Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro
On the headline smartwatch-mode figure, 20 days for the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro against 15 days for the Garmin Forerunner 265. Garmin publishes no always-on figure for the Garmin Forerunner 265. For a GPS workout the figures are 31 h and 24 h. Only the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro carries full topo maps. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
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
Amazfit
Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro
Android; iPhone with limitsPaid tier: Zepp Aura
~$450
Cheetah 2 Pro is Amazfit's runner's watch, with a grade 5 titanium case, sapphire glass, dual-band GPS and a red-and-white flashlight.
Best for: Marathon and half-marathon runners who follow structured plans and want titanium and dual-band GPS.
| Specification | Garmin Forerunner 265 | Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$450 (Forerunner 265S or 265, both $449.99 list on garmin.com/en-US/p/886785 and /p/886689) | ~$450 (Titanium, $449.99 on us.amazfit.com) |
| Type | Running | Running |
| Platform | Garmin | Zepp OS |
| Case sizes | 41.7 mm (265S) / 46.1 mm | 48 mm |
| Weight | 41.7 mm (265S): 39 g · 46.1 mm: 47 g (Garmin spec, 265S: 'Weight: 39 g' (band inclusion not stated)) | 48 mm: 45.6 g (without strap) |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 15 days (Garmin, 265S (41.7 mm): 'Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days'; 265 (46 mm): up to 13 days) | 20 days (Amazfit: "Typical Use Battery Life: Up to 20 days" (heavy use up to 10 days)) |
| Battery, always-on display | Not published by the maker | 8 days (Amazfit: "AOD Mode Battery Life: Up to 8 days") |
| Always-on keeps | not published | 40% of the headline figure |
| Battery, GPS workout | 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) | 31 h (Amazfit: "Accurate GPS Mode Battery Life: Up to 31 hours" (dual-band, all satellite systems); no standard single-band figure published) |
| Battery, dual-band GPS | 15 h | 31 h |
| Battery note | 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 | Amazfit: GPS + music up to 15 hours, GPS + AOD up to 26 hours, power saving (single-band, low-power GPS) up to 69 hours, Extended Battery Life mode up to 99 hours. |
| 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 | Amazfit lists Call Quick Reply as Android only, so iPhone owners cannot send quick replies from the watch; phone camera control is iOS only. |
| Paid tier | Garmin Connect+, $69.99/year | Zepp Aura, $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; Amazfit sells workout and recovery data in the Zepp App with no subscription. Zepp Aura adds unlimited AI sleep-assistant chats (free users get one message a day), detailed weekly and monthly sleep reports, and the full sleep and meditation music library. |
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Maps | Route line only (Garmin lists Courses, Back to start and TracBack; no built-in maps) | Full topo maps on the watch (Amazfit: "Downloadable Offline Maps with Contour Lines, Turn-by-Turn Directions, POI Search, Route Planning, Round-Trip Routes & Auto Rerouting"; 32GB storage) |
| Music on the watch | Yes | Yes |
| LTE | No LTE version | No LTE version |
| Contactless pay | Yes | No |
| Flashlight | No | Yes |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Case | fiber-reinforced polymer | grade 5 titanium frame and case |
| Released | 2023 | 2026 |
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
Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro: what it gives up
- 31 hours of dual-band GPS trails Balance 3 and the T-Rex line
- 5 ATM water rating where Balance and T-Rex get 10 ATM
- Maps must be downloaded; preloaded maps are on the Cheetah 2 Ultra
Full pages: Garmin Forerunner 265 · Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro