So you’re looking for a new smartwatch and you’re trying to decide between the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Garmin Forerunner 265. Both are excellent watches, and will do far more than just count your steps or record your workouts, but which is the best for you?
I’ve been testing the best smartwatches for the past nine years, and below, I’ve put the two watches head to head to help you answer this question.
Before I jump into the comparison, it’s worth noting that if you’re an Android user, this decision could be a pretty simple one. None of the best Apple Watches on the market will connect to an Android phone, so you’re better off investing in the Garmin Forerunner 265, which will connect via the Garmin Connect app, which is available in the Google Play Store.
If you’re looking for more in-depth information about either watch, there’s an Apple Watch Series 10 review and a Garmin Forerunner 265 review already here on Tom’s Guide.
Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Forerunner 265: Price and availability
The Garmin Forerunner 265 was released on March 2, 2023. The Forerunner 265 costs $449/£429. Like other iterations of this watch, the Forerunner 265 comes in two different display sizes (more on this below). As the Forerunner 265 is a few years old now, you’re likely to find it on sale from third-party retailers.
The Apple Watch 10 launched on September 20, 2024. The Apple Watch 10 price starts at $399 for the 42mm size and increases to $499 if you want cellular support. The larger 46mm model starts at $429 and increases to $529 for cellular. These prices reflect the aluminum models. As it’s been a while since the release, you’re likely to find the Apple Watch 10 on offer.
Winner: Apple Watch 10 — full price, the 42mm Apple Watch 10 is more affordable than the Garmin Forerunner 265. You’re likely to find both watches on sale now, but it looks like the Apple Watch is still more affordable for those on a budget.
Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Forerunner 265: Design and display
The Apple Watch 10 and Garmin Forerunner 265 look pretty different. Let’s start with the Apple Watch — as mentioned above, there are two different screen sizes, a 42mm and a 46mm. Compared to the Apple Watch Series 9, the screen is 9% larger. The display is Apple's first with wide-angle OLED technology, which is 40% brighter when it comes to off-angle viewing compared to the traditional OLED screen used for previous Apple Watch models.
The new Apple Watch is also the thinnest yet at 9.7mm, which is 10% thinner than the Series 9. It’s also 10% lighter in weight (for the aluminum versions) — the 42mm version weighs 30g, and the 46mm version weighs 36.4g. The screen has a resolution of 446 x 374 pixels in the 42mm version, and 496 x 416 in the 46mm watch.
Like all of the best Apple Watches, the watch has a square design with rounded corners. On the side, you’ll spot the familiar digital crown and side button, which are used in conjunction with the touchscreen to navigate the device. Unlike the Apple Watch Ultra 2, there’s no Action Button here.
The Garmin Forerunner 265, on the other hand, looks like most of the best Garmin watches — it has a round face, with five buttons to help you navigate around the watch, three on the left, two on the right.
The start/stop button has been made slightly bigger on the Forerunner 265 compared to previous iterations, making it easier to press the button with sweaty fingers mid-run.
The Garmin Forerunner 265 has a bright, beautiful AMOLED display, similar to that used on the Garmin Epix 2. The resolution of the Forerunner 265 is 416 x 416 pixels, and 360 x 360 on the 265S. It also has a touchscreen, which is extremely responsive, and makes it easier to navigate around the watch when you’re not running. The touchscreen is automatically turned off during activities, although this can be changed in the settings.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 265 — this one is tricky to call, and beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. The Apple Watch 10 is, by far, the most comfortable Apple Watch I’ve ever worn, and the screen is brighter than the Garmin Forerunner 265. That said, from a running perspective, the Garmin Forerunner 265 is just easier to use thanks to the side buttons that allow you to start, stop and pause your run without using the touchscreen.
Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Forerunner 265: Battery life
Here’s where the Apple Watch falls down as a fitness tracker. Like previous iterations, the Apple Watch 10 has the same 18-hour battery life as every Apple Watch before it. Though I wish, 10 years later, the Apple Watch could last more than a day on a charge, Apple has made charging even faster with its newest watch.
The Apple Watch Series 10 can charge to 80% in just 30 minutes, and in 15 minutes, you'll get 8 hours of normal use. Low power mode extends the battery life up to 36 hours. You can still do a workout, but GPS and heart rate monitoring might not be as accurate.
