Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Anyone who wants basic health tracking — steps, sleep, heart rate, SpO2 — without spending more than $40 or carrying a bulky watch. Works with both iPhone and Android. A popular choice for kids, older adults, and budget-conscious fitness beginners.
Full details →Late in cycle — a new model is likely coming
Best for: 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.
Full details →| Xiaomi Smart Band 9 | Garmin Forerunner 165 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Fitness Tracker | Sports GPS |
| Platform | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Battery | 14 days | 11 days |
| Always-on display | ✅ | ❌ |
| GPS | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cellular | ❌ | ❌ |
| Health sensors | hr, spo2, stress, sleep | hr, spo2, hrv, stress, body battery |
| Released | Jul 22, 2024 | Mar 5, 2024 |
| Cycle length | 365 days | 1006 days |
| Cycle advice | bad | bad |
| Deals advice | good | good |
| Next model | — | — |
Most fitness trackers at this price use basic LCD displays. The Smart Band 9 brings a vivid AMOLED always-on screen — rare at this price point.
Continuous heart rate, SpO2, stress, and sleep tracking — all running for 2 weeks before charging. Most smartwatches last 1–2 days.
Full functionality on both platforms via the Mi Fitness app, including notifications, sleep analysis, and health trends.
The FR165 is the first Garmin entry-level running watch with an AMOLED display — dramatically more readable than the LCD it replaces.
Training load, recovery time, Body Battery, HRV status, VO2 max estimation — the same analytics found on watches costing twice as much.
11 days typical use and roughly 19 hours GPS — enough for most training blocks without mid-week charging.