Garmin Forerunner 265 vs COROS PACE 4
The Garmin Forerunner 265 lists for about $201 more than the COROS PACE 4. On the headline smartwatch-mode figure, 19 days for the COROS PACE 4 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 41 h and 24 h. Phones differ: the Garmin Forerunner 265 is android; iphone with limits, the COROS PACE 4 iphone and android. Garmin sells a paid tier (Garmin Connect+) for the Garmin Forerunner 265; COROS sells none for the COROS PACE 4. Only the COROS PACE 4 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
~$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
COROS
COROS PACE 4
~$249
Launched in November 2025, PACE 4 moved COROS's lightest running watch from a memory LCD to a 1.2-inch AMOLED with 164% higher resolution than PACE 3, per COROS.
Best for: Runners who want a light, inexpensive AMOLED training watch that lasts more than a week between charges
| Specification | Garmin Forerunner 265 | COROS PACE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$450 (Forerunner 265S or 265, both $449.99 list on garmin.com/en-US/p/886785 and /p/886689) | ~$249 (PACE 4 with fiber-reinforced polymer bezel, silicone or nylon band, $249.00 on coros.com) |
| Type | Running | Running |
| Platform | Garmin | COROS |
| Case sizes | 41.7 mm (265S) / 46.1 mm | 43.4 mm |
| Weight | 41.7 mm (265S): 39 g · 46.1 mm: 47 g (Garmin spec, 265S: 'Weight: 39 g' (band inclusion not stated)) | 43.4 mm: 40 g (with silicone band (32 g with nylon band)) |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 15 days (Garmin, 265S (41.7 mm): 'Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days'; 265 (46 mm): up to 13 days) | 19 days (COROS spec: Daily Use & Sleep Tracking 19 Days) |
| Battery, always-on display | Not published by the maker | 6 days (COROS spec: 6 Days (with Always-On Display)) |
| Always-on keeps | not published | 32% 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) | 41 h (COROS spec: High All Systems 41 Hours; 30 Hours with Always-On Display; 14 hours with offline music playing) |
| 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 | COROS publishes no GPS-only mode for PACE 4; the headline is all-systems. Dual-frequency: 31 Hours, 24 with AOD. |
| Works with | Android; iPhone with limits | iPhone and Android |
| iPhone | Yes, with limits | Yes |
| 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 | COROS app on iOS and Android; COROS lists Message/Call Alert on both, and its FAQ says the app syncs with Apple Health and Google Fit. |
| Paid tier | Garmin Connect+, $69.99/year | No paid tier sold by the maker |
| 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 | not published |
| 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 (COROS spec: Landscape (with trail and street names) and Topo downloadable global maps on 4GB storage; COROS's September 2026 update added maps to PACE 4) |
| Music on the watch | Yes | Yes |
| LTE | No LTE version | No LTE version |
| Contactless pay | Yes | No |
| Flashlight | No | No |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Case | fiber-reinforced polymer | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
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
COROS PACE 4: what it gives up
- 4GB storage leaves far less room for maps and music than the 32GB PACE 4 Pro
- No speaker, so no calls or spoken alerts as on the PACE 4 Pro and APEX 4
- No contactless payments
- Mineral glass instead of sapphire
- Notifications only; no app store or message replies listed
Full pages: Garmin Forerunner 265 · COROS PACE 4