Wear Radar

Garmin Forerunner 265vsAmazfit Band 7

18d vs 13d
battery life
Amazfit Band 7 lasts longer
$399
price gap
Amazfit Band 7 cheaper
19g
lighter
Amazfit Band 7
2
more health sensors
Garmin Forerunner 265
Garmin Forerunner 265
Buy/Wait:superseded

This model is no longer sold new. It has been replaced by the Garmin Forerunner 570.

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Amazfit Band 7
Buy/Wait:bad

Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest

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Garmin Forerunner 265Amazfit Band 7
Pricing
Starting price$449$50
Subscriptionℹ️ Optional — $70/yr✓ None
Hardware
Weight47g28g
Water resistance5ATM5ATM
Battery13 days18 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
PlatformiOS & AndroidiOS & Android
TierSports GPSFitness Tracker
Buy timing
ReleasedMar 1, 2023Sep 22, 2022
Cycle advicesupersededbad
Deals adviceclearancegood
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Health Sensors

Garmin Forerunner 265 only
3 exclusive sensors
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank
Training ReadinessDaily recovery score — how ready you are to perform
Both
3 shared
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals
Amazfit Band 7 only
1 exclusive sensor
Sleep TrackingMonitors sleep stages: light, deep, and REM

Why buy each?

Garmin Forerunner 265

Multi-band GPS accuracy

L1+L5 multi-band GPS reduces position drift in urban canyons and dense forest.

Training readiness score

Daily score combining HRV status, sleep, acute load, and recovery time.

Race time predictor

Estimates finish time for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon based on current fitness.

Amazfit Band 7

18-day battery at under $50

18 days of typical use with health monitoring — nearly 3 weeks without charging, far beyond any smartwatch competitor.

Alexa built-in

Ask Alexa for weather, timers, reminders, and smart home controls directly from your wrist — unusual for a sub-$50 fitness band.

PAI health scoring

Amazfit's Personal Activity Intelligence score aggregates your daily activity into a single 0–100 health index, guiding you toward optimal activity levels.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
Amazfit Band 7 wins

$50 vs $659 over 3 years · no required subscription.

For battery life
Amazfit Band 7 wins

18 days vs 13 days battery.

For health depth
Garmin Forerunner 265 wins

6 sensors.

For daily comfort
Amazfit Band 7 wins

28g · no required subscription.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Forerunner 265-only sensors: HRV, Body Battery, Training Readiness.
  2. Band 7-only sensors: Sleep Tracking.
  3. Weight. Band 7 is 19g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Band 7 is $399 cheaper upfront ($50 vs $449).
Pick the Garmin Forerunner 265 if…

Regular runners who race 5K to marathon distances and want accurate GPS and detailed training load management.

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Pick the Amazfit Band 7 if…

Budget-conscious users who want more features than a basic step counter — SpO2, stress, sleep analysis, and workout tracking — without paying for a full smartwatch. Works with both iPhone and Android.

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