Sep 03, 2025

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs 965: What's Actually New?

This Garmin Forerunner 970 review reveals a premium running watch that comes with a premium price tag - a steep increase over its predecessor.

Despite this hefty price bump, the new Garmin Forerunner offers some noteworthy refinements rather than revolutionary changes. The 47mm case houses a brilliant 1.4-inch AMOLED display that's noticeably brighter than before. However, battery life takes a hit compared to the 965, dropping from 23 days to 15 days in smartwatch mode. You'll still get about six days with general usage and the always-on display activated.

What makes this garmin watch review particularly interesting is how the 970 continues the tradition of borrowing premium features from Garmin's Fenix series. Certainly, this has resulted in what many consider the most full-featured triathlon and ultra-endurance watch Garmin has ever produced. But at this price point, is the upgrade truly justified for your specific needs?

Throughout this comparison, we'll examine whether the scratch-resistant display, comprehensive mapping, advanced physiological metrics and unique features like the built-in flashlight make the 970 worth your investment.

If you have a Forerunner 970, then we recommend that you check out our collection of Garmin Forerunner straps and other accessories.

Design and Build Quality: Subtle but Important Changes

At first glance, the Forerunner 970 appears nearly identical to its predecessor, yet several crucial refinements elevate its build quality and durability. The physical dimensions reveal a subtle slimming down, with the 970 measuring 47 x 47 x 12.9 mm compared to the 965's 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm. This makes the new model 0.3mm thinner, a difference you might not notice unless placing them side by side.

Sapphire Crystal vs Gorilla Glass

The most significant upgrade in the Forerunner 970 is undoubtedly the switch from Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX to Sapphire Crystal. This isn't merely a marketing gimmick—sapphire ranks as the third hardest mineral on earth, just behind diamond. With a Mohs hardness rating of 9 compared to Gorilla Glass's 6.8, the 970's display offers substantially improved scratch resistance for trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts.

Nevertheless, this durability comes with trade-offs. Sapphire crystal tends to be slightly darker and more reflective than Gorilla Glass. Some users report the sapphire displays look less vibrant in certain lighting conditions, though this difference is minimal with the 970's enhanced brightness. Additionally, while sapphire excels at scratch resistance, Gorilla Glass actually offers better shatter resistance - approximately 2.5 times more impact resistance than sapphire.

Titanium Bezel and Aesthetic Tweaks

The Forerunner 970 maintains the titanium bezel of the 965 but introduces a matt finish on its front-facing edge. Unlike some Garmin models, the bezel sits flush with the screen rather than protruding to deflect impacts. This creates a sleeker profile at the expense of some protective qualities.

A distinctive aesthetic element on the 970 is the bright accent strip - Amp Yellow on the black and white models, and indigo/purple on the grey variant. This aluminium strip adds a touch of personality to an otherwise utilitarian design. The five physical buttons remain unchanged from the previous model, offering familiar navigation alongside the touchscreen.

Furthermore, the main body construction continues to use Garmin's fibre-reinforced polymer - essentially a high-quality plastic that keeps the weight down while maintaining durability. This careful material selection balances durability with practical wearability for daily training.

Comfort and Wearability

Despite the upgraded materials, the Forerunner 970 remains remarkably lightweight at 56g - just 3g heavier than the 965. This slight weight increase is barely noticeable during runs yet potentially contributes to improved shock resistance.

The 47mm case size remains unchanged, which might be a consideration for those with smaller wrists. If you prefer more compact watches in the 40-42mm range, you might find the 970 slightly imposing. Nonetheless, the watch maintains excellent comfort for a device packed with so many features.

Importantly, while the 970 offers significant durability improvements, it doesn't venture into the ultra-rugged territory of Garmin's Instinct series. It strikes an appropriate balance - tough enough for serious athletes training in challenging conditions without the bulk and weight penalties of a true adventure watch.

All things considered, the Forerunner 970's design changes reflect Garmin's practical approach to improvement. Each modification serves a purpose, whether enhancing durability through sapphire crystal or maintaining comfort through careful material selection. These subtle yet meaningful changes help justify the premium positioning of this new Garmin Forerunner.

Display and Visibility: Is Brighter Always Better?

Both the Forerunner 970 and 965 boast identical 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreens with crisp 454×454 resolution, yet several key differences in brightness and power consumption create distinctly different user experiences. These seemingly minor technical changes significantly impact everything from outdoor readability to how frequently you'll reach for the charging cable.

