Garmin Forerunner 165

The Garmin Forerunner 165 features a 1.2″ AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 390 x 390 px and a pixel density of 459 ppi, with an always-on display mode enabled. The watch body measures 43 x 43 x 11.6 mm and weighs just 39 g, with a 20 mm replaceable band. It carries a 5 ATM water resistance rating with a depth rating of 50 m, making it suitable for swimming. The display does not use sapphire or branded damage-resistant glass.

The watch includes a solid range of onboard sensors: GPS, heart rate monitor, pulse oximeter, barometer, accelerometer, compass, and a body temperature sensor cover the core health and navigation tracking needs. A gyroscope, cadence sensor, wind speed sensor, and perspiration monitor are not present on this model.

The Forerunner 165 covers a broad range of activity tracking capabilities, including distance, pace, steps, elevation, route tracking, and trackback mode for retracing a path. It detects activities automatically, supports exercise tagging, tracks calorie intake, and includes a swim stroke counter for pool sessions. Sleep tracking is also on board with full sleep reports provided. Multi-sport mode is not available, and the watch is not designed for diving or golf.

The watch is compatible with both iOS and Android devices and supports ANT+ for connecting to external sensors and accessories, as well as NFC for contactless functionality. Wi-Fi and a cellular module are not included, so the watch relies on a paired smartphone for data syncing and connectivity beyond its onboard features.

The rechargeable battery delivers up to 11 days of standard use, 19 hours with GPS active, 17 hours in training mode, and stretches to 480 hours in power save mode. Charging takes just 1 hour, though wireless charging and solar power are not supported, and the battery is not removable.

Health monitoring features include HRV tracking, VO2 max measurement, resting heart rate tracking, and fast/slow heart rate notifications, though irregular heart rate warnings and readiness/recovery level are not available. On the navigation side, the watch supports Galileo alongside fast GPS lock, and provides sunrise/sunset times, while map uploading is not supported. Practical everyday features cover wrist notifications, vibrating alerts, a silent alarm, stopwatch, phone finder, and 4 GB of internal storage. Call control, voice commands, smart alarm, fall detection, thunderstorm alerts, and a camera remote are all absent, and the watch carries a one-year warranty.

The companion app is free and ad-free, though an account is required to use it. It covers a wide range of tracking and wellness features including activity reports, calorie burn, weight, BMI, water intake, temperature, and an exercise diary with goal setting and achievements. Live tracking, coaching, voice feedback, and music playback are all supported, alongside routes, maps, calendar sync, widgets, and app personalisation. Women's health features include period notifications, fertile window notifications, ovulation prediction, and start date prediction. Video tutorials are available within the app, while a barcode scanner is not included.

The watch includes a battery level indicator and supports auto pause during activities. It is compatible with external heart rate monitors and smart scales, and the companion software is available on Windows, Mac OS X, and PC. There is no external memory slot and no 3.5mm headset jack on the device.