Garmin Forerunner 170 vs Garmin Forerunner 265
The Garmin Forerunner 265 lists for about $150 more than the Garmin Forerunner 170. On the headline smartwatch-mode figure, 15 days for the Garmin Forerunner 265 against 10 days for the Garmin Forerunner 170. Garmin publishes no always-on figure for the Garmin Forerunner 265. For a GPS workout the figures are 24 h and 20 h. Only the Garmin Forerunner 265 has dual-band GPS. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 170
Android; iPhone with limitsPaid tier: Garmin Connect+
~$300
Built on the Forerunner 70, this model adds Garmin Pay, a barometric altimeter, a compass and 4 GB of storage in the same 42.6 mm case.
Best for: A newer runner who wants to pay for a drink mid-run and track elevation, on a mid-range budget
Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 265
Android; iPhone with limitsPaid tier: Garmin Connect+
~$450
Garmin moved this mid-range runner to an AMOLED screen in March 2023, and it remains on sale beside the newer 570.
Best for: A runner training for a half or full marathon who wants multi-band accuracy and music below flagship pricing
| Specification | Garmin Forerunner 170 | Garmin Forerunner 265 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$300 (Forerunner 170 (Black with Black/Amp Yellow band), $299.99 list on garmin.com/en-US/p/1915560; Forerunner 170 Music $349.99) | ~$450 (Forerunner 265S or 265, both $449.99 list on garmin.com/en-US/p/886785 and /p/886689) |
| Type | Running | Running |
| Platform | Garmin | Garmin |
| Case sizes | 42.6 mm | 41.7 mm (265S) / 46.1 mm |
| Weight | 42.6 mm: 41 g (Garmin spec: 'Weight: 41 g' (Garmin does not say whether the band is included)) | 41.7 mm (265S): 39 g · 46.1 mm: 47 g (Garmin spec, 265S: 'Weight: 39 g' (band inclusion not stated)) |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 10 days (Garmin: 'Smartwatch mode: Up to 10 days') | 15 days (Garmin, 265S (41.7 mm): 'Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days'; 265 (46 mm): up to 13 days) |
| Battery, always-on display | 4 days (Garmin: '(4 days display always-on)') | Not published by the maker |
| Always-on keeps | 40% of the headline figure | not published |
| Battery, GPS workout | 20 h (Garmin: 'GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 20 hours'; 'All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 14 hours') | 24 h (Garmin, 265S: 'GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 24 hours'; 265 (46 mm): GPS-only up to 20 hours, SatIQ (AutoSelect) up to 16 hours) |
| Battery, dual-band GPS | not published | 15 h |
| Battery note | Garmin: 'Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 19 days'; Forerunner 170 Music: GPS-only with music up to 7.5 hours | Garmin, 265S: all-systems + multi-band up to 15 hours (265: 'All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 14 hours'); Garmin publishes no always-on figure for this model |
| Works with | Android; iPhone with limits | Android; iPhone with limits |
| iPhone | Yes, with limits | Yes, with limits |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Phone limits | Garmin's spec table marks text replies and reject-call-with-text as Android only; iPhone owners get notifications but cannot reply from the watch | Garmin's spec table marks text replies and reject-call-with-text as Android only; iPhone owners get notifications but cannot reply from the watch |
| Paid tier | Garmin Connect+, $69.99/year | Garmin Connect+, $69.99/year |
| What the paid tier gates | No watch feature requires it: Garmin's chart keeps activity details, health stats, performance metrics, Garmin Coach plans, courses and LiveTrack in the free app. Connect+ adds Active Intelligence AI insights, nutrition logging, a desktop performance dashboard, live activity on the phone, 3D maps and offline Garmin Trails downloads | No watch feature requires it: Garmin's chart keeps activity details, health stats, performance metrics, Garmin Coach plans, courses and LiveTrack in the free app. Connect+ adds Active Intelligence AI insights, nutrition logging, a desktop performance dashboard, live activity on the phone, 3D maps and offline Garmin Trails downloads |
| Update years | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Cleared health features | None the maker cites | None the maker cites |
| Display | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-band GPS | No | Yes |
| Maps | Route line only (Garmin lists Courses, Back to start and TracBack; no built-in maps) | Route line only (Garmin lists Courses, Back to start and TracBack; no built-in maps) |
| Music on the watch | No | Yes |
| LTE | No LTE version | No LTE version |
| Contactless pay | Yes | Yes |
| Flashlight | No | No |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Case | fiber-reinforced polymer | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Released | 2026 | 2023 |
Garmin Forerunner 170: what it gives up
- Music storage needs the costlier Forerunner 170 Music
- No multi-band GPS; the Forerunner 265 has it
- Three days less battery than the Forerunner 70
- iPhone users cannot reply to texts from the watch
Garmin Forerunner 265: what it gives up
- A 2023 design: no speaker or calls, which the Forerunner 570 and 970 add, and no flashlight, which only the 970 adds
- Garmin publishes no always-on battery figure, so the real AOD runtime is unknown
- No maps; navigation is breadcrumb courses only
- Only 5 ATM water rating
- Text replies from the watch need an Android phone
- Fewer health additions than the 570, which adds skin temperature and Health Status
Full pages: Garmin Forerunner 170 · Garmin Forerunner 265