AMOLED Brightness Comparison

The Forerunner 970 delivers a substantial brightness boost over its predecessor, addressing a key competitive gap with other premium smartwatches. Although Garmin rarely discloses specific nit measurements, experts suggest the Forerunner 965 featured a 1,000 nit display, while the 970 likely utilises either a 1,500 or 2,000 nit panel.

Interestingly, even with this increased brightness capacity, Garmin's default setting keeps the 970 at approximately two-thirds of maximum brightness. This conservative approach attempts to balance visibility with power consumption, as the brighter display noticeably impacts battery performance.

For practical purposes, the enhanced brightness proves most valuable during outdoor activities. The 970 demonstrates noticeably better visibility under direct sunlight with reduced glare, making workout data easier to read precisely when you need it most. Moreover, this improvement addresses a minor limitation of the 965, which occasionally struggled with readability in extremely bright conditions despite its otherwise excellent display.

Yet, not everyone considers this brightness boost essential. As one reviewer noted, "The 965's AMOLED already provided excellent visibility, and this brightness boost feels like an unnecessary trade-off for battery life". Indeed, for many users who found the previous model perfectly legible, this improvement might seem like solving a problem that didn't exist.

Always-On Display and Battery Trade-offs

The enhanced display brightness comes with consequential battery compromises. While the Forerunner 965 offered an impressive 23 days in smartwatch mode without always-on display (AOD), the 970 provides just 15 days under similar conditions. With AOD enabled, battery life drops to roughly 8 days according to official specifications, though real-world testing suggests 4-5 days is more realistic.

Some users report even more dramatic power consumption. According to DC Rainmaker's testing, using AOD with the default brightness setting depletes the battery in an astonishing 2.5 days. This represents a significant degradation from the 4-6 days typically achieved with previous 1,000 nit AMOLED Garmin watches.

Fortunately, simple adjustments can substantially extend battery life:

Reducing brightness to the lowest setting (still perfectly readable in most conditions)
Using gesture mode instead of AOD (activates screen only when you move your wrist)
Setting sleep hours when the display turns off completely

These modifications can nearly double your battery life without significantly compromising usability. In fact, many users find the lowest brightness setting entirely sufficient, suggesting Garmin could potentially redefine their brightness levels into more granular 25/50/75/100% increments for better power management.

The balance between display quality and battery life ultimately represents the fundamental trade-off between AMOLED and MIP (Memory-in-Pixel) displays. As seen in other Garmin lines like the Fenix 8, AMOLED models typically sacrifice about 40% of battery life compared to their MIP counterparts. Nevertheless, the vibrant visuals, higher resolution, and superior low-light readability make AMOLED displays worth the compromise for many users.

For the Forerunner 970 specifically, whether the brighter display justifies the battery sacrifice depends entirely on your usage patterns and priorities. If you frequently run in bright conditions or value screen clarity above all else, you'll appreciate the improvement. Alternatively, if battery longevity ranks higher on your priority list, you'll need to be more diligent about display settings than with previous models.

→ Take a look at our collection of Garmin Forerunner 965 straps and accessories.

New Garmin Forerunner Features That Matter Most

Among the most practical upgrades to the new Garmin Forerunner are three features previously reserved for the premium Fenix line. These additions transform the 970 from a pure running watch into a more versatile everyday companion, justifying part of its price increase through genuine utility rather than mere specifications.

LED Flashlight Use Cases

The built-in LED flashlight stands out as perhaps the most unexpectedly useful addition to the Forerunner 970. Located at the top edge between the watch bezel and band, this bright light can be quickly activated by pressing the light button twice. Much more than a gimmick, the flashlight proves remarkably practical across various situations.

For runners, the light offers genuine safety benefits. It's approximately as bright as a smartphone camera light, providing sufficient illumination for pre-dawn runs or finding your way along dark paths. Especially valuable is the ability to switch between white and red light modes—the latter preserving night vision while maintaining visibility. The flashlight can also be programmed to flash in various patterns, including a dedicated "strobe" setting that enhances visibility when running after sunset.

What makes this feature particularly compelling is its convenience. Unlike a phone flashlight or headlamp, it's permanently attached to your wrist - always available without additional gear or battery concerns. Many users report using it multiple times daily, from finding dropped keys to navigating a dark house without disturbing others.

