Wear Radar

OnePlus WatchvsGarmin Forerunner 165

11d vs 5d
battery life
Garmin Forerunner 165 lasts longer
$80
price gap
Garmin Forerunner 165 cheaper
11g
lighter
Garmin Forerunner 165
2
more health sensors
OnePlus Watch
OnePlus Watch
Buy/Wait:neutral

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

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Garmin Forerunner 165
Buy/Wait:bad

Late in cycle — a new model is likely coming

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OnePlus WatchGarmin Forerunner 165
Pricing
Starting price$329$249
Subscription✓ Noneℹ️ Optional — $70/yr
Hardware
Weight50g39g
Water resistance5ATM5ATM
Battery5 days11 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
PlatformAndroid onlyiOS & Android
TierSmartwatchSports GPS
Buy timing
ReleasedApr 10, 2025Mar 5, 2024
Cycle adviceneutralbad
Deals adviceneutralgood
Next modelGarmin Forerunner 170 (Expected March 2026)

Health Sensors

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
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
Garmin Forerunner 165 only
1 exclusive sensor
Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank

Why buy each?

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.

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.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
OnePlus Watch wins

$329 vs $459 over 3 years · no required subscription.

For battery life
Garmin Forerunner 165 wins

11 days vs 5 days battery.

For health depth
OnePlus Watch wins

7 sensors.

For daily comfort
Garmin Forerunner 165 wins

39g · no required subscription.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Watch-only sensors: ECG, Skin Temp, Fall Detection.
  2. Forerunner 165-only sensors: Body Battery.
  3. Weight. Forerunner 165 is 11g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Forerunner 165 is $80 cheaper upfront ($249 vs $329).
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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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 265 or 965. Also ideal as a first serious GPS watch for anyone moving up from a fitness tracker.

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