Based on multiple materials shared, the Forerunner 265 will come in 46 and 42-mm case sizes with equivalent 1.3-inch and 1.1-inch displays, respectively. Unsurprisingly, the latter will be marketed as Forerunner 265s similar to the GPS-powered Forerunner 255 Music reviewed by NextPit and Forerunner 245 series.

Garmin Forerunner 265 touch display and design

Besides the dual-color watch bands, there are minor design changes found on the Forerunner 265. The primary mechanical button on the right side is noticeably larger and now comes elliptical-shaped while the rest of the circular buttons around the watch are unchanged.

The upcoming Garmin Forerunner 265 is the first from its line to ship with a touch AMOLED panel and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It will be a notable improvement for Garmin given it has been relying on non-touch transflective MIP panels on most of its non-premium watches and fitness trackers. The display resolutions are higher as well.

Garmin Forerunner 255
Garmin Forerunner 255 colors: Black with powder (pictured), Whitestone with blue, and Aqua with black. / © GadgetsToWear, Edit by NextPit Image source: Gadgets & Wearables, Edit by NextPit

Garmin Forerunner 265 battery life, memory, and tracking features

The battery is slightly a step down on the Forerunner 265, and this could be attributed to the touch AMOLED panel. This translates to 13 days of battery life compared to 14 days on the Forerunner 255 in smartwatch mode. However, the smaller Forerunner 265s has an improved 15 days of battery over the 12 days on its last year’s counterpart.

Garmin is dropping the Music models this year. Instead, the Forerunner 265 lineup is getting 8 GB of onboard storage. Additionally, a plethora of connectivity is also unmodified such as multi-frequency GPS, NFC for payments, and Wi-Fi.

Garmin Forerunner 265s
Garmin Forerunner 265s colors: Pink with whitestone (as pictured), Black with yellow, and Whitestone with neo blue. / © GadgetsToWears, Edit by NextPit Image source: Gadgets & Wearables, Edit by NextPit

Regarding fitness tracking, Garmin is introducing Training Readiness and Running Dynamics that are already available on the high-end Forerunner 955 series. The array of sensors remains similar to the previous model, which is composed of the 4th gen Elevate biometrics used in measuring heart rate, sleep, and VO2 Max among others.

Garmin Forerunner 265 price and release date

Furthermore, one of the leaked documents confirms that the Garmin Forerunner 265 will be priced at $449, which is higher than the retail price of the standard Forerunner 255 at $349 and $399 of the Music edition. Garmin is reportedly launching the Forerunner 265 in the coming weeks.

With an AMOLED display and bigger storage, do you think that these are worth it for the device’s higher price tag? We want to know your opinion in the comment section.

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