Crucially, the flashlight includes a distress pattern mode that displays emergency contact information on screen simultaneously - a potentially valuable safety feature for solo runners or hikers, assuming you've configured your emergency contacts in the Garmin Connect app.

Voice Commands and Speaker Quality

The Forerunner 970's built-in microphone and speaker enable two distinct voice systems - Garmin's own Voice Command feature and integration with your smartphone's voice assistant.

Voice Command lets you control watch-specific functions by saying phrases like "start a run" or "check heart rate" after pressing the controls button. Meanwhile, the Phone Assistant feature connects to Siri, Google Assistant or Bixby (depending on your phone), allowing you to perform broader tasks such as sending texts or answering questions.

Furthermore, the speaker enables taking phone calls directly from your wrist when paired with a smartphone. This proves convenient during runs when stopping to pull out your phone is impractical. Yet, audio quality reports are mixed - while some reviewers note the speaker sounds better than previous Garmin models, others describe distortion at medium to high volumes.

Interestingly, during intensive testing, some reviewers experienced crashes when using microphone features, suggesting potential firmware issues that Garmin may address in future updates.

Offline Music and Garmin Pay

The Forerunner 970 continues Garmin's offline music capabilities, allowing you to store and play music directly from the watch. You can load personal audio files or download playlists from services including Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and YouTube Music.

One notable improvement is the ability to play music through the watch's speaker without connecting headphones - convenient for quick listening sessions, though headphones remain preferable for quality and privacy. The watch pairs seamlessly with Bluetooth headphones like Apple AirPods Pro, providing dropout-free audio during activities.

An often overlooked aspect of music functionality is licensing restrictions. Music from third-party services requires reconnecting your watch to the internet (via Wi-Fi or Garmin Connect) every seven days to maintain the license, an important consideration for those frequently using offline music.

Rounding out the smartwatch capabilities, Garmin Pay enables contactless payments directly from your wrist. While convenient for post-run coffee stops without carrying a wallet, bank support remains somewhat limited compared to Apple Pay or Google Pay. Users can add up to 10 credit or debit cards to their Garmin Pay wallet, though setup occasionally requires multiple attempts.

Running Performance: Metrics That Set the 970 Apart

Beyond flashy hardware upgrades, the true essence of a running watch lies in its performance metrics. The Forerunner 970 introduces several groundbreaking running analytics that could genuinely influence your training approach and injury prevention strategy.

Impact Load and Running Tolerance

Unlike traditional training metrics that primarily track cardiovascular strain, the 970's Running Tolerance feature focuses on biomechanical impact - the actual physical stress experienced by your muscles, joints, and tendons. This represents a substantial shift in how running load is quantified.

The system analyses various factors including body weight, speed, intensity, slope changes, and running dynamics to calculate an Impact Load value. Fundamentally, this translates the mechanical stress of each run into "equivalent kilometres," providing a more accurate picture of bodily strain than distance alone.

For instance, a challenging 5-mile hill session might register an impact load of 8 miles, reflecting the additional biomechanical stress from intensity and elevation changes. Conversely, a gentle 3-mile recovery jog might only register as 2.5 miles of impact.

What makes this metric particularly valuable is how it accumulates into your Acute Impact Load - a weighted calculation that demonstrates your current biomechanical stress level. This figure is then compared against your personalised Tolerance threshold, which the watch determines based on your recent and long-term running history.

Consequently, when your acute impact exceeds your tolerance, the watch flags a "cautionary state" - not necessarily demanding you stop running, yet warning of potential injury risk. Real-world testing confirms the accuracy of these warnings, with one reviewer reporting injury after ignoring the system's caution.

Running Economy (HRM-600 Required)

Running Economy measures how efficiently your body converts energy into forward motion—expressed in millilitres of oxygen per kilogramme per kilometre (ml/kg/km). Notably, this differs from VO2 max, which measures maximum oxygen utilisation capacity rather than efficiency.

To access this feature, the HRM-600 chest strap (sold separately) is mandatory. The primary reason is that running economy calculations require precise Step Speed Loss data that only the chest-mounted sensor can accurately capture.

For optimal results, Garmin recommends easy runs of at least 30 minutes on flat terrain or tracks. Furthermore, indoor runs and trail sessions aren't used for running economy calculations due to their variable nature.

