Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Forerunner 265: Which Excels in What?
By Naila Syifa
Updated August 2024
The Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin Forerunner 265 are two premium wearables that cater to fitness enthusiasts. However, each offers a unique set of features and capabilities that may appeal to different users. Which one is the better fit for your needs? Let's delve deeper and compare the key aspects of these two smartwatches!
Key Takeaways
Galaxy Watch Ultra is more versatile while Garmin Forerunner 265 is more running and racing-focused. Other than running and racing-related features, the Galaxy Watch Ultra wins in most other areas, including advanced health-tracking, durability, connectivity, and smartwatch features.
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Premium Outdoor Smartwatch
✓ Multisport Workout
✓ ECG, BIA, Sleep Apnea
✓ On-Wrist Calling, Texting, and Music
✓ Galaxy AI
Garmin Forerunner 265
Smartwatch for Runners & Racers
✓ Advanced Training Metrics
✓ Garmin Coach & PacePro
✓ Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ
✓ LiveTrack & Live Event Sharing
#1 Price
Garmin Forerunner 265
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is priced $200 higher, retailing at US$649 while the Garmin Forerunner 265 retails at US$449.
Price may change depending on sales and promotions, either widening or narrowing the gap between the two models. If price is a major factor in your decision, keep tabs on any ongoing discounts or sales that could affect the final cost.
#2 Design & Display
Galaxy Watch Ultra
While both smartwatches have a sporty look, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has a more rugged and durable design, featuring a titanium body and a sapphire crystal glass face that protects its Super AMOLED display from scratches and impacts. The watch also boasts a high water rating of 10 ATM, an IP68 certification, and MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability.
While the Garmin Forerunner 265 is also designed for active lifestyles, its fiber-reinforced polymer bezel, silicone strap, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens may not be as robust as the Galaxy Watch Ultra's construction. It also has a lower water rating of 5 ATM, so it won't be able to stand up to the same level of water exposure as the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Galaxy Watch Ultra also wins in terms of size. At 47mm size, it offers a 1.5" display with a high 480 x 480 resolution. On the other hand, the Forerunner 265 comes in a 46mm case size and a 1.3" AMOLED display with 416 x 416 pixels resolution.
#3 Health Features
Garmin Forerunner 265
Both watches share some common basic health-tracking features, including heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep tracking with detailed sleep stages and analysis.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra adds some more advanced health-tracking features that the Garmin Forerunner 265 lacks, such as ECG for detecting signs of AFib, a BIA sensor to measure body composition, skin temperature measurement, and sleep apnea detection.
The new Galaxy AI on the Watch Ultra also empowers an Energy Score feature in the Samsung Health app, which calculates the user's overall energy levels based on sleep, heart rate, and step data from the previous day. This feature is often compared to Garmin's well-known Body Battery Energy Monitoring feature, which is more comprehensive in that it displays the user's energy levels hour by hour throughout the day instead of just a single daily score.
So, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra has more advanced health-tracking capabilities that can identify potential health issues, the Garmin Forerunner 265 remains appealing to those who want to monitor their overall well-being throughout the day.
#4 Workout Features
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Both smartwatches track a range of activities, from running, cycling, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, skiing, and even triathlon and multisport activities. For each activity, they provide detailed performance metrics and GPS tracking, allowing users to analyze their workouts and training progress.
Garmin Forerunner 265 is more focused on running and racing. While the Galaxy Watch Ultra supports Running, Treadmill, and Track Running, the Forerunner 265 offers even more specific categorization of running activities, including Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, and Virtual Running.
Features like Garmin Coach, Daily Suggested Workouts, Race Predictor, and PacePro Pacing Strategies also make the Forerunner 265 better equipped when it comes to training for races and marathons. These features help users to optimize their training and pacing for specific goals or race events.
Garmin Forerunner 265
Garmin Forerunner 265 also stands out with Live Track and Live Event Sharing. Live Track allows friends and family to track the user's real-time location, while Live Event Sharing enables the user to automatically send text messages with their performance data based on certain triggers (distance, time, etc) so others can follow their progress during a race or event.
The extensive running and racing-related features that the Forerunner 265 offers don't mean that the Galaxy Watch Ultra is lacking in terms of workout and training features. In fact, the Galaxy AI allows users to race against past results to improve their performance over time, and there is also a Running Coach feature to guide the users' running pace based on chosen training goals or intensity levels.
However, the Watch Ultra's fitness features are indeed more general-purpose compared to the Forerunner 265's specialized running and racing focus. This makes the Watch Ultra a more versatile choice for those who engage in a wider variety of sports and activities beyond just running, while the Forerunner 265 is the more focused option for serious runners and triathletes looking to optimize their training and racing performance.
#5 Smartwatch Features
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Both smartwatches support music playback and can store music locally, so users don't need to carry their phones to listen to music. The difference is that the Galaxy Watch Ultra has a built-in speaker, so music can be played directly on the watch, while the Forerunner 265 requires Bluetooth headphones as it does not have a built-in speaker.
A built-in speaker and microphone on the Galaxy Watch Ultra also allow for on-the-wrist calls and voice assistant interaction, which the Forerunner 265 lacks. Garmin Forerunner 265 only supports text message and notifications viewing, and those features require a paired smartphone to be nearby.
On the other hand, Galaxy Watch Ultra supports LTE connectivity, so users can call and send text messages phone-free without needing to have their smartphone nearby.
Galaxy AI also offers a Suggested Replies feature, which provides quick responses based on the message received, making it easier to respond on the go. The responses are contextual and personalized, which is different from quick replies on the Forerunner 265 which are pre-written and require manual changes to customize them.
Powered by WearOS, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has another advantage with its compatibility with a wider range of third-party apps and services compared to the Forerunner 265's more limited Connect IQ ecosystem. For example, the Galaxy Watch Ultra supports Google services like Google Maps, Google Wallet, Google Calendar, YouTube Music, and more.
With a compatible smartphone, Galaxy Watch Ultra can also serve as a camera controller to remotely take photos from the connected phone. This is not something that the Garmin Forerunner 265 is capable of.
Two more extra features that the Galaxy Watch Ultra provides are a built-in flashlight and an 86dB siren, which can be useful for emergency situations or during outdoor adventures. Garmin Forerunner 265 neither has a built-in flashlight nor a siren.
#6 Battery Life
Garmin Forerunner 265
With a 590mAh battery, the Galaxy Watch Ultra claims to last up to 60 hours on typical usage with the always-on display, 48 hours in exercise power saving mode with GPS on, and 100 hours in power saving mode. This is currently the longest battery life among Samsung's smartwatches.
Garmin Forerunner 265, on the other hand, rates its battery to last up to 5 days with the always-on display, 13 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 20 hours with GPS-only GNSS mode.
Actual battery life may vary depending on usage patterns and settings, but the Garmin Forerunner 265 appears to have an edge in terms of longer overall battery endurance compared to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Forerunner 265
Final Thoughts
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Galaxy Watch Ultra is a more versatile outdoor watch. Its high durability and advanced health and fitness tracking features do not come at the expense of its smartwatch capabilities, making it a well-rounded choice for those seeking a premium wearable that can handle various activities and environments.
On the other hand, Garmin Forerunner 265 appeals the most to serious runners and triathletes looking to optimize their training and race performance. It may have more limited smartwatch capabilities and health-tracking features compared to the Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it also comes at a more affordable price point that makes it more accessible for athletes focused primarily on their sport.
If you like to read more on smartwatches, check out our other relevant guides here:
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Fenix 7
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Epix 2
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Forerunner 965
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Venu 3
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Pixel Watch 2
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