Wear Radar

Garmin Forerunner 165vsGoogle Pixel Watch

11d vs 1.25d
battery life
Garmin Forerunner 165 lasts longer
$150
price gap
Garmin Forerunner 165 cheaper
5
more health sensors
Google Pixel Watch
Garmin Forerunner 165
Buy/Wait:superseded

This model is no longer sold new. It has been replaced by the Garmin Forerunner 170.

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Google Pixel Watch
Buy/Wait:good

Early in release cycle

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Garmin Forerunner 165Google Pixel Watch
Pricing
Starting price$249★$399
Subscriptionℹ️ Optional — $70/yrℹ️ Optional — $99/yr
Hardware
Weight39g31g★
Water resistance5ATM50m
Battery11 days★1.25 days
Always-on display❌✅★
GPS✅✅
Cellular❌✅★
PlatformiOS & AndroidAndroid only
TierSports GPSSmartwatch
Buy timing
ReleasedMar 5, 2024Aug 20, 2026
Cycle advicesupersededgood
Deals adviceclearancegood
Next model——

Health Sensors

Garmin Forerunner 165 only
2 exclusive sensors
Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals
Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank
Both
3 shared
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
Google Pixel Watch only
7 exclusive sensors
Irregular RhythmBackground optical check for irregular heart rhythms
Fall DetectionAuto-calls emergency services after a hard fall
EDA / StressSkin conductance sensor measuring stress responses
ECGDetects irregular heart rhythms (AFib)
Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking
Loss of PulseDetects when pulse stops and alerts emergency services
Blood PressureDetects hypertension patterns — trend tracking, not clinical mmHg

Why buy each?

Garmin Forerunner 165

AMOLED display at entry-level price

The FR165 is the first Garmin entry-level running watch with an AMOLED display — dramatically more readable than the LCD it replaces.

Full Garmin running analytics

Training load, recovery time, Body Battery, HRV status, VO2 max estimation — the same analytics found on watches costing twice as much.

11 days of battery

11 days typical use and roughly 19 hours GPS — enough for most training blocks without mid-week charging.

Google Pixel Watch

Loss of Pulse Detection

Pixel Watch 5 can detect when your heart stops and automatically call emergency services — a safety feature not found on Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch.

Google Health Premium trial included

Three months of Google Health Premium comes with the watch, alongside a Readiness Score, HRV analysis, and blood pressure pattern tracking.

Pure Wear OS experience

Google's cleanest Wear OS implementation with fast updates, Gemini on the wrist, Google Maps, and Google Wallet built in.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
Garmin Forerunner 165 wins

$459 vs $696 over 3 years.

For battery life
Garmin Forerunner 165 wins

11 days vs 1.25 days battery.

For health depth
Google Pixel Watch wins

10 sensors.

For daily comfort
Google Pixel Watch wins

31g.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Forerunner 165-only sensors: Stress Tracking, Body Battery.
  2. Pixel Watch-only sensors: Irregular Rhythm, Fall Detection, EDA / Stress, ECG, Skin Temp, Loss of Pulse, Blood Pressure.
  3. Weight. Pixel Watch is 8g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Forerunner 165 is $150 cheaper upfront ($249 vs $399).
Pick the Garmin Forerunner 165 if…

Beginner and intermediate runners who want real GPS accuracy and Garmin's analytics depth without the price of the 570 or 970. Also ideal as a first serious GPS watch for anyone moving up from a fitness tracker.

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Pick the Google Pixel Watch if…

Pixel phone owners and Android users who want clean Wear OS integration, Google Health (formerly Fitbit) tracking, and safety-focused features. Ideal for fitness-focused users who prefer Google's approach over Samsung's more feature-packed ecosystem.

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