The greatest working watch in the marketplace at present, the Forerunner 265 lastly broke by Garmin’s love of dim, no-touchscreen MIP watches. You cannot do all that a lot with the AMOLED in comparison with most smartwatches, nevertheless it’s infinitely extra readable and trendy than previous fashions, and it has unbelievable coaching instruments to hit your PRs.
ForVibrant, pixel-rich AMOLEDBoth contact and button controlsTraining ReadinessExtra music storage spaceAgainstShorter battery lifeMore costlyNot sufficient upside over 255
The former greatest working watch earlier than the 265 supplanted it, the Forerunner 255 is a marathoner of a watch that takes full benefit of its low-brightness show to final 10 hours longer in GPS mode. All it takes is another function replace, and the 255 will totally catch as much as the 265 when it comes to software program.
ForExtra affordableNearly all the identical sensors, software program tricksJust as correct GPS trackingLonger battery lifeAgainstMIP non-touch showNo Training Readiness (for now)Must pay additional for music, wi-fi
Garmin launched the Forerunner 265 and 255 inside 9 months of one another, and it exhibits. They share at the very least 90% of their core software program they usually have very comparable designs. You might simply name the 265 the “255X,” provided that Garmin tends to launch watches just like the Instinct 2X or Fenix 7X Pro which can be largely unchanged however with a few key upgrades.Depending on whether or not or not you care about music storage, you are paying both $50 or $100 extra for the Forerunner 265 over the 255. That’s not a foul trade-off for an AMOLED show that’ll spare your eyes a ton of pressure. But Garmin watches just like the 255 are already on the expensive facet; for those who spot one at a reduction, it’s possible you’ll be tempted to forego the improve. As the one who reviewed the Garmin Forerunner 265 and Garmin Forerunner 255, I really feel well-qualified to guage and pit them towards each other. Let’s nitpick the variations between them and resolve which one you should purchase — or whether or not 255 house owners ought to improve.Garmin Forerunner 265 vs. 255: Design and displayWhy you’ll be able to belief Android Central
Our knowledgeable reviewers spend hours testing and evaluating services so you’ll be able to select the perfect for you. Find out extra about how we take a look at.Garmin Forerunner 265 (left) and 255 (proper) (Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)Both Garmin Forerunner fashions have a bezel and case made from fiber-reinforced polymer. With the more expensive, AMOLED-using Forerunner 265, it’s possible you’ll really feel annoyed by the shortage of aluminum or titanium casing, given different health smartwatches on this worth vary sometimes provide one or the opposite. Similarly, each Forerunners use Gorilla Glass 3 safety for the show, which is enough for a memory-in-pixel (MIP) show however feels underwhelming for an AMOLED. The principal situation is that you just want Gorilla Glass DX for a greater anti-reflective coating, one thing you solely get with the $600 Forerunner 965. Still, I famous in my evaluate that the AMOLED offers a “major visual improvement for day-to-day use” and that “it’s difficult to think about going back to an MIP-era Forerunner” now. First, there’s the comfort of having the ability to swipe as an alternative of compressing squishy facet buttons repeatedly to scroll up and down by menus and widgets. Buttons are nice throughout exercises, however the 265 is extra handy after exercises when you do not have to fret about sweat.(Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)On that observe, the Forerunner 265’s principal choice button (or RUN button) is wider and has a “more satisfying click” than the 255, which typically requires urgent a bit tougher to get the identical consequence.Otherwise, the MIP show on the 255 is completely seen outside however is “fairly dim indoors in low light” even for those who crank up the backlight. Fewer pixels per inch implies that you get extra blurred edges to small textual content, so it’s important to convey the watch nearer to your face when the 265 could be completely readable at a standard face-to-wrist distance.I made do with a MIP Forerunner for years as a result of it was the one choice, however I did not see a lot practical have to put on or use it exterior of runs. The Forerunner 265 is restricted by the Garmin OS software program, nevertheless it’s nonetheless way more nice for checking notifications and incoming calls.Swipe to scroll