Garmin Forerunner 265vsOnePlus Watch

13d vs 5d

battery life

Garmin Forerunner 265 lasts longer

$120

price gap

OnePlus Watch cheaper

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Buy/Wait:superseded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 It has been replaced by the Garmin Forerunner 570.

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OnePlus Watch

Buy/Wait:neutral

First-generation product — no release history to base predictions on

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	Garmin Forerunner 265	OnePlus Watch
Pricing
Starting price	$449	$329★
Subscription	ℹ️ Optional — $70/yr	✓ None
Hardware
Weight	47g★	50g
Water resistance	5ATM	5ATM
Battery	13 days★	5 days
Always-on display	❌	✅★
GPS	✅	✅
Cellular	❌	❌
Platform	iOS & Android	Android only
Tier	Sports GPS	Smartwatch
Buy timing
Released	Mar 1, 2023	Apr 10, 2025
Cycle advice	superseded	neutral
Deals advice	clearance	neutral
Next model	—	—

Health Sensors

Garmin Forerunner 265 only

2 exclusive sensors

Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank

Training ReadinessDaily recovery score — how ready you are to perform

Both

4 shared

Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking

SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep

HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores

Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals

OnePlus Watch only

3 exclusive sensors

ECGDetects irregular heart rhythms (AFib)

Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking

Fall DetectionAuto-calls emergency services after a hard fall

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.

OnePlus Watch

5-day Wear OS battery — finally

The dual-engine Snapdragon W5 + BES2800 co-processor architecture delivers up to 5 days in Smart Mode — 2–3× longer than most Wear OS rivals. A 10-minute charge provides a full day of use.

Dual-frequency GPS on a $329 watch

L1 + L5 dual-band GPS gives running and cycling route accuracy typically found only on $500+ sports watches — accurate to within metres even in urban canyons.

Full Wear OS 5 with Google ecosystem

Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation, Google Wallet contactless payment, and Play Store app access — plus Google Health Connect integration for the full Android wearables ecosystem.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps

Forerunner 265-only sensors: Body Battery, Training Readiness.
Watch-only sensors: ECG, Skin Temp, Fall Detection.

Commercial gaps

Hardware cost. Watch is $120 cheaper upfront ($329 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 OnePlus Watch if…

Android users who want full Wear OS 5 — Google Maps, Google Wallet, Play Store — with longer-than-average battery life without paying premium Galaxy Watch or Pixel Watch prices. Not for iPhone users: OnePlus Watch 3 does not support iOS.

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