Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Garmin Forerunner 735XT

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Forerunner 265 compared with Forerunner 735XT
GarminForerunner 265GarminForerunner 735XT
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2023May 2016
Display
Case sizes42 mm or 46 mm44.5 mm
PanelOLEDMemory-in-pixel
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 mode1.23-inch (31.1 mm) sunlight-readable semi-round colour MIP display, 215 x 180 pixels, with button controls.
Screen protectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3–
Health and fitness
ECGNoNo
Blood oxygenYesNo
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 sensorGPS, GLONASS, Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate and accelerometer.
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 adviserAll-day heart rate, steps, calories and sleep tracking.
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 AheadRunning, cycling, pool and open-water swimming, triathlon, hiking and skiing profiles; auto multisport switching, VO2 max estimate, race predictor and recovery advisor. Detailed running dynamics need an HRM-Run or HRM-Tri strap; underwater heart rate needs an HRM-Swim or HRM-Tri strap.
Safety featuresIncident 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 15 daysUp to 11 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 respectivelyUp to 11 days in watch mode with activity, notifications and optical heart rate; 14 hours in GPS activity mode with optical heart rate, or 24 hours in UltraTrac without it.
ChargingGarmin proprietary plug charger; USB-C charging/data cable includedRechargeable lithium-ion battery with charging/data clip.
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+; smart notifications, Garmin Connect, Connect IQ, LiveTrack through a paired phone and phone music controls.
Storage–Stores 80 hours of activity history.
Design
Weight (lightest version)39 g (better)40.2 g
SoftwareGarminGarmin
Case materialsFibre-reinforced polymer bezel; silicone band; 5 ATM water ratingSilicone band and 5 ATM water rating.
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 weights44.5 x 44.5 x 11.9 mm; 40.2 g.
Colours–Black case and band.
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 wrists–
In the boxForerunner 265 or 265S, USB-C charging/data cable, documentation–

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