Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Garmin Forerunner 970
The Garmin Forerunner 970 lists for about $200 more than the Garmin Forerunner 570. On the headline smartwatch-mode figure, 15 days for the Garmin Forerunner 970 against 10 days for the Garmin Forerunner 570. For a GPS workout the figures are 26 h and 18 h. Only the Garmin Forerunner 970 carries full topo maps. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 570
~$550
Announced alongside the Forerunner 970 in May 2025, the 570 adds a speaker and microphone for calls and voice commands, an aluminum bezel and Garmin Triathlon Coach plans to the Forerunner 265 formula.
Best for: A runner or triathlete who wants calls and a brighter screen but has no use for on-watch maps
Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 970
~$750
Garmin's top Forerunner since May 2025 brings fēnix-class tools into a 56 g running watch: preloaded road and trail maps, an LED flashlight, the ECG app, a sapphire lens and a titanium bezel.
Best for: A marathoner or triathlete who wants maps and a flashlight without the size of a fēnix
| Specification | Garmin Forerunner 570 | Garmin Forerunner 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$550 (Forerunner 570, 42 mm or 47 mm, $549.99 list on garmin.com/en-US/p/1463821) | ~$750 (Forerunner 970, 47 mm, $749.99 list on garmin.com/en-US/p/1462801) |
| Type | Running | Running |
| Platform | Garmin | Garmin |
| Case sizes | 42 mm / 47 mm | 47 mm |
| Weight | 42 mm: 42 g · 47 mm: 50 g (Garmin spec, 42 mm: 'Weight: 42 g' (band inclusion not stated)) | 47 mm: 56 g (Garmin spec: 'Weight: 56 g' (band inclusion not stated)) |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 10 days (Garmin, 42 mm: 'Smartwatch mode: Up to 10 days'; 47 mm: up to 11 days) | 15 days (Garmin: 'Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days') |
| Battery, always-on display | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Battery, GPS workout | 18 h (Garmin, 42 mm: 'GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 18 hours'; 'SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 14 hours') | 26 h (Garmin: 'GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 26 hours'; 'SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 23 hours') |
| Battery, dual-band GPS | 13 h | 21 h |
| Battery note | Garmin, 42 mm: 'All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 13 hours' (47 mm: 14 hours); no always-on figure published | Garmin: 'All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 21 hours'; with music 12 hours; no always-on figure published |
| 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 | ECG app (FDA) |
| 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; built-in maps are reserved for the Forerunner 970) | Full topo maps on the watch (Garmin: 'Preloaded road and trail maps', routable Cycle Map, ski resort maps, round-trip course creator and ClimbPro) |
| Music on the watch | Yes | Yes |
| LTE | No LTE version | No LTE version |
| Contactless pay | Yes | Yes |
| Flashlight | No | Yes |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Case | aluminum bezel (Garmin does not list the case material) | titanium bezel (Garmin does not list the case material) |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
Garmin Forerunner 570: what it gives up
- No maps, flashlight or ECG app; those need the Forerunner 970
- Shorter smartwatch battery than the cheaper Forerunner 265
- No published always-on battery figure
- Text replies from the watch work only with Android
Garmin Forerunner 970: what it gives up
- One 47 mm size only, large on small wrists
- 5 ATM rather than the 10 ATM of the fēnix and Enduro lines
- No always-on battery figure published
Full pages: Garmin Forerunner 570 · Garmin Forerunner 970