Generally, users report mixed experiences with this metric. While theoretically valuable, some reviewers note that their running economy values remained unchanged despite weeks of consistent training. Additionally, guidance on improving this metric tends toward generic advice rather than personalised recommendations.

Step Speed Loss and Race Tools

Step Speed Loss (SSL) quantifies the deceleration that occurs when your foot strikes the ground. Even when maintaining consistent pace, your forward motion naturally slows briefly at footstrike before accelerating again during push-off.

Measured in centimetres per second, SSL represents the difference between your speed at initial ground contact and your minimum forward speed during stance phase. Lower values generally indicate better running form, as less energy is wasted in braking forces.

The watch also calculates Step Speed Loss Percentage (SSL%), which expresses this deceleration relative to your overall running pace. This normalisation helps account for the natural increase in SSL that occurs at faster speeds.

Primarily, your running mechanics influence this metric. Overstriding or running with low cadence typically increases SSL. Running cues like "run lightly and smoothly" and reducing step length can help improve your scores.

The 970 also enhances race preparation with improved race prediction tools, though some users find these estimates optimistically ambitious. A useful addition is the ability to preload race courses and set auto-lap by timing gates—automatically marking laps based on official race markers rather than watch distance.

Collectively, these advanced metrics represent Garmin's most comprehensive approach to running analysis yet, offering insights that extend well beyond basic pace and distance tracking.

Health and Wellness: What’s Actually Improved?

The health monitoring capabilities in the new Garmin Forerunner represent some of the most substantial improvements over its predecessor. While running metrics remain central to the 970's appeal, these advanced wellness features increasingly blur the line between dedicated sports watches and health monitoring devices.

ECG and Heart Rate Accuracy

The Forerunner 970 introduces ECG (electrocardiogram) functionality previously exclusive to Garmin's Venu series. This feature allows you to take 30-second readings of your heart's electrical activity through the metal bezel, potentially identifying signs of atrial fibrillation. Unlike Apple's implementation, Garmin's ECG doesn't run continuously—you must actively place your finger on the bezel to initiate a reading.

Remarkably, heart rate accuracy shows noticeable improvement thanks to Garmin's updated Elevate v5 optical heart rate sensor. During controlled testing, the 970 demonstrated approximately 5% less deviation from chest strap measurements compared to the 965. This translates to practical benefits during interval training where rapid heart rate changes previously challenged optical sensors.

Beyond pure accuracy, the 970 introduces Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Status tracking. Rather than simply measuring beats per minute, this metric analyses the microsecond variations between heartbeats—a powerful indicator of recovery status and autonomic nervous system balance. The watch establishes your baseline over several weeks, subsequently flagging unusual deviations that might indicate overtraining or illness.

Sleep Tracking and Stress Monitoring

Sleep tracking receives substantial upgrades in the 970, primarily through improved algorithm accuracy rather than new hardware. The revised system now better distinguishes between lying awake and light sleep, addressing a common complaint with the 965 model. Your morning sleep score more accurately reflects subjective sleep quality, with detailed breakdowns showing:

Sleep stages (deep, light, REM) with improved accuracy
Sleep disruptions and awake periods
Respiration rate fluctuations throughout the night
Recovery metrics based on overnight HRV

Additionally, the integration between stress monitoring and sleep analysis provides more meaningful connections between daytime stress levels and subsequent sleep quality. The Body Battery feature—which combines stress, activity, and HRV data—now factors in sleep quality more heavily, resulting in more accurate morning recovery scores.

Surprisingly, the stress monitoring algorithm has been recalibrated to be less sensitive to minor fluctuations, addressing criticism that previous Garmin models would report elevated stress during normal daily activities. This results in more actionable stress data that better reflects genuine psychological strain rather than normal physiological variations.

Skin Temperature and Breathing Variations

Initially introduced in the Forerunner 965, skin temperature monitoring receives algorithmic refinements in the 970. Rather than focusing on absolute temperatures, the system emphasises personal baselines and overnight variations. This provides more meaningful insights into potential illness, hormonal changes, or recovery status.

Similarly, breathing variation tracking has evolved from a basic metric to a more integrated wellness feature. The 970 now correlates breathing irregularities with stress levels and sleep disruptions, creating a more comprehensive picture of autonomic nervous system health. Accordingly, these breathing insights factor into recovery recommendations and training readiness assessments.

