Garmin has released a new Forerunner modification, the 970. What's the new model adding to the existing Forerunner 965?
Quick Verdict
| Watch | Best For | Position | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Forerunner 970 | Best Overall | Current Flagship | View on Amazon |
| Garmin Forerunner 965 | Best Value | Previous Flagship | View on Amazon |
Buy the Forerunner 970 if:
- You want Garmin's newest running flagship
- You want the latest training metrics
- You plan to keep the watch for years
- You want the newest hardware platform
Buy the Forerunner 965 if:
- You find a significant discount
- You want nearly all of Garmin's core running features
- Value matters more than having the newest model
Should Current Forerunner 965 Owners Upgrade?
For most Forerunner 965 owners, upgrading immediately is not essential.
The Forerunner 965 remains one of the best running watches available and continues to offer excellent training tools, mapping, AMOLED display technology, and battery life.
The 970 becomes more attractive for athletes who want Garmin's newest features and plan to keep their watch for several years.
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 | $728.99 | $749.99 | $584.94 |
| 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.
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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