We currently have n’t received answers to the questions on this production , but will update this page the moment we do . you could see a detailed breakdown of the dubiousness we ask and why in oursustainability info page .
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