| Garmin Forerunner 165 | COROS Vertix | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | $249★ | $699 |
| Subscription | ℹ️ Optional — $70/yr | ✓ None |
| Hardware | ||
| Weight | 39g★ | 73g |
| Water resistance | 5ATM | 10ATM★ |
| Battery | 11 days | 140 days★ |
| Always-on display | ❌ | ❌ |
| GPS | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cellular | ❌ | ❌ |
| Platform | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Tier | Sports GPS | Sports GPS |
| Buy timing | ||
| Released | Mar 5, 2024 | Oct 1, 2023 |
| Cycle advice | bad | bad |
| Deals advice | good | good |
| Next model | Garmin Forerunner 170 (Expected March 2026) | COROS Vertix 3 (2026 or 2027) |
The FR165 is the first Garmin entry-level running watch with an AMOLED display — dramatically more readable than the LCD it replaces.
Training load, recovery time, Body Battery, HRV status, VO2 max estimation — the same analytics found on watches costing twice as much.
11 days typical use and roughly 19 hours GPS — enough for most training blocks without mid-week charging.
No other GPS watch currently on the market delivers 140 hours of GPS tracking — enough for most ultra-endurance events and multi-day mountain traverses.
GPS + GLONASS + Galileo + BeiDou + QZSS with dual-frequency reduces error in challenging terrain to near-meter precision.
Military-grade scratch and impact resistance for the harshest environments: extreme altitude, cold, and sustained physical stress.
The right pick depends on what you optimize for.
$459 vs $699 over 3 years · no required subscription.
140 days vs 11 days battery.
5 sensors.
39g · no required subscription.
Beginner and intermediate runners who want real GPS accuracy and Garmin's analytics depth without the price of the 265 or 965. Also ideal as a first serious GPS watch for anyone moving up from a fitness tracker.
Full details →Expedition athletes, mountaineers, and ultra-endurance competitors who do multi-day or multi-week events where charging is impossible. If you need GPS tracking for 140 continuous hours, no other watch comes close.
Full details →