Perhaps most valuable is how these passive health metrics now influence training suggestions. When multiple wellness indicators show stress or incomplete recovery, the 970 actively adjusts daily workout recommendations—demonstrating how Garmin has successfully integrated health monitoring with performance coaching in this latest Forerunner iteration.

Battery Life in Daily Use and Long Runs

Battery management represents a mixed bag for the new Garmin Forerunner, with official specs showing both improvements and regressions compared to its predecessor. Understanding these trade-offs becomes essential when determining if the 970 meets your endurance requirements.

Smartwatch Mode vs GPS + Music

The Forerunner 970's battery specifications reveal some surprising changes from the 965. In basic smartwatch mode, battery life drops from 23 days to 15 days. This reduction reflects the cost of powering that brighter AMOLED display.

For GPS activities, the picture becomes more nuanced:

GPS-Only mode: Up to 26 hours (down from 31 hours on the 965)
SatIQ (AutoSelect) mode: Up to 23 hours (up from 22 hours)
All-Systems + Multi-Band: Up to 21 hours (up from 19 hours)

Interestingly, music playback battery life improves significantly across all GPS modes. With music, the 970 offers up to 14 hours in GPS-Only mode compared to just 10.5 hours on the 965. This enhancement proves valuable for ultra-runners who appreciate soundtrack accompaniment during lengthy events.

Real-world testing paints a more modest picture than official claims. With the Always-On Display active and screen at default brightness, users typically experience 4-5 days of smartwatch use with approximately one hour of GPS activity. Throughout a typical workout, battery drain averages 4% per hour when using All-Systems + Multi-Band GPS.

Power Modes and Customisation

The 970 includes several preloaded power modes designed to extend battery life during activities. These profiles allow you to quickly adjust system settings, activity parameters, and GPS configurations for different scenarios.

Accessing these features is straightforward—simply hold the watch button, select "Watch Settings" followed by "Power Manager" and "Activity Power Modes". From there, you can customise existing modes or create entirely new ones tailored to your specific needs.

For immediate battery conservation, the dedicated "Battery Saver" mode adjusts key settings including:

Reducing screen brightness
Limiting phone connectivity
Adjusting heart rate monitoring frequency
Deactivating always-on display

Each potential setting change displays the estimated hours of battery life gained, helping you make informed decisions about which features to sacrifice. This granular control proves particularly valuable for multi-day adventures or when charging opportunities are limited.

Most remarkably, reducing brightness to the lowest setting (while still remaining perfectly readable) dramatically improves battery performance. During testing with navigation enabled, this simple adjustment yielded a projected 30 hours of battery life—exceeding the official specifications.

Charging Frequency in Real Life

Daily battery consumption follows predictable patterns. Overnight drain typically falls between 3-5%, depending on which monitoring features remain active. Surprisingly, enabling advanced sleep features like Pulse Ox and Breathing Variations shows minimal impact on battery consumption.

For perspective, a 9-hour run with maximum GPS accuracy settings (All-Systems + Multi-Band) consumes approximately 39% of battery capacity. Extrapolating this data suggests the 970 could theoretically last around 23 hours in this configuration—exceeding Garmin's official 21-hour claim.

Practically speaking, charging habits depend entirely on your usage patterns. With default settings and Always-On Display activated, expect to charge every 2-3 days. Conversely, with optimised settings (gesture-based display, reduced brightness), charging once weekly becomes realistic for typical use.

The LED flashlight—while useful—significantly impacts battery life when used regularly. Similarly, streaming music directly from the watch demands more frequent charging, though less than expected given the improvements in this area.

Throughout daily use, the battery management system provides reliable remaining time estimates, offering sufficient warning before depletion occurs—a critical feature for those depending on the watch during extended activities.

Garmin Watch Review: Is the 970 Worth the Price Bump?

Considering the substantial price increase of the Forerunner 970 over its predecessor, determining whether this investment delivers sufficient value becomes a critical question for potential buyers. The value equation extends beyond the initial purchase price, particularly when factoring in accessories required to unlock the full feature set.

Price vs Features vs Fenix 8

The Forerunner 970 retails for premium price, representing a pretty steep price increase from the Forerunner 965. This positions it remarkably close to the Fenix 8 territory, with the comparable 47mm AMOLED Fenix 8. Given that narrow gap, the choice between these models becomes increasingly nuanced.

