Garmin Fenix 8 vs Forerunner 965: Key Differences
By Naila Syifa
Updated September 2024
The Garmin Fenix 8 and Forerunner 965 are some of the top multisport GPS watches on the market. The Forerunner 965 may seem like a running-specific watch, but it's actually packed with a wide range of features that make it a compelling option for triathletes and outdoor enthusiasts as well.
The Forerunner 965's similar capability with the more premium Fenix 8 makes us wonder what key differences set these two watches apart. Is the Fenix 8 worth the extra cost compared to the Forerunner 965? Let's compare the two in more detail to find out!
Key Takeaways
Garmin Fenix 8 and Forerunner 965 are both rugged and suitable for multi-sport use, but the Fenix 8 offers some key advantages, including diving and underwater sports features, a built-in speaker and microphone, optional solar charging, and sports-specific strength training capabilities.
Garmin Fenix 8
The Ultimate GPS Smartwatch
✓ Optional AMOLED Display
✓ Advanced Strength Training
✓ Built-in Speaker & Microphone
✓ Dive-Rated
Garmin Forerunner 965
Premium Running & Adventure Watch
✓ AMOLED Display
✓ Advanced Training, Health, Fitness
✓ Built-in TopoActive Maps
✓ Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ
#1 Price & Variants
Garmin Fenix 8
Garmin Forerunner 965 only comes in a single variant priced at US$599.99, while the Fenix 8 Series has multiple variants ranging from $999.99 to $1,199.99.
The Fenix 8 AMOLED offers 3 size options – 43, 47, and 51 mm – with another Sapphire Edition option for each size that adds a sapphire crystal lens instead of a Corning Gorilla Glass. The other variant is the Fenix 8 Solar, which adds solar charging capabilities with 47 and 51 mm size options.
Below is the pricing for the different Garmin Fenix 8 variants.
Fenix 8 AMOLED 43mm: $999.99
Fenix 8 AMOLED 43mm Sapphire: $1,099.99
Fenix 8 AMOLED 47mm: $999.99
Fenix 8 AMOLED 47mm Sapphire: $1,099.99
Fenix 8 AMOLED 51mm: $1,099.99
Fenix 8 AMOLED 51mm Sapphire: $1,199.99
Fenix 8 Solar 47mm Sapphire: $1,099.99
Fenix 8 Solar 51mm Sapphire: $1,199.99
Read also: Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED vs Fenix 8 Solar
#2 Design & Display
Garmin Forerunner 965
The Forerunner 965 boasts a high-resolution 1.4" AMOLED display with durable titanium bezel and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX lens, while the Fenix 8 series offers a 1.3" to 1.4" display with a choice of titanium or stainless steel bezels and Corning Gorilla Glass or sapphire crystal lens options.
Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED features an AMOLED display like the Forerunner 965, but the Fenix 8 Solar variants have a transflective MIP display instead. Compared to AMOLED, an MIP display is less bright, less vibrant, and may struggle in low-light conditions, but it consumes less power and results in longer battery life.
While the Garmin Forerunner 965 is rugged and durable, it still can't match the Fenix 8's military-grade durability and ruggedness. For example, while the Forerunner 965 has a 5 ATM water rating, the Fenix 8 takes it up a notch with 10 ATM water rating.
The Fenix 8 Series is also dive-rated to 40m, thanks to its leakproof inductive buttons that allow no holes in the case for water intrusion, and a sensor guard that protects the microphone and barometer from potential damage.
#3 Health & Fitness Features
Garmin Fenix 8
While basic health-tracking features like heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, and stress are shared between the two smartwatches, the Fenix 8 adds a more advanced ECG app feature that the Forerunner 965 does not have. ECG app allows users to take an electrocardiogram reading directly from the wrist to monitor their heart rhythm and detect potential signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib).
The Fenix 8 also offers more comprehensive fitness and sports-related features. It supports 98 activity profiles, while the Forerunner 965 only has 79. Below is the list of activity profiles exclusive to the Garmin Fenix 8 series that the Forerunner 965 is missing out on:
● OUTDOOR RUNNING: Obstacle Racing
● OUTDOOR RECREATION: Hunting, Horseback Riding
● CYCLING: BMX
●ON THE WATER: Surfing, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Fishing, Boating, Sailing, Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, Wakesurfing, Tubing, Snorkeling, Whitewater
● DIVE: Scuba Diving (single gas), Apnea Diving, Depth App
As we can see, the Fenix 8 excels more in outdoor and water sports-related features. But if none of those specialized activities are important to you, the Forerunner 965 is still a very capable multisport watch that covers a range of activities, from trail running, triathlon, swimming, mountain biking, tennis, rowing, skiing, ice skating, volleyball, boxing, and more.
