Garmin Insider News Opinion

Garmin Forerunner 265 (yep!) Pictures – What we know so far

Garmin Forerunner 265s the5krunnerGarmin Forerunner 265 Pictures

 

The Garmin Forerunner 965 Review is Now Live

Well, this is a turn-up for the books. I was very surprised to find two pictures of the upcoming Forerunner 265 (two-six-five) in my inbox.

This info is via a reliable source but I don’t think he is the original source and so it is possible that these are faked but they look genuine to me. Also, there are two other rumours of the existence of a full-blown Forerunner 965 AMOLED triathlon watch.

Thank you @ChS

Page down after you’ve looked at the pictures of the Forerunner 265 and hopefully my explanation (guess) will make more sense.

 

A note on the pictures: These are images that I have manipulated, for example, by hiding the watch ID number to protect the source. If you zoom in very closely on the phrase “FORERUNNER 265” you can check the watch casing texture surrounding it, which appears to be consistent. I haven’t changed that at all and it looks genuine.

What is the Garmin Forerunner 265s?

So we see here that this watch is clearly marked as the smaller 265s model. That almost certainly means there will also be an accompanying larger-sized 265. The FR255s/255 have 41mm and 46mm cases respectively and I would expect the 265/265s case sizes to be the same.

Adding to the likely authenticity we can see that the way the FORERUNNER 265s is written is different to the 255 which is written on two lines…this image shows what I mean.

We see the latest Elevate Gen 4 sensor as found on several other watches like the Forerunner 955 and Epix 2.

The 4-pin charging port is unchanged too and the low-end quick-release mechanism is the same as on the 255s.

Looking now at the front image, the headline difference is the screen which appears to be AMOLED-based and identical to that found on the Venu 2 and Garmin’s other recent AMOLED touchscreens.

Finally, the larger, start button is of the same type as found on the Venu 2 rather than the more traditional presser found on the 255s.

Summary: It’s just an AMOLED version of the 255/255s. Right?

Well, that is the most likely explanation and certainly the easiest hardware iteration for Garmin to make. Whilst there could be a new software feature or two that are linked to sport/running it’s more likely that the newness that comes to the 265/265s will simply be prettier screens at the expense of battery life.

Q: Could it get more interesting?

Taking speculation further, this watch could be positioned for marketing purposes as an AMOLED triathlon watch, as that’s what it is, or it could be positioned as a replacement top-end 645 road-running watch.

Why?

  • The 255 is a competent triathlon watch with many added triathlon features. There’s no longer any real need for tech triathletes to buy the more expensive 955 triathlon watch and the Epix 2, whilst an awesome watch with an awesome screen might be considered a tad too chunky for regular triathlon training (that’s why I use the ‘inferior’ 955 Solar ATM). The 955 does not come with a pretty screen option…the 265/265s could be that pretty option for triathletes wanting a lightweight case. If this move happened we would probably get a little something extra added to the triathlon-specific feature set.
  • If instead, it’s a replacement for the as-yet-unseen 655 then that might make some sense in Garmin’s Forerunner lineup. Maybe it would get some trail-related upgrade giving it the same features as the Enduro 2 but with a light case and pretty screen (and less battery life). That’s definitely a possibility as the Enduro 2 is too expensive however the 265 name just doesn’t make sense in that scenario.
  • Edit: The comments, below, make me ponder that a similar AMOLED version of the 955 will hit the shelves too. Probably in late H1.2023. I’ve said before that AMOLED will make its way onto every medium/high-end Garmin watch, this just confirms it.

 

When Will We See the FR265/265s

2022 was always going to be a bumper year for new sports devices from Garmin. Why not another one later in September or early October? In normal times, yesterday’s Venu 2 Sq would be the big hurrah for September/October but there is definitely still a slot for Garmin to maximise Christmas sales revenues by releasing the 265/265s within the next 4 weeks. Let’s just avoid that pesky Apple Watch 8 release right? 😉

If what we see is early beta hardware then we might not see the 265 until as late as March 2023.

Thoughts? Have I missed anything in the images?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reader-Powered Content

This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love which is this site and I appreciate everyone who follows, subscribes or Buys Me A Coffee ❤️ Alternatively please buy the reviewed product from my partners. Thank you! FTC: Affiliate Disclosure: Links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

28 thoughts on “Garmin Forerunner 265 (yep!) Pictures – What we know so far”

  1. That would be March 2023 at the end of the article 😉

    And yes, the Epix is chunky AND super expensive!

