As far as smart wearables are concerned, Garmin’s impressive selection of devices is certainly up there with the top players in the industry, thanks to specialised features and hardware that are tailored for enthusiasts, professionals, and even more moderate users just looking for a competent device to accompany them on runs and activities. With that in mind, Garmin recently announced that its latest Forerunner 165 Series wearables are now available. Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales comments:
“Whether you’re looking to complete your first 5K or set a new PR, the Forerunner 165 Series is here to help you through every step of your running journey. With personalized training plans, advanced running and recovery metrics, and 24/7 wellness monitoring, these user-friendly smartwatches include impressive tools to help you cross the finish line.”
Design and Features
The Garmin Forerunner 165 is available in two different models which consist of a standard version and a music edition, although both look very similar to each other. In terms of looks, the Forerunner 165 features the usual rounded look as seen on most of Garmin’s wearables, with a 1.2-inch AMOLED display flanked by control buttons on the side of the device.
Given that it’s designed to track user fitness and activity, there’s a ton of features built into the 165 such as heartrate monitoring, a pulse ox tracker, and sleep monitoring, to name a few. Of course, there are specialized features which enthusiasts will no doubt find useful – these include personalized daily training tips and workouts, real-time running metrics, a training effect feature, course creation, activity profiles and workouts, and more.
Other Functionality
With the Forerunner 165 Music edition, users can listen to their music by download songs and playlists from Spotify, Deezer or Amazon Music accounts, and even pair wireless headphones to their device for music on the go. There’s also support for Garmin pay which works with select service providers, so users can use their watch to make payments. As for battery life, users will get a decent amount of use with the watch with each charge session – Garmin says that the 165 series will be able to last up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours in GPS mode.
Of course the watches will be compatible with both Android and iOS, so users can check their notifications for emails, texts and other alerts from their phone via their watch. Garmin has also included a built-in safety feature when the watch is paired to the Garmin Connect smartphone app; a message with the user’s name and location (if available) can be sent to pre-selected emergency contacts if an incident is detected while a user is out and about.
Price and Availability
Available now from Garmin’s official website as well as licensed retail partners, the Forerunner 165 has a suggested retail price of $249.99 while the Forerunner 165 Music starts at $299.99.