The 265, on the other hand, has a 15-day battery life in smartwatch mode and a 24-hour battery life in GPS mode. The 265 has 13 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours in GPS mode. Normally, it’s the larger of the two watches that has the longer battery life, but it seems with the bigger and brighter screen, the larger 265 will need charging ever so slightly sooner. The watch takes around two hours to fully charge, but obviously, you’ll need to do so a lot less than the Apple Watch Series 10.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 265 — It’s no surprise that Garmin wins this one. If you’re as forgetful as I am when it comes to charging your devices, or you’re training for a multi-day adventure, Garmin is the way to go.
Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Forerunner 265: Health and fitness features
Both watches are designed to be worn 24/7, and as I said in the intro, both will do a lot more than just track your workouts. In addition to the health and wellness upgrades baked into watchOS 11, the Apple Watch Series 10 offers sleep apnea detection. (The feature is available on Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches as well).
Like previous Apple Watches, the Series 10 has a skin temperature sensor, which is used for more accurate sleep monitoring and ovulation tracking. There’s also an ECG app that can send you high and low heart rate notifications and irregular heart rhythm notifications. For now, the Blood Oxygen app is disabled due to alleged patent infringements relating to the devices’ blood oxygen monitoring back in October of 2023.
From a fitness perspective, the Apple Watch 10 has everything you need. It can track pretty much every sport out there, and the good thing about Apple is it offers frequent software updates. There’s still a focus on closing your rings, and the watch reminds you to keep moving and standing throughout the day.
The Garmin Forerunner 265, on the other hand, has the same experience we’ve come to know and love from Garmin. The Forerunner 265 has Garmin’s latest Elevate V4 sensor — the green light records heart rate, the red light records blood oxygen levels (referred to as Pulse Ox on the watch).
This sensor is used to calculate breathing rate, HRV, and stress. It also has Garmin’s Morning Report feature, which gives you a snapshot into how well you slept, how hard you’ve been training, and a look at the weather for the day ahead. The Forerunner 265 also has some of Garmin’s most premium features, including the Training Readiness score.
Of course, the main reason you buy a sports watch is to help keep track of your training. The Forerunner 265 still excels from this standpoint — there’s still the multisport mode, it still tracks just about every sport under the sun, and you can still customize every data screen from your phone, or the watch itself. The Forerunner 265 also allows you to look at metrics like cadence, stride length, and ground contact time from your wrist, without the need to download apps, or use other equipment. You can also download a Garmin Coach plan to your wrist or receive daily suggested workouts.
Both watches allow you to track your menstrual cycle and pregnancy from your wrist, although Apple has a slight advantage here, as you can connect it to apps like Natural Cycles, whereas you can’t with Garmin.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 265 — From a health and fitness perspective, the Garmin gives you a lot more data and a lot more options to track different sports.
Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Forerunner 265: Smartwatch features
There’s no doubt about it, the Apple Watch 10 is the obvious choice if you’re looking for a smartwatch.
It acts as an extension of your iPhone on your wrist — you can read and respond to messages on the move (here’s how to respond to Whatsapps from your Apple Watch). The list of apps is pretty much endless, and with cellular support, you can also make and receive phone calls on your wrist.
On the other hand, the Garmin Forerunner allows you to see your phone’s notifications (you can only respond to text messages if the Forerunner 265 is connected to an Android phone), pay using Garmin Pay, check the weather, and view your calendar, but that’s about it. You can download different watch faces, or different apps from the Garmin app store, but these are pretty basic.
Winner: Apple Watch 10 — There’s a reason why the Apple Watch 10 is one of the best smartwatches on the market. If you’re looking for a watch that’ll allow you to stay connected on the move without your phone, this is the one to buy.
Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Forerunner 265: Which should you buy?
The answer to this question really depends on what you’re looking for from your watch. If you want to record the odd run or Pilates class, but then call your mom on the way home, and pay for your coffee from your wrist, I’d say you’ll get far more from the Apple Watch 10 than the Garmin Forerunner 265.
On the other hand, if you’re training for your first marathon, the Garmin Forerunner 265 provides more activity profiles, more training tools, and data feedback, all with a beautiful display.
The question here is whether you want a smartwatch or a sports watch. If it’s the latter and you’re wedded to the idea of owning an Apple Watch, take a look at the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which has the addition of an Action Button and diving modes.
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