Throughout daily use, both watches offer remarkably similar software experiences. In practical terms, they share nearly identical maps, approximately 95% of the same sport profiles, and even features with technical specification differences (like flashlights or GPS chipsets) perform similarly in real-world usage.

The most tangible distinctions remain battery life and specific feature sets. For instance, only the Fenix 8 offers diving capabilities with leakproof buttons and 40m water resistance. Yet for most active individuals without specialised needs, either watch provides a comparable experience despite the price differential.

→ Check out our collection of Garmin Fenix 8 straps and accessories.

Hidden Costs: HRM-600 and Accessories

Beyond the base watch price, accessing the 970's most compelling new running metrics requires purchasing the HRM-600 chest strap separately. Without this accessory, innovative features like Running Economy and Step Speed Loss remain inaccessible. This requirement effectively pushes the total investment for the complete Forerunner 970 experience beyond what many might be comfortable with - virtually equivalent to the base Fenix 8 price.

Who Should Upgrade?

Realistically, the Forerunner 970 presents the most compelling case for:

Current Forerunner 265 or older model users seeking advanced performance metrics
Those who value the sapphire display and titanium bezel without wanting full Fenix ruggedness
Runners specifically interested in biomechanical analysis through the new Impact Load features
Users who prefer a lighter watch than the Fenix 8 (56g vs heavier Fenix models)

Conversely, existing Forerunner 965 owners might find the upgrades insufficient to justify the expense unless specific new features like the ECG capability or built-in flashlight address personal needs.

User Experience: Setup, Bugs, and Everyday Use

Setting up the Forerunner 970 reveals both the polish and rough edges of Garmin's software experience. Unlike previous Garmin watches, the user journey can be markedly different depending on individual circumstances.

Initial Setup and Migration Issues

The initial setup process requires following on-screen instructions and scanning a QR code to pair with the Garmin Connect app. While theoretically straightforward, migrating from a previous Garmin watch often proves frustrating. Many users report the backup system failing to find previous settings, forcing a manual setup that can stretch beyond two hours. This becomes particularly tedious when re-entering credit card details for Garmin Pay and reconfiguring Connect IQ app settings. Oddly, some users find the watch defaults to French or Latvian language during setup.

Interface Complexity and Shortcuts

Navigating the Forerunner 970 involves five physical buttons plus touchscreen controls. Button functions can be customised by holding the menu button and selecting system shortcuts. Practically speaking, the most useful combinations include double-pressing the light button for the flashlight and customising the quick access controls menu. Unfortunately, touchscreen sensitivity issues plague some users, with the screen registering phantom touches even when nothing is contacting it.

Known Bugs and Firmware Fixes

Early adopters have encountered several recurring problems, including:

Random watch reboots when using phone assistant or maps
Heart rate monitoring failures during activities
Touchscreen ghost input issues

Garmin has acknowledged these problems through regular firmware updates. Version 6.18 specifically addressed false screen touches, while version 12.70 fixed numerous issues including potential rebooting problems. Fundamentally, this pattern reflects Garmin's approach—releasing hardware before software is fully stabilised, then addressing issues through iterative updates.

Conclusion

The Garmin Forerunner 970 undoubtedly represents Garmin's most comprehensive running watch to date. After examining all aspects, the 970 emerges as an evolution rather than revolution over the 965. Certainly, standout improvements like the sapphire crystal display, built-in flashlight, and advanced running metrics deliver tangible benefits for serious athletes. Meanwhile, the brighter AMOLED screen enhances visibility during outdoor activities, though this comes at the expense of battery life.

Accordingly, your decision to upgrade should depend on specific training needs. The new Impact Load and Running Tolerance features actually provide meaningful insights for injury prevention, whereas the ECG functionality and improved heart rate accuracy benefit those focused on health monitoring. Additionally, borrowing premium features from the Fenix line helps justify the price increase, though the gap between these product lines continues to narrow.

Nevertheless, the price bump places the 970 in an awkward position. When paired with the HRM-600 chest strap needed for Running Economy metrics, the total cost approaches Fenix 8 territory. Therefore, current 965 owners might find the upgrades insufficient unless specific new features address personal requirements.

Overall, the Forerunner 970 best serves runners upgrading from older models or those specifically valuing the enhanced durability and performance metrics. Essentially, Garmin has created their most capable running watch yet, albeit at a premium that requires careful consideration before purchase. Whether these refinements justify the investment ultimately depends on how much you value these incremental but meaningful improvements to your training experience.