Description
Design and Display
Forerunner 265 looks pretty much the same as its predecessor Forerunner 255, it has the same, round display, with five different buttons to navigate around the watch — three on the left, and two on the right. Only one small change is noticed regarding the buttons — the top start/stop button on the right-hand side now says ‘RUN’, and is slightly larger. Now coming onto display when the screen is on the change is far more obvious. The Forerunner 265 flaunts a bright AMOLED display, similar to that used on the Garmin Epix 2. The Forerunner 265 has a resolution of 416 x 416 pixels, and 360 x 360 on the 265S. The watch comes in two different sizes variants— the Forerunner 265 has a 1.3-inch display, and the Forerunner 265S has a 1.1-inch display and the entire data screen is customizable.
Health Features
The Forerunner 265 has Garmin’s latest Elevate V4 sensor, in this, the green light records heart rate, and the red light records blood oxygen levels. The Elevate V4 sensor is used to calculate breathing rate, stress, and HRV. The Forerunner 265 also has Garmin’s Morning Report feature, which gives you a snapshot of how well you slept, how hard you’ve been training, and a look at the weather for the day ahead. It also has Garmin’s Training Readiness score too which gives you an idea of how hard you should train that day, whereas the Body Battery score is a general snapshot of your health. Even you can track your periods and pregnancy on the Forerunner 265 just like other Garmin watches.
Smartwatch Features
Garmin has some shortcomings when it comes to the smartwatch features as compared to its competitors. The touchscreen of Forerunner 265 is improved from a smartwatch perspective — it feels more premium, and it allows you to scroll around the watch with ease. The Forerunner 265 is featured to allow you to see smartphone notifications from your phone on the watch, although you can’t respond to messages right now. There are also Garmin Pay contactless payments, which allow you to keep your phone in your pocket when commuting.
Battery Life
The Forerunner 265s has a 13-day battery life in smartwatch mode and a 20-hour battery life in GPS mode. The 265s has 15 days in smartwatch mode and 25 hours in GPS mode.
Verdict
The Forerunner 265 feels like a more premium running watch and it’s all thanks to its beautiful screen. It is slim and lightweight, and it looks so much brighter than its predecessors.
