Garmin Forerunner 265 Discounted 38% to AU$498 on Amazon Australia, TechRadar Calls It the Better Buy Over New Forerunner 170

The discount takes the Forerunner 265 to its all-time low on Amazon, roughly AU$50 cheaper than during recent sales events such as end-of-financial-year promotions and Prime Day, according to TechRadar. The smaller 42mm Forerunner 265S is available at the same price and in a wider range of colours.

The Forerunner 265 was the first small Forerunner model to carry a touchscreen AMOLED display, replacing the monochrome memory-in-pixel screen of its predecessor, which TechRadar said gives it a look and feel closer to an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch. It also uses dual-band, or multi-frequency, GPS for high-precision tracking in dense cities or under heavy tree cover, and Garmin rates its battery life at 13 days. It arrives in a 46mm case, with the 265S measuring 42mm, and includes on-watch music storage.

The newer Forerunner 170 is priced at AU$479, or AU$549 for the Music version. It comes only in a single 43mm size and relies on single-frequency multi-GNSS tracking, which TechRadar described as technically inferior to the 265's dual-band system. A TechRadar colleague, Matt Evans, tested the 170 and found it very accurate, while the publication's deals writer praised the Music edition for phoneless short runs and activities, describing the watch as light, small and strong on performance and smart features.

TechRadar's review of the Forerunner 265 named it the best running watch for most people in 2023. The review's biggest criticism was the price increase over the previous generation and a slight drop in battery life, which the publication attributed to the switch to an AMOLED display. According to TechRadar, the current discount addresses the pricing complaint.

TechRadar's account is a single-source assessment of the two watches and the Amazon Australia listing; the figures cited are in Australian dollars and reflect pricing at the time of publication.