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Garmin Forerunner 235 vs Garmin Forerunner 265

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

GarminForerunner 235GarminForerunner 265
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2015March 2023
Display
Case sizes45 mm42 mm or 46 mm
PanelMemory-in-pixelOLED
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detail1.23-inch (31.1 mm) sunlight-readable colour display, 215 x 180 pixels, with button controls.Forerunner 265S has a 1.1″ (28.1 mm) AMOLED touchscreen, 360 x 360 pixels; Forerunner 265 has a 1.3″ (32.5 mm) AMOLED touchscreen, 416 x 416 pixels; five buttons; optional always-on mode
Screen protection–Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Health and fitness
ECGNoNo
Blood oxygenNoYes
Skin temperatureNoNo
Sleep apnoea alertsNoNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoNo
Crash detectionNoNo
GPSSingle-bandDual-band (L1 and L5)
Water resistance50 m50 m
SensorsGPS, GLONASS, Garmin Elevate optical wrist heart rate and accelerometer.Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate monitor; Pulse Ox blood oxygen monitor; barometric altimeter; compass; gyroscope; accelerometer; thermometer; ambient light sensor
Health featuresAll-day wrist heart rate, steps, calories and sleep tracking.High and low heart rate alerts; HRV status; Body Battery; all-day stress; sleep score, sleep coach and nap detection; breathing variations; respiration rate; Health Snapshot; menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking; jet lag adviser
Fitness featuresRunning and cycling tracking, VO2 max estimate, race predictor, recovery advisor, indoor distance from the accelerometer and optional foot-pod and cycling speed/cadence sensors.Training readiness and training status; training load, load ratio and load focus; training effect, VO2 max and recovery time; wrist-based running power and dynamics; PacePro; race predictor; Garmin Coach running, cycling and strength plans; daily suggested running and cycling workouts; triathlon and open-water swimming; course navigation with a breadcrumb trail, TracBack and Up Ahead
Safety features–Incident detection during select activities; assistance; LiveTrack; spectator messaging; live event sharing (Android only); these features require a paired phone
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 9 daysUp to 15 days
Mobile data optionNoNo
Works withiPhone and AndroidiPhone and Android
Storage–8 GB
Battery life detailUp to nine days as a watch with activity tracking, notifications and heart rate; up to 11 hours in training mode.Forerunner 265S up to 15 days in smartwatch mode, 24 hours GPS only, 18 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect), 15 hours All-Systems + Multi-Band; with music up to 7.5, seven and six hours respectively. Forerunner 265 up to 13 days in smartwatch mode, 20 hours GPS only, 16 hours SatIQ, 14 hours All-Systems + Multi-Band; with music up to seven, 6.5 and six hours respectively
ChargingRechargeable lithium-ion battery.Garmin proprietary plug charger; USB-C charging/data cable included
ConnectivityBluetooth and ANT+; smart notifications, Connect IQ, phone music controls and Garmin Connect Mobile sync. No on-watch music storage.Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi; multi-band GPS with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou and SatIQ; Garmin Pay; offline music from Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music (premium subscription required); Connect IQ; notifications and Android text responses; Garmin Share
Design
Weight (lightest version)42 g39 g
SoftwareGarminGarmin
Case materials5 ATM water rating.Fibre-reinforced polymer bezel; silicone band; 5 ATM water rating
Size45 x 45 x 11.7 mm; 42 g.Forerunner 265S is 41.7 x 41.7 x 12.9 mm and 39 g; Forerunner 265 is 46.1 x 46.1 x 12.9 mm and 47 g; Garmin does not publish case-only weights
Bands–Quick-release 18 mm bands for the 265S, fitting 115–178 mm wrists; quick-release 22 mm bands for the 265, fitting 135–205 mm wrists
In the box–Forerunner 265 or 265S, USB-C charging/data cable, documentation
ColoursBlack and red.–

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