Garmin Forerunner 165 Music vs Garmin Venu 3S

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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Forerunner 165 Music compared with Venu 3S
GarminForerunner 165 MusicGarminVenu 3S
Overview
ReleasedFebruary 2024August 2023
Display
Case sizes43 mm41 mm
PanelOLEDOLED
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detail1.2-inch (30.4 mm diameter) colour AMOLED touchscreen, 390 x 390 pixels; optional always-on display; five physical buttons1.2-inch (30.4 mm) AMOLED touchscreen, 390 × 390 pixels, with optional always-on mode and two font sizes.
Screen protectionChemically strengthened glassCorning Gorilla Glass 3.
Health and fitness
ECGNoYes
Blood oxygenYesYes
Skin temperatureNoYes
Sleep apnoea alertsNoNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoNo
Crash detectionNoNo
GPSSingle-bandSingle-band
Water resistance50 m50 m
SensorsGarmin Elevate wrist heart rate; Pulse Ox; barometric altimeter; compass; accelerometer; thermometer; ambient light sensor; GPS, GLONASS and GalileoGPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate, Pulse Ox, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and ambient light sensor; a tempe accessory is needed for ambient temperature.
Health featuresContinuous heart rate with high/low alerts; HRV status; Body Battery; stress, respiration and blood oxygen; advanced sleep and sleep score; sleep coach and nap detection; Health Snapshot; hydration and women's health tracking; no ECG appHeart rate, Pulse Ox, HRV status, sleep coach, nap detection, stress, Body Battery, overnight skin-temperature trends and Health Snapshot. Garmin's ECG app needs a supported region and current software.
Fitness featuresDaily suggested running workouts and Garmin Coach plans; training effect and recovery time; wrist-based running dynamics and running power; PacePro; VO2 max and race predictions; pool and open-water swimming; running, cycling, strength, HIIT, yoga, Pilates, tennis, pickleball and padel profiles; point-to-point and breadcrumb course navigation, back-to-start and TracBack; no full offline maps or dedicated triathlon mode; no training readiness, load or status (Wareable and Tech Advisor)More than 30 sports apps, Garmin Coach, animated workouts, workout benefit and recovery time; wheelchair mode tracks pushes and offers weight-shift alerts and specific workouts.
Safety featuresIncident detection during selected activities, assistance and LiveTrack require a paired compatible smartphone and connectivity; live event sharing is Android-onlyIncident detection, assistance and LiveTrack require a paired phone; incident detection is unavailable in wheelchair mode.
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 11 daysUp to 10 days
In low-power modeUp to 20 daysUp to 20 days
Mobile data optionNoNo
Works withiPhone and AndroidiPhone and Android
Storage4 GB8 GB (better)
Battery life detailSmartwatch up to 11 days; battery saver smartwatch up to 20 days; GPS-only up to 19 hours; all-systems GNSS up to 17 hours; GPS-only with music up to 7 hours; all-systems with music up to 6.5 hours; actual life depends on display settings, enabled features and useUp to ten days in smartwatch mode, five days with always-on display, 20 days in battery saver, 21 hours GPS-only, 15 hours all-systems GNSS or eight hours all-systems GNSS with music.
ChargingGarmin proprietary plug charging/data cable; rechargeable built-in batteryGarmin proprietary charging cable.
ConnectivityBluetooth and ANT+ and Wi-Fi; stores music for Bluetooth headphones; Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music downloads require compatible subscriptions; Garmin Pay; Connect IQ apps, watch faces and data fields; smart notifications; Android-only text responses and notification images; Garmin Share and Garmin Messenger; no cellular connection or multi-band GNSSBluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi; paired-phone calls and voice assistant through built-in speaker and microphone, Garmin Pay, Connect IQ, smart notifications and stored music.
Storage4 GB memory/history; offline music playback8 GB of memory/history.
Design
Weight (lightest version)39 g (better)40 g
SoftwareGarminGarmin
Case materialsFibre-reinforced polymer bezel; chemically strengthened glass; silicone band; 5 ATM water ratingStainless-steel bezel, fibre-reinforced polymer case and silicone band; 5 ATM water rating.
Size43 x 43 x 11.6 mm; Garmin lists 39 g without a separate body-only weight41 × 41 × 12 mm; 27 g without band or 40 g with the included band.
Bands20 mm quick-release silicone bands; fits 126–203 mm wristsQuick-release 18 mm band; fits wrists 110–175 mm.
ColoursBlack/Slate Grey; Mist Grey/Whitestone; Turquoise/Aqua; Berry/Lilac (currently not sellable on the UK maker page)Pink Dawn case and band.
In the boxForerunner 165 Music; charging/data cable; documentation–

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