Garmin Forerunner 955 vs. Forerunner 965: What are the key differences?

Despite releasing the Forerunner 955 series just last year, Garmin has already delivered the next-gen upgrade in the form of the Forerunner 965. 

It represents a rapid turnaround from the company, and, if you’re searching for the differences between the two running watch models, you’re in the right place. 

Whether you’re a Forerunner 955 user looking to see what new features the Forerunner 965 brings, or you own neither and are trying to decide between them, we’ve touched all the key points of comparison below.

Journey on and you’ll discover exactly what Garmin has changed, as well as our recommendations for those upgrading, and, ultimately, which is the better watch. 

Note: We’re still testing the Forerunner 965 as part of our full review, and will update this comparison with our full impressions over the coming weeks.

Display: MIP vs. AMOLED

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As we’ve explored when comparing the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 265, the display is the key change to be aware of between these two watches. 

While the FR955 (and the ‘Solar’ edition) features Garmin’s color transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display, the newer FR965 instead packs the same AMOLED display tech present in the Garmin Epix (Gen 2), Garmin Marq (Gen 2) and the Garmin Venu 2 Plus. 

It means that the overall display quality has been given a huge upgrade, with the FR955’s 260 x 260 resolution bumped up to 454 x 454 pixels. It means everything just looks crisper and sharper on the new model – and, though MIP screens can be backlit, the FR965’s AMOLED screen is much brighter as standard.

This change in the display also means the FR965 runs the more modern and breezy UI, which also features a neat always-on mode. Both generations, too, have touch-enabled screens.

We’ll get into the finer points below, but know that this is the biggest difference between the pair – and it is significant. Though we’re not finished reviewing the FR965 fully, this adds a premium, smartwatch-y feel to the device. 

Training features

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We’ll keep this one relatively short and sweet until we can conclusively offer a fuller comparison, but, at least on paper, the training and smart features on offer here are identical. 

That means the whole garden shed of Garmin metrics that landed on 2022’s FR955 – ones like Training Readiness, HRV Status, Morning Report, Race Calendar and offline mapping – are all on the FR965, as you would expect. 

While they’re technically the same on paper, though, as we say, it’s also true that these features are presented much, much better on an AMOLED display – and through that new UI mentioned above.

For things like mapping, we know from testing out other Garmin devices that this actually enhances the experience quite a bit; though you’re not technically missing out on anything in most cases.

Case size and weight

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Unlike with other Forerunner models, only one case size exists for both the FR955 and FR965.

And while they may look extremely similar, there are a couple of subtle differences in the actual size and weight.

The FR955 features a 46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4mm, while the FR965 actually manages to reduce the thickness and also grow the overall case slightly – it comes in at 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2mm.

The change in the display has also seen the screen size alter, bumping from 1.3 inches in the FR955 to 1.4 inches in the FR965.

This doesn’t sound like a big change, obviously, but, with the FR955’s solar display ring also being taken off the FR965, coupled with that improvement in quality, we expect this to be quite substantial.

And for all those slight changes, the weight has actually been kept the same – 53g in each model.

You may also notice some slight differences in the design of the case.

For the FR965, the ‘Start-Stop’ button has been replaced by a bigger pusher with the Garmin logo on, and the bezel is instead made from titanium. In the FR955’s design, you’ll notice a polymer bezel.

Battery life

With the advancements Garmin has made in the screen department between generations, you might expect these two devices to have completely contrasting battery life estimates. 

Well, while we’re still conducting our own real-world battery tests, Garmin actually claims that you shouldn’t see much difference between the FR955 and FR965. 

If you own the standard version of the FR955, you should receive around 15 days of battery in smartwatch mode, with this shortening to 42 hours in GPS tracking.

And using Garmin’s All-Systems GNSS mode with music, which is essentially maxed out settings, you’ll get around 8.5 hours. This has proven pretty bang on in our testing over the last year. 

We should also note that these estimates are slightly bumped up for the Solar version, but, at least based on our own use, we don’t really think this feature makes as much of a difference unless you spend a considerable amount of time outside in sunny conditions.

With the newer FR965, as we’ve mentioned, there’s not anticipated to be much drop-off. 

In smartwatch mode, Garmin believes you’ll actually receive a much-improved 23 days, though GPS-only mode dips down to 31 hours. If the All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band GPS with music is your preference, you’ll again receive 8.5 hours. 

This is one area we’re especially interested in digging into deeper over the coming weeks, though we do know from testing other Garmin AMOLED watches that they are surprisingly power efficient.

Price comparison and latest deals

To the surprise of nobody, the newer FR965 is more expensive than the FR955.

However, the jump in price does depend slightly on which version of the FR955 you’re interested in – and which country you’re buying from.

For the standard version, for example, Garmin has an asking price of $499.99 / £479.99, while the Solar equivalent bumps that up to $549.99 / £549.99.

Check price: Buy Garmin Forerunner 965

Given that Garmin is pricing the sole model of the FR965 at $599.99 / £599.99, then, you can expect to pay a premium of $50 / £50 to $100 / £120 for the upgrades.

We don’t think this is too bad, considering the price hikes we’re seeing across the industry, but keep in mind the margin between the two is also likely to widen even further as we get deeper into 2023.

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Should you upgrade?

It’s difficult to provide a definitive answer to this at the time of writing, given we’re still compiling our full verdict on the FR965, though we do know enough about Garmin’s other AMOLED-packing watches to know it represents a significant upgrade. 

And given that the other areas offer little-to-no upgrades, this is the only real consideration if you already own a version of the FR955. 

We personally believe the AMOLED display and more vibrant UI offer a much nicer overall experience, though we should also note that this style isn’t for everyone; we know plenty of runners, cyclists and swimmers that don’t enjoy the smartwatch-like feel of these displays. 

Like everything else, this one comes down to personal preference – and whether you want to take the hit on your new-ish FR955. As with other areas, we’ll elaborate on this more in due course.

Verdict: Which is best?

At least from what we know so far, the FR965 is without a doubt the better of these two watches. 

It offers the same training features in a slightly more premium design with much better display tech – all for just a small bump in price. With the potential for better battery life in some areas, too, it becomes very difficult to see how we’ll recommend the FR955 over it in most cases. 

However, that’s not to write off the FR955 entirely. As we say, the upgrades present in the FR965 won’t please everybody – and it could represent a perfect opportunity to reduce the outlay for some potential buyers. After all, you do get all the same features at your disposal.

Stay tuned for our full verdict in this area – we expect it to become much clearer following side-by-side testing.