First-generation product — no release history to base predictions on
Best for: Mountain runners, alpinists, and expedition athletes who need the longest possible battery life with full navigation maps. Suunto loyalists who want the brand's precision and offline maps for serious alpine or wilderness adventures.
Full details →Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Competitive runners, triathletes, and ultramarathon runners who want the complete Garmin running analytics suite: full maps, running dynamics, training load, race predictor, and race day guidance — in the lightest, most running-optimised Garmin form factor.
Full details →| Suunto Vertical | Garmin Forerunner 965 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Sports GPS | Sports GPS |
| Platform | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Battery | 60 days | 23 days |
| Always-on display | ❌ | ❌ |
| GPS | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cellular | ❌ | ❌ |
| Health sensors | hr, spo2, hrv, training load | hr, spo2, hrv, stress, body battery, training readiness, running dynamics |
| Released | May 15, 2023 | Mar 1, 2023 |
| Cycle length | null days | 1024 days |
| Cycle advice | neutral | bad |
| Deals advice | neutral | good |
| Next model | — | — |
60 continuous GPS hours with full offline topographic maps — enough for a 2.5-day mountain traverse without charging or phone dependency.
Downloadable topographic maps for 100+ countries for turn-by-turn navigation in any terrain, no cellular signal required.
The Titanium Solar edition extends battery to 85+ days with sunlight exposure — critical for extended wilderness expeditions.
Turn-by-turn navigation on full TopoActive maps — the key differentiator from the FR265. Essential for trail running and mountain racing.
Cadence, stride length, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and running power — the full biomechanics suite for optimising form and efficiency.
More than double the FR265 battery life. Enough for week-long trail ultras without a charge.