It seems that in a break with tradition, we can get a new Forerunner watch two years in a row. Garmin Forerunner 245 and Garmin Forerunner 945, two of best Garmin watches ever were released to much acclaim in 2019, but their equally successful sequels, the 255 and 955, were not launched until three years later in 2022.
We crowned the so-called Garmin Forerunner 955 our 2022 fitness device of the year. However, while many consider the 955 to be the best running watch right now, and less than a year has passed since the launch of the 955 and 255, Garmin seems to be breaking with tradition and is already preparing an update.
Numerous rumors and leaks suggest that the Garmin Forerunner 965 will arrive this year alongside its smaller sibling, the Forerunner 265. But how do you upgrade a watch that is so good and so fast in its life cycle? Will the watches be largely cosmetic updates, or does Garmin have enough tech advancement up its sleeve to justify launching a new set of Forerunners so soon? Below are all the news, rumors and leaks that have emerged about the watch so far.
Garmin Forerunner 965: What’s New So Far
What makes us think the 965 will be released this year? Well, for starters, leaks around the smaller 265. As reported by col 5K runner (opens in a new tab), a reliable leak site, photos of the Garmin Forerunner 265 surfaced online last year. The images allegedly show a new AMOLED screen replacing the battery-saving MIP 255 offering, suggesting that Garmin has advanced its energy efficiency tech to the point where it can offer an AMOLED screen of a “true” modern smartwatch without compromising the Forerunner. impressive battery life.
An early listing that was posted on a golf website and then quickly removed according to ours sibling Advnture page (opens in a new tab) and Flo from Fitness Tracker Test, provided more reported details on the 965 and 265. The retailer list from 5 Under Golf confirmed the rumor of improved AMOLED screens for both models, as well as the fact that the 955’s training readiness assessment feature will be available on the 265, as also on the 965. The listing also suggested there would be a brighter yellow and black color option for busy bees who are fed up with dull black watch cases and are looking for something a bit brighter.
Another seemingly premature offer that was quickly removed came from retailer Running Direct, which provided pricing information: The Forerunner 965 is it is rumored to cost €649.99 while the 265 is said to cost €499.99 (opens in a new tab); if correct, these prices will be around $700 / £570 / AU$1,000 and $530 / £440 / AU$770, although the actual prices are likely to be different.
RunningDirect is the third online retailer to announce the upcoming Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965, and the first to confirm projected prices of €499.99 and €649.99. #garmin #forerunner #running #sports #wearables pic.twitter.com/ kDvGbhEOqVJanuary 26, 2023
Another tweet from FTTest (opens in a new tab) reported a leak from Garmin’s own website, which accidentally featured photos of the watches. This is our biggest tip that the watches are not only real, but ready to use.
The render below shows the dimensions of the Forerunner 965’s screen based on all of the above rumors, which is 0.1 inch larger than the screen on the 955, with a larger version of Garmin’s “Start” button in the upper right corner.
Since Garmin accidentally shared photos of the Forerunner 965 on their website, I was able to visualize the ratio between the FR965 and FR955 a bit better. Thanks to @the5krunner for pointing it out. Still no precise CAD drawing.#garmin #forerunner #leak pic.twitter.com/1PDKHqZdghFebruary 9, 2023
Garmin Forerunner 965: What we want to see
We compared this apparent change in Garmin’s release schedule with Apple’s policywho does a very good job of replacing the bare minimum on her watches and putting a new number on them every year.
However, rather than incremental changes that would make the new watches nothing more than updates to their predecessors, we want to see enough hardware advancements to justify this change of strategy. Otherwise, customers who bought the 955 believing it to be the most advanced Forerunner on the market will feel a bit disappointed.
An AMOLED screen, implemented at no cost to the Forerunner’s impressive battery life, would be a good start, just as Garmin continues to combine the screen with Power Glass solar battery extending technology. The battery life of the 955 Solar increases depending on the time spent outdoors.
Improved tracking in urban areas would add to Garmin’s already amazing multi-band GPS data, and I’d personally like to see the option to provide turn-by-turn navigation in your ears while you run, so you can follow an unfamiliar course without having to look at your watch. As a company that has built its bones in sat nav, this would be Garmin’s crowning achievement, putting it far above other running watches for urban athletes – even Apple Watch Ultra.
These improvements aside, I can’t wait to see these new colors and wish there were brighter options. Black is fine but bland; if I could get a Casio G-Shock influence and throw in some hot rod red like Iron Man, the watch would be a bolder, more stylistic choice. The Instinct series comes in several bold colors and I wish the Forerunner series would follow suit.