Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Garmin Forerunner 955

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Forerunner 265 compared with Forerunner 955
GarminForerunner 265GarminForerunner 955
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2023June 2022
Display
Case sizes42 mm or 46 mm47 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 mode1.3-inch (33 mm) transflective colour memory-in-pixel touchscreen, 260 x 260 pixels, with five buttons.
Screen protectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3Corning Gorilla Glass DX.
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)Dual-band (L1 and L5)
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, Galileo, multi-frequency GNSS, Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate, Pulse Ox, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and thermometer.
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 adviserPulse Ox, HRV status, sleep score, all-day stress and Body Battery energy monitoring.
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 AheadTraining readiness and status, morning report, race widget, real-time stamina, PacePro, ClimbPro, triathlon profiles and full-colour maps with turn-by-turn route guidance.
Safety featuresIncident detection during select activities; assistance; LiveTrack; spectator messaging; live event sharing (Android only); these features require a paired phoneIncident detection and assistance require a paired smartphone; LiveTrack.
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 15 daysUp to 15 days
Mobile data optionNoNo
Works withiPhone and AndroidiPhone and Android
Storage8 GB32 GB (better)
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 15 days in smartwatch mode, 42 hours in GPS-only mode without music or 20 hours with all-systems multi-band GNSS without music.
ChargingGarmin proprietary plug charger; USB-C charging/data cable includedRechargeable battery with Garmin charging cable; this standard model has no solar charging lens.
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, ANT+ and Wi-Fi; Garmin Pay, Connect IQ, notifications and on-watch music storage for up to 2,000 songs.
Design
Weight (lightest version)39 g (better)52 g
SoftwareGarminGarmin
Case materialsFibre-reinforced polymer bezel; silicone band; 5 ATM water ratingFibre-reinforced polymer bezel and silicone band; 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 weights46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 mm; 52 g.
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 wristsQuickFit-compatible 22 mm band; fits wrists 130–220 mm.
Colours–Black.
In the boxForerunner 265 or 265S, USB-C charging/data cable, documentation–

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