  3. And the strange and confusing Garmin line up continues.

    Do we have
    # name or numbers
    # feature set on lifestyle/health or fitness/sports
    # higher cost than the competition got the same offering

  4. Interesting but you have to wonder where that leaves the (round) Venu line-up though with its severally crippled metrics…

  5. This is actually a big deal. I would expect of 965 to come right alongside it, and that would explain the lower cost of the base 955 now (which really struck me as odd).

    And I think this pair of watches is going to be a significant offering and very desired.

  9. Yes – if there’s a 265 I would think a 965 is highly likely – it would just make sense, to me at least. And would be an awesome, awesome addition. Likely $650-700 but still – worth it for the amoled and battery tech that goes with it. And yes – would think Feb/March 2023 would be earliest.

  11. Always appreciate your content, especially with your AW coverage. It feels like many seem to shy away from it, dismissing it as not a true fitness watch, but I want you to know that many of us appreciate it and consider it a serious watch! (Under the right circumstances) Keep the updates coming!

    That said, this could be a game changer. A lot will hitch on what September reveals for the next AW/Pro model, or even the base level 8. I think the reveal could determine how well a watch like this will be received. I, for one, have held off for the year (as an AW7 user) to see what this iteration holds. If it lacks the proper features, it’ll be back to Garmin land.

    This watch, at the proper price point, could be a real game changer for many of us. Hoping to see it concurrently with the AW release sometime this month!

    1. yep it’s definitely a true ‘fitness’ watch maybe much less so a true athletic one. tho probably more Olympians wear one than you’d think 😉

      i THINK I found some more athletic stuff in the watch os betas. however, I updated the beta and what i thought i found was no longer there. it was a relatively small thing but one which would indicate other things were using it (linked to Apple segments). anyway, we’ll find out soon.

      AW content – it’s hard for me to get the traffic i need on this. there are too many other SEO-powerful sites that write about the apple watch. when I’ve found an angle in the past they copy the ‘idea’ and i don’t rank!

      yes fr265 as envisaged could be a game changer as is Epix 2 as would be 965. however, it could merely be a game changer for WHICH WATCHES Garmin owners buy eg https://the5krunner.com/2022/01/23/garmin-instinct-2-solar-unlimited-battery/ speculates that the epix would be the end of the fenix. at least the end of it as the dominant watch. i think the same would apply to the 955/965 but with the 255/265 I’m less sure as price is much more of an issue.

      as you know garmin can NEVER be as integrated a smartwatch as the AW.

      AW8 is WAY more of a risk to Garmin than this is for Apple. WAY MORE.

  12. I’d imagine if the AW supported Android phones it would be worse for Garmin. Watching the rumours about AMOLED displays with interest.

  13. If we agree that the Epix is just a “Fenix de Luxe” with a (much) nicer display and that the Fenix/Enduro will remain relevant for a few more iterations with a MIP display due to the (much) better battery life, wouldn’t be a Runnix or Sprintix (or Austin for that matter) as the AMOLED “de Luxe” version for the FR line be more consistent in regard to the naming convention?
    And we are still waiting to see if the Marq line will be discontinued or kept alive for at least another season. The entire Garmin line-up gets really a bit overwhelming, for non Garmin fans at least. Marq, Epix, Fenix and Enduro are almost indistinguishable from a SW perspective…its the shell (and the price) that makes the difference (and with Fenix7X and Enduro2 not even that really).
    If we now add 965/265 with a display upgrade to the 955/255 family with the 945 LTE as the poor country cousin, there seems to me a lot of redundancy.

    1. yeah i think i agree with that.
      there are usually feature or materials differences to the various models in any range but, as you imply, explaining that to Jo Public ain’t easy.
      Garmin seems to assume an informed buyer, which i think is a big assumption.

  14. Ah crazy, I didn’t know about the d2 air. And way back in 2020! Yeah, the next 2-4 gens of watches will be interesting. I didn’t expect amoled this early with such good batt life on the epix 2. Then aw ultra rumors came true at a lower price point. I feel like aw will take a good chunk away from garmin/coros/ect the next 4-8 years. I hope coros can survive. No idea how polar and suunto are doing.

Comments are closed.

wp_footer()