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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 16, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerGarmin Forerunner 965 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: which is the right fit? We cover performance, value, and use cases to make the call easier.
Ratings: 4.7★ vs 4.5★
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Garmin Forerunner 965
★4.7
(1,717)•Amazon
Compatibility:iPhone, Android (Garmin Connect app required)
Operating System:Garmin OS (Proprietary)
Case Size:47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm
Case Material:Fiber-reinforced polymer case; Titanium bezel; Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX lens
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Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
★4.5
(6,385)•Amazon
Compatibility:Android 11.0 or higher with 1.5GB+ RAM; Samsung Galaxy phone required for Energy Score, ECG, Sleep Apnea, and IHRN features
Operating System:Wear OS 5 powered by Samsung (One UI 6 Watch)
Case Size:44mm (44.4 x 44.4 x 9.7 mm) or 40mm (40.4 x 40.4 x 9.7 mm)
Case Material:Armor Aluminum 2 case; Sapphire Crystal glass
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Comparison: Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Garmin Forerunner 965
★4.7(1,717)Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
★4.5(6,385)Amazon
| Criterion | Garmin Forerunner 965 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.7(1,717)Amazon | ★4.5(6,385)Amazon |
Compatibility | iPhone, Android (Garmin Connect app required) | Android 11.0 or higher with 1.5GB+ RAM; Samsung Galaxy phone required for Energy Score, ECG, Sleep Apnea, and IHRN features |
Operating System | Garmin OS (Proprietary) | Wear OS 5 powered by Samsung (One UI 6 Watch) |
Case Size | 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm | 44mm (44.4 x 44.4 x 9.7 mm) or 40mm (40.4 x 40.4 x 9.7 mm) |
Case Material | Fiber-reinforced polymer case; Titanium bezel; Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX lens | Armor Aluminum 2 case; Sapphire Crystal glass |
Display Type | AMOLED; Always-On Mode available | Super AMOLED; Always-On Display; Peak brightness 2000 nits |
Display Size | 1.4 in (35.4 mm) diameter | 1.5 in (44mm) / 1.3 in (40mm) |
Resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 480 x 480 pixels (44mm); 432 x 432 pixels (40mm) |
Always On Display | Yes (optional) | Yes |
Water Resistance | 5 ATM (water pressure equivalent to 50 meters); Swimproof | 5 ATM + IP68 (water resistant up to 50 meters for 10 min) |
Durability | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX lens; Titanium bezel adds rigidity | MIL-STD-810H certified; Dust tight (IP68) |
GPS | Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology; GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | Dual-frequency GPS (L1+L5); Glonass; Beidou; Galileo |
Connectivity | Bluetooth; ANT+; Wi-Fi | LTE (optional); Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz; Bluetooth 5.3; NFC |
NFC Payments | Garmin Pay | Samsung Wallet / Google Wallet |
Sensors | Elevate Gen 4 optical heart rate sensor; Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor; Barometric altimeter; Compass; Gyroscope; Accelerometer; Thermometer; Ambient light sensor | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Bio-signal + Electrical Heart + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis); Temperature sensor; Accelerometer; Barometer; Gyro sensor; Geomagnetic sensor; Light sensor |
Health Features | Morning Report; Training Readiness; HRV Status; Sleep Score; Body Battery; Pulse Ox; Women’s Health Tracking; Health Snapshot | Energy Score; Sleep Apnea detection (FDA authorized); AGEs Index; Body Composition (BIA); ECG; Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification; Cycle Tracking with skin temperature; Sleep coaching |
