I’ve rated the Garmin Forerunner 970 as the best Garmin watch available since it launched, even ahead of the Garmin Fenix 8, because the 970 is lighter and sleeker than Garmin’s flagship adventure watch while having the same great sports features.
The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro has recently launched and now sits at the top of the brand’s range, offering LTE and satellite connectivity as a key upgrade on the standard Fenix 8.
I’ve been testing out the Fenix 8 Pro in recent weeks and wore both it and the Forerunner 970 to race a half-marathon at the weekend to test out the GPS accuracy and battery life on both models, and how the design compares.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Price
The Garmin Forerunner 970 comes in one size and costs $749.99. It launched in May 2025 and is available in three colors — black, white and grey/gold.
The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro launched in September 2025, and there are AMOLED and MicroLED versions of the watch. I’ve been testing the AMOLED model, which is the cheaper option and costs $1199.99 or $1299.99, compared with $1999.99 for the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED.
There are two sizes of the AMOLED model — 47mm and 51mm — while the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED only comes in the larger 51mm size.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Garmin Forerunner 970 | Garmin Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED | Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED |
Price | $749 | $1199-$1299 | $1999 |
Size | 47mm | 47mm or 51mm | 51mm |
Thickness | 12.9mm | 16mm (47mm), 16.5mm (51mm) | 17.5mm |
Weight | 56g | 77g (47mm), 90g (51mm) | 68g |
Display | Sapphire crystal | Sapphire crystal | Sapphire crystal |
Connectivity | None | LTE & satellite | LTE & satellite |
Smartwatch battery life (raise-to-wake) | 15 days | 15 days (47mm), 27 days (51m) | 10 days |
Smartwatch battery life (always-on) | 8 days | 8 days (47mm), 15 days (51mm) | 4 days |
GPS battery life (all-systems) | 23 hours | 26 hours (47mm), 47 hours (51mm) | 16 hours |
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Design
The Forerunner 970 is a slimmer and lighter watch than the Fenix 8 Pro. It has a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal screen to increase durability, but it is mostly plastic to keep it light, and I preferred the feel of the 970 on my wrist during the race compared with the bulkier Fenix 8 Pro.
However, the extra durability and thicker metal case of the Fenix 8 Pro are welcome at times outside of workouts, and will make it better suited for more adventurous activities. It also has a higher waterproof rating and is diveproof, and in general, feels more solid and durable than the Forerunner 970.
As someone with thinner wrists who mainly just runs for my workouts, the Forerunner 970 design suits me better, especially as it now has the useful built-in flashlight that was only available on the Fenix and Instinct models in the past.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: GPS accuracy
The Pleshey Half Marathon takes place on countryside lanes in Essex in the south east of England, and given the open environment, I expected pretty much flawless GPS accuracy from both watches, which I had set to the most accurate multi-band mode.
Flawless accuracy is what I got. Both logged exactly 13.1miles in total, and since this wasn’t a crowded race, I was able to run more or less the perfect racing line, so the distance should be spot on.
Looking at the GPS tracks, there were no errors from either watch, and the split pace accuracy was consistent throughout the race as well, helping me to pace my effort consistently.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Connectivity
This is the key new feature Garmin introduced on the Fenix 8 Pro, which has LTE and satellite connectivity you can use when you don’t carry your phone with you. You need a Garmin subscription for these services, which include being able to send and receive messages and make calls, send SOS alerts, and also use Garmin’s LiveTrack feature.
These features are most useful for those heading for the wilderness with their watch, but also have some handy applications for road running events, I’ve found.
LiveTrack in particular is a useful feature for races, because once set up, it will alert selected contacts that you’ve started your event, and then they can track you during the race. It does reduce battery life, but the Fenix 8 Pro still offers enough juice for most events, even with LiveTrack active.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Battery life
Using LiveTrack during the race meant that the Fenix 8 Pro drained at a faster rate than the Forerunner 970. I had both watches in the most accurate and power-intensive multi-band GPS mode, and the screens were set to always-on and the maximum brightness.
According to the DCR Analyzer, the Forerunner 970 drained at a rate of 3.69% per hour, which would result in 27 hours of tracking in total. The Fenix 8 Pro drained at a rate of 6.46% per hour, which would result in 15.5 hours of total tracking.
Both watches actually outlasted Garmin’s estimates comfortably — the Fenix 8 Pro should last 11 hours in this mode, and the Forerunner 970 should last 21 hours. In other tests I’ve done, both watches have been more in line with Garmin’s estimates, so this seems an unusually good day.
In my day-to-day testing of the two watches, I’ve found they both last five days or so on a charge with the screen always-on, running every day, and they offer similar GPS battery life if you don’t use the connectivity features on the Fenix 8 Pro.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Verdict
When I compared the standard Garmin Fenix 8 vs. Garmin Forerunner 970, I landed in favor of the Forerunner 970 because of its slimmer, lighter design and lower price. Those advantages are even more prominent when compared to the Fenix 8 Pro, which is pricier and thicker than the standard Fenix 8, and I preferred the Forerunner 970 during the half-marathon.
However, you do get the added bonus of satellite connectivity with the Fenix 8 Pro, though, and this will be a vital feature for those regularly in the great outdoors, who will also benefit from the watch’s more durable design.
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