horizontallySpecsForerunner 265Forerunner 265SForerunner 255Forerunner 255SSize46.1 x 46.1 x 12.9mm41.7 x 41.7 x 12.9mm45.6 x 45.6 x 12.9mm41 x 41 x 12.4mmWeight47g39g49g39gBand dimension22mm18mm22mm18mmDisplay1.3-inch (416 x 416) AMOLED touch1.1-inch (360 x 360) AMOLED touch1.3-inch (260 x 260) MIP non-touch1.1-inch (218 x 218) MIP non-touchColorsWhitestone, Black, AquaWhitestone, Black, Light PinkTidal Blue, Slate Gray, Whitestone & Black (Music solely)Light Pink, Powder Gray, Whitestone & Black (Music solely)You should purchase both the Forerunner 265 or 255 with a 1.3-inch or 1.1-inch show. The Forerunner 265S weighs the identical because the 255S, however is 0.5mm thicker; the Forerunner 265 and 255 have the identical thickness, however the newer mannequin weighs 2g much less. Overall, these watches feel and look fairly comparable, whereas the Forerunner 255 vs. 245 had a extra distinct distinction.Band sizes additionally stay unchanged, though Garmin bought extra artistic with the Forerunner 265’s band model. Where the 255 bands used a uniform coloration matching the case, the 265 has some neat dual-tone colours that poke by the lug holes for a extra eye-catching look. Garmin Forerunner 265 vs. 255: Hardware(Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)Look inside these two watches, and you are going to discover nearly no variations between them. Let’s run by the similarities first:Sensors: Both the Forerunner 265 and 255 have an Elevate v4 coronary heart fee monitor, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer, and blood oxygen monitor. In every case, my optical coronary heart fee outcomes have been “highly accurate,” and also you get the good thing about coronary heart fee variance (HRV) knowledge for higher sleep scores and stress knowledge.Tracking: Garmin’s new all-systems GNSS monitoring enables you to observe your progress utilizing a number of satellite tv for pc programs concurrently, like each GPS and GLONASS or GALILEO. And its multi-band GPS checks your positioning with each L1 and L5 satellites. I used to be “extremely impressed with the accuracy” of this tech on the 255, and that remained completely unchanged on the 265. Protection: 5ATM water resistance means you should utilize both the Forerunner 255 or 265 on your triathlon coaching. You do not get the 10ATM resistance and military-grade ruggedness of the Instinct 2X Solar, however a Forerunner is way more compact.(Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)As for Garmin Forerunner 265 vs. 255 {hardware} variations, it relies on whether or not or not you purchase the 255 Music or the usual version. The 265 options music storage by default, whereas it’s important to pay additional to obtain it on the 255. Plus, the 265 has double the cupboard space for music (8GB vs. 4GB), which you should utilize on your private MP3s or playlists from Amazon Music, Spotify, or Deezer. Both watches have Bluetooth to hook up with your cellphone or ANT+ to sync with health equipment, however solely the 265 and 255 Music have Wi-Fi connectivity to instantly obtain updates or add your working knowledge at residence. Bluetooth-only on the usual 255 can actually sluggish issues down.As a facet observe, neither watch has a built-in mic or speaker for answering cellphone calls or talking to a voice assistant; you will have to pay for the Garmin Venu 2 Plus — which has the identical AMOLED show because the Forerunner 265 — to get these.The solely different {hardware} distinction I might discover is that the Forerunner 265 has an ambient mild sensor, helpful for making the AMOLED show brightness regulate to your room so it does not blast your eyes at night time.Garmin Forerunner 265 vs. 255: Software(Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)On precept, I refuse to checklist out the handfuls of sports activities modes and working teaching options out there on the Forerunner 265 and 255 as a result of they’re almost precisely the identical. You can try my respective critiques for a deeper dive into why I like Garmin’s coaching, monitoring, and restoration suites on each watches.At launch, the Forerunner 265 had two vital software program benefits over the 255: Training Readiness and Wrist-Based Running Dynamics. And on June 9, Garmin added the latter to the Forerunner 255 in an OTA replace. So let’s concentrate on the previous function.Training Readiness is a greater model of Garmin’s common Body Battery metric, which judges your vitality degree and sleep restoration. Readiness additionally elements in your coaching load and present restoration time out of your final