Workout Modes | Triathlon; Duathlon; Brick Workouts; Track Run; Ultra Run; Virtual Run; Cycling (Road, MTB, Gravel, eBike); Swimming (Pool, Open Water); Hiking; Strength; HIIT; Yoga; Pilates | Advanced Run Coaching; Race (compete against past results); Track Back; Custom Interval Training; Swimming (Pool & Open Water); Cycling; Hiking; Circuit Training; and 100+ others via Samsung Health |
Storage | 32GB | 32GB |
Speaker Mic | None (Audio prompts via connected Bluetooth headphones only) | Speaker; Microphone |
Calls | No (Can accept/decline calls to control phone; Android users can send text replies) | Yes (LTE standalone or via paired phone) |
Battery | Smartwatch mode: Up to 23 days; GPS Only: Up to 31 hours; SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS: Up to 22 hours; All-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band: Up to 19 hours | 425 mAh (44mm) / 300 mAh (40mm); Up to 40 hours (AOD off); Up to 30 hours (AOD on) |
Charging | Garmin proprietary plug charger (USB-C cable included) | Fast Wireless Charging (WPC Inductive); 0-45% in approx. 30 mins |
Weight | 53 g | 33.8 g (44mm) / 28.8 g (40mm) (Body only) |
Band Sizes | Fits wrists 135–205 mm (Silicone band included); Compatible with 22mm QuickFit bands (requires tool to remove original pin) | Fits 20mm standard bands (One Click system) |
Extras | Preloaded TopoActive Maps; Full-color mapping navigation; Garmin Music (Spotify/Deezer/Amazon Music offline); PacePro; ClimbPro; Real-time Stamina | Exynos W1000 (3nm) Processor; Galaxy AI features (Smart Reply, Voice-to-Text summaries); Double Pinch gesture |
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Garmin Forerunner 965
Rating:★4.7(1,717)Amazon
Compatibility:iPhone, Android (Garmin Connect app required)
Operating System:Garmin OS (Proprietary)
Case Size:47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm
Case Material:Fiber-reinforced polymer case; Titanium bezel; Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX lens
Display Type:AMOLED; Always-On Mode available
Display Size:1.4 in (35.4 mm) diameter
Resolution:454 x 454 pixels
Always On Display:Yes (optional)
Water Resistance:5 ATM (water pressure equivalent to 50 meters); Swimproof
Durability:Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX lens; Titanium bezel adds rigidity
GPS:Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology; GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
Connectivity:Bluetooth; ANT+; Wi-Fi
NFC Payments:Garmin Pay
Sensors:Elevate Gen 4 optical heart rate sensor; Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor; Barometric altimeter; Compass; Gyroscope; Accelerometer; Thermometer; Ambient light sensor
Health Features:Morning Report; Training Readiness; HRV Status; Sleep Score; Body Battery; Pulse Ox; Women’s Health Tracking; Health Snapshot
Workout Modes:Triathlon; Duathlon; Brick Workouts; Track Run; Ultra Run; Virtual Run; Cycling (Road, MTB, Gravel, eBike); Swimming (Pool, Open Water); Hiking; Strength; HIIT; Yoga; Pilates
Storage:32GB
Speaker Mic:None (Audio prompts via connected Bluetooth headphones only)
Calls:No (Can accept/decline calls to control phone; Android users can send text replies)
Battery:Smartwatch mode: Up to 23 days; GPS Only: Up to 31 hours; SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS: Up to 22 hours; All-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band: Up to 19 hours
Charging:Garmin proprietary plug charger (USB-C cable included)
Weight:53 g
Band Sizes:Fits wrists 135–205 mm (Silicone band included); Compatible with 22mm QuickFit bands (requires tool to remove original pin)
Extras:Preloaded TopoActive Maps; Full-color mapping navigation; Garmin Music (Spotify/Deezer/Amazon Music offline); PacePro; ClimbPro; Real-time Stamina
✓ Pros:
- • Bright, high-resolution 1.4" AMOLED makes maps easy to read
- • Lightweight (53g) and slim profile ideal for racing and sleep
- • Excellent battery life (23 days) eclipses most AMOLED competitors
- • Titanium bezel adds a premium feel to the lightweight chassis
- • Native running power and advanced metrics (Training Readiness) built-in
✗ Cons:
- • Uses older Elevate Gen 4 sensor (lacks ECG hardware found in Fenix 8)
- • No built-in microphone or speaker for voice notes/calls
