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Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Garmin Forerunner 70

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

GarminForerunner 265GarminForerunner 70
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2023May 2026
Display
Case sizes42 mm or 46 mm42.6 mm
PanelOLEDOLED
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detailForerunner 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 mode1.2-inch (30.4 mm diameter) colour AMOLED touchscreen, 390 x 390 pixels; optional always-on display and large-font setting; five physical buttons
Screen protectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3Chemically strengthened glass
Health and fitness
ECGNoNo
Blood oxygenYesYes
Skin temperatureNoNo
Sleep apnoea alertsNoNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoNo
Crash detectionNoNo
GPSDual-band (L1 and L5)Single-band
Water resistance50 m50 m
SensorsGarmin Elevate wrist heart rate monitor; Pulse Ox blood oxygen monitor; barometric altimeter; compass; gyroscope; accelerometer; thermometer; ambient light sensorGarmin Elevate wrist heart rate; Pulse Ox; accelerometer; ambient light sensor; no built-in barometric altimeter or body-temperature sensor
Health featuresHigh 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 adviserContinuous heart rate with high/low alerts; HRV status; Body Battery; stress and respiration; advanced sleep, sleep coach, breathing variations and nap detection; smart wake alarm; Health Snapshot; lifestyle logging; Health Status; women's health tracking via Garmin Connect; no ECG app
Fitness featuresTraining 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 AheadMore than 80 sports apps; training readiness, status, load, load focus and recovery time; Garmin running, cycling and strength coaching; daily suggested running workouts including run/walk; quick workouts; wrist-based running dynamics and running power; PacePro; VO2 max and race predictions; breadcrumb course navigation, back-to-start and TracBack; pool swimming; no open-water swim or triathlon mode; no full offline maps
Safety featuresIncident detection during select activities; assistance; LiveTrack; spectator messaging; live event sharing (Android only); these features require a paired phoneIncident detection during selected activities, assistance and LiveTrack require a paired compatible smartphone; live event sharing is Android-only; screen flashlight, not a separate LED torch
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 15 daysUp to 13 days
In low-power mode–Up to 28 days
Mobile data optionNoNo
Works withiPhone and AndroidiPhone and Android
Storage8 GB–
Battery life detailForerunner 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 respectivelySmartwatch up to 13 days, or 5 days with display always on; battery saver smartwatch up to 28 days; GPS-only GNSS up to 23 hours; all-systems GNSS up to 16 hours; actual life depends on enabled features and usage
ChargingGarmin proprietary plug charger; USB-C charging/data cable includedGarmin proprietary plug charging/data cable; rechargeable built-in lithium-ion battery; USB charging temperature 0–45 °C
ConnectivityBluetooth, 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 ShareBluetooth and ANT+; GPS, GLONASS and Galileo; no multi-band GNSS; Android-only text responses and notification images; Connect IQ apps/watch faces/data fields; Garmin Share; controls smartphone music without offline playback; no Garmin Pay, speaker/microphone calls or cellular connection
Storage–512 MB memory/history; not storage for offline music playback
Design
Weight (lightest version)39 g40 g
SoftwareGarminGarmin
Case materialsFibre-reinforced polymer bezel; silicone band; 5 ATM water ratingFibre-reinforced polymer bezel; silicone band; chemically strengthened glass; 5 ATM water rating; operating/storage temperature –20–60 °C
SizeForerunner 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 weights42.6 x 42.6 x 11.9 mm; Garmin lists 40 g without a separate body-only weight
BandsQuick-release 18 mm bands for the 265S, fitting 115–178 mm wrists; quick-release 22 mm bands for the 265, fitting 135–205 mm wristsStandard 20 mm quick-release silicone band; fits 126–203 mm wrists
Colours–UK Black, Whitestone, Citron and Cool Lavender; global range additionally offers Tidal Blue and Soft Pink
In the boxForerunner 265 or 265S, USB-C charging/data cable, documentationForerunner 70; charging cable; documentation

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