Garmin has released a new Forerunner modification, the 970. What's the new model adding to the existing Forerunner 965?
Garmin Forerunner 970 vs. Forerunner 965
| Specs / Model name |  970 Carbon Gray DLC Titanium |
 970 Soft Gold Titanium |
 970 Titanium with Whitestone Case |
 965 Carbon Gray DLC Titanium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $749.99 | $749.99 | $749.99 | $499.99 |
| General | ||||
| Battery life | up to 15 days | up to 15 days | up to 15 days | up to 23 days |
| Screen size | 1.4 in | 1.4 in | 1.4 in | 1.4 in |
| Screen resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 454 x 454 pixels | 454 x 454 pixels | 454 x 454 pixels |
| Physical size | 47 x 47 x 12.9 mm | 47 x 47 x 12.9 mm | 47 x 47 x 12.9 mm | 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm |
| Color display | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Garmin ECG App | yes | yes | yes | no |
| LED Flashlight | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Multi-band GPS | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Weight | 56 g | 56 g | 56 g | 53 g |
| Built-in speaker/microphone | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Lens material | Sapphire Crystal | Sapphire Crystal | Sapphire Crystal | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX |
| Bezel material | titanium | titanium | titanium | titanium |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone | silicone | silicone |
| Daily Smart Features | ||||
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi |
| Built-in storage | 32 GB | 32 GB | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| GPS | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Touchscreen | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Garmin Pay | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Waterproof | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Thermometer | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Ambient light | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||||
| Wrist-based heart rate | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Daily resting heart rate | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | yes (high and low) | yes (high and low) | yes (high and low) |
| Respiration rate (24x7) | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Fitness age | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Body Battery energy monitor | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| All-day stress | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Relaxation breathing timer | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Meditation | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Breathwork | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | yes (advanced) | yes (advanced) | yes (advanced) |
| Breathing variations | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Nap detection | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget) | yes (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget) | yes (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget) | yes (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget) |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget) | yes (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget) | yes (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget) | yes (in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget) |
| Health snapshot | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Skin temperature | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Jet lag adviser | yes | yes | yes | yes |
*The full list of features can be seen on the official Garmin website
What the two share
- Same size
- AMOLED touchscreen display
- Core Garmin training features
- Titanium bezel
Both the 965 and 970 models contain two DLC titanium modifications and one titanium
Titanium vs. DLC Titanium
Bare titanium is easily scratched, unlike DLC, but scratches are far less visible than on DLC. Bare titanium is repairable with the right sandpaper and abrasive paste. When you damage DLC, it can't be repaired.
Garmin Forerunner 970
970 Carbon Gray DLC Titanium
Upgraded heart rate sensor, advanced metrics, durable screen
$749.99 on AmazonWith all the upgrades over almost everything, the battery life sees improvements in most activity modes, especially when using music playback; however, the watch does not last as long in smartwatch mode.
Garmin Forerunner 970 vs. Forerunner 965. Upgrades:
- Durable sapphire crystal lens
- LED flashlight
- Skin temperature
- ECG functionality
- Garmin Elevate Gen 5 latest optical heart rate sensor, which replaces the Gen 4 sensor
- Speaker and Microphone for phone calls, virtual assistant, and voice control of the watch
The Forerunner 970 is 3 grams heavier. Along with that, the newer model got the key software additions like triathlon coach, focus modes, an updated user interface similar to the premium fenix 8, and so on.
Garmin Forerunner 965
The Forerunner 965 still has a better battery life in a smartwatch mode and a lower price tag.
To Sum Up
The Garmin Forerunner 970 is thinner, has a better lens, more activity metrics, LED flashlights, and so on. It looks like a step up over the previous Forerunner 965 even tho, for the new options, you'll have to pay more.
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