- • Water resistance is 5 ATM (standard) vs 10 ATM on Fenix/Epix
- • Stock strap uses a non-QuickFit pin system (requires tool to swap to QuickFit)
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Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Rating:★4.5(6,385)Amazon
Compatibility:Android 11.0 or higher with 1.5GB+ RAM; Samsung Galaxy phone required for Energy Score, ECG, Sleep Apnea, and IHRN features
Operating System:Wear OS 5 powered by Samsung (One UI 6 Watch)
Case Size:44mm (44.4 x 44.4 x 9.7 mm) or 40mm (40.4 x 40.4 x 9.7 mm)
Case Material:Armor Aluminum 2 case; Sapphire Crystal glass
Display Type:Super AMOLED; Always-On Display; Peak brightness 2000 nits
Display Size:1.5 in (44mm) / 1.3 in (40mm)
Resolution:480 x 480 pixels (44mm); 432 x 432 pixels (40mm)
Always On Display:Yes
Water Resistance:5 ATM + IP68 (water resistant up to 50 meters for 10 min)
Durability:MIL-STD-810H certified; Dust tight (IP68)
GPS:Dual-frequency GPS (L1+L5); Glonass; Beidou; Galileo
Connectivity:LTE (optional); Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz; Bluetooth 5.3; NFC
NFC Payments:Samsung Wallet / Google Wallet
Sensors:Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Bio-signal + Electrical Heart + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis); Temperature sensor; Accelerometer; Barometer; Gyro sensor; Geomagnetic sensor; Light sensor
Health Features:Energy Score; Sleep Apnea detection (FDA authorized); AGEs Index; Body Composition (BIA); ECG; Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification; Cycle Tracking with skin temperature; Sleep coaching
Workout Modes:Advanced Run Coaching; Race (compete against past results); Track Back; Custom Interval Training; Swimming (Pool & Open Water); Cycling; Hiking; Circuit Training; and 100+ others via Samsung Health
Storage:32GB
Speaker Mic:Speaker; Microphone
Calls:Yes (LTE standalone or via paired phone)
Battery:425 mAh (44mm) / 300 mAh (40mm); Up to 40 hours (AOD off); Up to 30 hours (AOD on)
Charging:Fast Wireless Charging (WPC Inductive); 0-45% in approx. 30 mins
Weight:33.8 g (44mm) / 28.8 g (40mm) (Body only)
Band Sizes:Fits 20mm standard bands (One Click system)
Extras:Exynos W1000 (3nm) Processor; Galaxy AI features (Smart Reply, Voice-to-Text summaries); Double Pinch gesture
✓ Pros:
- • Significantly faster performance with new 3nm Exynos W1000 chip
- • Dual-frequency GPS improves tracking accuracy in cities
- • New health metrics: Sleep Apnea, AGEs Index, and Energy Score
- • Double the storage (32GB) compared to Watch 6
- • Lightweight and comfortable Armor Aluminum design
✗ Cons:
- • Battery life remains roughly 1 day with heavy use (requires daily charging)
- • Advanced health features (ECG, Apnea) strictly require Samsung phones
- • Charging speed is decent but slower than some competitors
- • Design is virtually identical to the previous generation
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Which one is better?
Looking at user satisfaction (Garmin Forerunner 965: 4.7★ vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: 4.5★), Garmin Forerunner 965 pulls ahead. The gap is small—choose based on the priorities below.
Who should buy each?
Expert take:
- Garmin Forerunner 965 suits buyers who need Bright, high-resolution 1.4" AMOLED makes maps easy to read, Lightweight (53g) and slim profile ideal for racing and sleep
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 suits buyers who want Significantly faster performance with new 3nm Exynos W1000 chip, Dual-frequency GPS improves tracking accuracy in cities
Conclusion
We hope this comparison helps you buy with confidence. Both products are dependable; the right one depends on how you will use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Garmin Forerunner 965 excels if you value bright, high-resolution 1.4" amoled makes maps easy to read. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is better if you prioritize significantly faster performance with new 3nm exynos w1000 chip. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
Affiliate disclosure
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