The Forerunner 965 also shares a great deal of training and performance features with the Fenix 8 series, such as training load, training status, training readiness, recovery time, PacePro pacing strategies, ClimbPro, MTB Grit & Flow, Race Predictor, and so on.
One distinctive workout feature of the Fenix 8 over the Forerunner 965 is the Advanced Strength Training, which develops targeted 4-6 week strength training plans tailored to specific sports. This is a well-appreciated feature for athletes looking to improve their strength and performance in their chosen activities.
#4 Maps & Navigational Features
Garmin Fenix 8
Both the Fenix 8 and Forerunner 965 support multi-band GNSS with SatIQ, allowing for highly accurate GPS tracking in challenging environments. However, the Fenix 8 supports two more GNSS, including QZSS and BeiDou, in addition to the GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo also supported by the Forerunner 965.
Multi-continent TopoActive maps are Garmin's well-known mapping feature that is useful for outdoor navigation and adventures. While the Forerunner 965 comes with preloaded TopoActive maps, the Fenix 8 has it preloaded only into models with a sapphire crystal lens. So, for variants that use the Corning Gorilla Glass lens, an extra US$59.99 map purchase is required to get continent-specific TopoActive maps.
However, the Fenix 8 Series has an advantage with preloaded ski resort maps that cover around 2,000 ski resorts worldwide. The Forerunner 965 doesn't offer this, so it can be a potential drawback for skiers and snowboarders.
For golfers, choosing either one doesn't make a significant difference, as both the Garmin Fenix 8 and Forerunner 965 come preloaded with over 43,000 golf course maps worldwide.
#5 Smartwatch Features
Garmin Forerunner 965
Garmin Fenix 8 and Forerunner 965 come with a range of smartwatch features that can be useful for daily use, including smartphone notifications, music storage controls, Garmin Pay contactless payments, and more.
The Fenix 8 adds a built-in speaker and microphone for Bluetooth calls, voice note recording, and voice commands. The voice commands feature can leverage your phone's voice assistant like Siri/Google/Bixby when the watch is connected to your phone or Garmin's own voice assistant when your phone is not available. However, taking and making calls requires a nearby paired smartphone.
Some other minor features where the Fenix 8 has an edge over the Forerunner 965 include an LED flashlight, a new Focus Mode for customizing a group of settings for different situations, and Garmin Share for easily sharing saved locations, courses, and workouts with others with compatible Garmin devices.
#6 Battery & Charging
Garmin Fenix 8 Solar
Forerunner 965 is rated for up to 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode or 7 days with the always-on display. It is a tricky comparison as the Fenix 8 series offers a range of battery life depending on the specific variant. For example, the 47mm Fenix 8 AMOLED offers up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, while the 51mm Fenix 8 AMOLED has a longer 29 days of battery life in the same mode.
When compared to the Fenix 8 Solar models, however, the Forerunner 965 is clearly outmatched. The 51mm Fenix 8 Solar variants offer up to 48 days of battery life in smartwatch mode with the help of solar charging, while the 47mm Fenix 8 Solar can last up to 28 days with solar.
The Fenix 8 Series also has a Power Modes feature, which allows for quick settings adjustments to extend the battery life during an activity. Power Modes is not available in the Forerunner 965.
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Forerunner 965
Final Thoughts
Garmin Fenix 8
Garmin Fenix 8 Series, at almost twice the price of the Forerunner 965, offers more advanced features and capabilities that cater to a wider range of outdoor enthusiasts and athletes. Its main advantages include support for diving and underwater sports, advanced sports-specific strength training, optional solar charging, and the built-in speaker and microphone that allows for various voice-enabled features.
While the Forerunner 965 is missing out on those more premium features, it is still an excellent multisport GPS watch that covers a wide range of activities and provides a great set of training and performance metrics at a more affordable price point.
If you like to read more on smartwatches, check out our other relevant guides here:
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Fenix 8 Solar
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Fenix 7
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Fenix 7 Pro
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Epix 2
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Epix Pro
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Galaxy Watch Ultra
Garmin Fenix 8 vs Enduro 3
Garmin Fenix E vs Enduro 3
Garmin Fenix E vs Fenix 8
Garmin Fenix E vs Fenix 7
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