exercise, recognizing that your inner battery could be stuffed with juice however that your muscle tissue cannot deal with any exercise.Training Readiness was a Forerunner 955 unique in 2022, however now it is come to the Instinct 2X Solar, a watch with very restricted reminiscence and sluggish efficiency even in comparison with the 255. I think the Forerunner 255 is completely able to internet hosting coaching readiness, because it already tracks the identical knowledge like HRV and acute load to calculate it. So if that is your principal cause to think about the Forerunner 265 over the 255, I’d counsel remaining affected person for now. Garmin Forerunner 265 vs. 255: Battery lifeSwipe to scroll horizontallyBattery lifeForerunner 265Forerunner 265SForerunner 255Forerunner 255SSmartwatch mode13 days15 days14 days12 daysGPS solely20 hours24 hours30 hours26 hoursAuto-select GNSS (SatIQ)16 hours18 hours25 hours20 hoursAll-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band14 hours15 hours16 hours13 hoursGPS with music7 hours7 hours7 hours6 hoursAll-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band with music6 hours6 hours6 hours5 hoursThe Garmin Forerunner 255 is a battery life champion due to its MIP show. It’s the principle cause Garmin has caught with the tech for years whereas most smartwatches with vivid AMOLEDs solely final a day per cost. So do not be shocked that the Forerunner 265 takes a step backward in alternate for higher visible high quality.You can see the uncooked numbers from Garmin above. Admittedly, I’ve discovered that each watches burn by their battery barely sooner than Garmin suggests, however they’re nonetheless higher than nearly every other working watch I’ve examined.The principal standards for choosing the right Forerunner watch are (A) would you like a bigger or smaller mannequin or (B) do you propose to run with a particular monitoring mode or music streaming?The Forerunner 255S evidently has a smaller battery, which comes throughout in its poor numbers in comparison with the bigger 255. No doubt the thinner design is partly accountable. But the Forerunner 265S is extra environment friendly than the 265 as a result of its smaller AMOLED requires much less vitality to run, and since it is the identical thickness so it might match a bigger battery. As to the second level, the Forerunner 255 clearly wins for those who follow GPS-only monitoring or simply use it for passive well being monitoring. But if you dip right down to ultra-accurate multi-band monitoring, the hole narrows from 10 to 2 hours. Factor in music streaming or all-day SpO2 monitoring, and there is a negligible distinction between them. Despite the plain victor, the Forerunner 265 stays a wonderful selection for lengthy battery life. And whichever you select, you are getting top-of-the-line smartwatches that measure blood oxygen saturation as a result of each can eat the key battery hit that comes with all-day monitoring. Garmin Forerunner 265 vs. 255: Which do you have to purchase?(Image credit score: Michael Hicks / Android Central)If you already purchased the Forerunner 255, the Forerunner 265 offers you a pleasing show improve that you’re going to admire…in addition to a battery downgrade you will should get used to. Training Readiness is an particularly useful gizmo, however I do consider Garmin will add the function to the older watch quickly. Ultimately, I’d say it is exhausting to justify an improve until you could find an excellent trade-in deal.For those that have an older Forerunner watch, a unique Garmin watch, or one other model totally, I’d say that the Forerunner 265 is my suggestion to purchase just because the AMOLED show and contact controls make a major distinction for day-to-day use. It’s the perfect Garmin watch if you cannot afford to pay double the worth for a fancier Fenix.Aside from that, the Forerunner 265 has so few variations in comparison with the final technology that for those who spot the Forerunner 255 on sale, you might comfortably abdomen the show downgrade and nonetheless get the identical total expertise.
Choose the Garmin Forerunner 265 in order for you an all-day watch with a unbelievable touchscreen show you’ll be able to learn wherever, in addition to Garmin’s new Training Readiness metric. Skip it for those who’re on a finances and prioritize battery life over model.
Choose the Garmin Forerunner 255 for the absolute best battery life and nearly each software because the 265 for a a lot lower cost — or the 255 Music for a compromise between the 2. Skip it if you cannot stand MIP shows or button-only navigation.