Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Forerunner 610

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Forerunner 165 compared with Forerunner 610
GarminForerunner 165GarminForerunner 610
Overview
ReleasedFebruary 2024April 2011
Display
Case sizes43 mm45.7 mm
PanelOLED–
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detail1.2-inch (30.4 mm diameter) colour AMOLED touchscreen, 390 x 390 pixels; optional always-on display; five physical buttonsBacklit 25.4 mm touchscreen, 128 × 128 pixels; up to four data fields per training page. Panel technology is unpublished in the maker's specification.
Screen protectionChemically strengthened glass–
Health and fitness
ECGNoNo
Blood oxygenYesNo
Skin temperatureNoNo
Sleep apnoea alertsNoNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoNo
Crash detectionNoNo
GPSSingle-bandSingle-band
Water resistance50 m–
SensorsGarmin Elevate wrist heart rate; Pulse Ox; barometric altimeter; compass; accelerometer; thermometer; ambient light sensor; GPS, GLONASS and GalileoHigh-sensitivity GPS receiver and ANT+ support for heart-rate straps, foot pods, GSC 10 cycling sensors, weight scales and compatible fitness equipment. No optical wrist sensor.
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 app–
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)Training Effect, Virtual Partner, Virtual Racer, interval and custom workouts, run/walk alerts, Auto Lap, Auto Pause and Auto Scroll; vibration alerts for pace, heart rate, time and distance.
Safety featuresIncident detection during selected activities, assistance and LiveTrack require a paired compatible smartphone and connectivity; live event sharing is Android-onlyNavigate to a stored location or back to the start; no base maps.
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 11 daysUp to 8 hours
In low-power modeUp to 20 daysUp to 28 days
Mobile data optionNoNo
Works withiPhone and AndroidNo phone pairing
Storage4 GB–
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; actual life depends on display settings, enabled features and useRechargeable 200 mAh lithium-ion battery; up to eight hours with GPS, four weeks in power-save mode or one week with forty-five minutes of GPS training each day.
ChargingGarmin proprietary plug charging/data cable; rechargeable built-in batteryMagnetic contact cradle with USB power.
ConnectivityBluetooth and ANT+ ; controls smartphone music without offline playback; no Wi-Fi; 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 GNSSANT+ wireless computer uploads through the included USB ANT stick; Garmin Connect and Garmin Training Center. No direct phone pairing.
Storage4 GB memory/history ; standard model has no offline music playerUp to 1,000 laps and 100 saved locations.
Design
Weight (lightest version)39 g (better)72 g
SoftwareGarminGarmin
Case materialsFibre-reinforced polymer bezel; chemically strengthened glass; silicone band; 5 ATM water ratingIPX7 immersion protection, one metre for thirty minutes; the owner's manual says it is not intended for swimming.
Size43 x 43 x 11.6 mm; Garmin lists 39 g without a separate body-only weight45.7 × 63.5 × 14.2 mm without the strap; 72 g. Width is used as the case size.
Bands20 mm quick-release silicone bands; fits 126–203 mm wristsReplaceable wrist strap; optional fabric strap.
ColoursBlack/Slate Grey; Mist Grey/Whitestone–
In the boxForerunner 165; charging/data cable; documentationWatch, AC adapter, USB charging cradle, USB ANT stick and documentation; heart-rate strap included in some bundles.

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