A lot of information has been leaked about Garmin's upcoming entry-level smartwatch, the Forerunner 165. Details include device specifications, hardware, and various features.
Everything listed was discovered on Garmin's official website by an industry expert Fitness Tracker Test who later shared his findings on his personal website. Almost every aspect of the wearable is in the leak, apart from its appearance, as there are no images. But there are enough clues to paint a picture.
Screen refresh
The Forerunner 165 will reportedly come equipped with a 1.2-inch AMOLED display (390 x 390 pixel resolution). This is significantly larger than Garmin's current entry-level model, the Forerunner 55, which has a 1.04-inch screen. Despite the size difference between the displays, the Forerunner 165's case won't be much larger, measuring 43 x 43 x 11.6mm. Fitness Tracker Test even claims that “weight gain is barely noticeable.”
There is a disadvantage. Using an AMOLED has resulted in significantly worse battery life.
Instead of the two-week duration of the Forerunner 55, the Forerunner 165, at least according to the leak, only lasts up to 11 days, while in smartwatch mode. Certain features drain the battery even faster. Having GPS settings turned on reduces battery life to 19 hours. With the portable device's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) activated, the duration drops even further, to 17 hours. And if you use music playback in conjunction with GNSS, the runtime plummets to just 6.5 hours. Once again, Garmin does not confirm any of these details.
Characteristics
Moving down the list, Fitness Tracker Test claims there will be two versions at launch: the standard model and the Forerunner 165 Music. The latter, as its name suggests, will have storage space for your favorite tracks that you can play on Bluetooth headphones. Note that the device will not receive much storage: only 4 GB. Additionally, the Forerunner 165 Music will support Wi-Fi connectivity; something that will be missing from the normal model.
The future smartwatch will also feature interesting hardware capabilities. It will have the PPG Elevate V4 sensor to measure heart rate variability, as well as a barometric altimeter. This allows the device to determine altitude and record atmospheric elevation during sports activities. You can even track the number of floors you've climbed.
As for the rest of the features, Fitness Tracker Test claims these are things we've seen before in other Garmin products. It has an internal compass, nap detection, and SpO2 capabilities to measure blood oxygen levels. It's important to note that these features may actually be simplified versions of what you see on higher-end models. The report claims that Garmin has done this before with the Forerunner 55. Whether or not this will happen “remains to be seen.”
Imminent launch
There's no word on how much the Forerunner 165 will cost or when it will be released. Considering that all of this information has only recently come to light, an official release may be just around the corner. Fitness Tracker Test speculates that the standard smartwatch will cost 280 euros (around $225), while the Music model will cost 330 euros (around $355).
As always, take this leak with a grain of salt. They can always change things at the last minute, including the name. Tracker Tests claims they saw evidence that the wearable could actually be called Forerunner 65, but because of all the updates, they're leaning more toward Forerunner 165 as the official name. Until we know more, check out TechRadar's guide to the best Garmin watch for 2024.
