A new Garmin watch is expected to arrive very soon, but it's not the long-awaited Fenix 8, or even a successor to the rugged Instinct 2. Instead, it seems we're about to see a new entry-level running watch with an AMOLED display, the Forerunner 165, which will sit somewhere between the Forerunner 55 and 265 in terms of specs and features.
The news comes via Florian of Fitness Tracker Test, who is often first to spot signs of upcoming launches, and was first to report on the Garmin Venu 3 before its official release last year. Although there are no images at present, Flo noticed the listings for several new devices on the company's site last week.
It looks like the Forerunner 165 will be a particularly small watch, with a case measuring only 43 x 43 x 11.6mm. That's almost exactly the same as the petite Forerunner 55, which is the same thickness and only 1mm smaller in diameter. Despite this, the 165 will have a much better screen. This will be a vibrant AMOLED display (a big upgrade from the 55's memory-in-pixel panel), with a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels compared to just 208 x 208 pixels for the Forerunner 55.
That improved screen uses more power, which means the new watch will have a slightly shorter battery life than the Forerunner 55 (11 days in smartwatch mode, compared to 14 for the older watch). That's still pretty impressive though, and far superior to the recently launched Garmin Lily 2, which runs for just five days on a full charge.
Forerunner 165 vs 265
I expect that the main difference between the Forerunner 165 and 265 will be multi-sports. The Forerunner 265 is a triathlon watch, with the ability to switch between swimming, cycling and running within a single activity. The 165 will likely track all of these sports individually, but not together. It also looks like the 165 will only come in one size, whereas the 265 comes in 42mm and 46mm diameter variants.
We can't confirm any of these details until the watch's official launch, and sometimes devices have been listed on the company's website accidentally, never to see the light of day. In March last year, I spotted a listing for a Garmin Instinct 2 EMS Edition on the UK site, which was subsequently removed and never mentioned again.
If the leaks are accurate though, it looks like the new watch could fill a niche that is currently occupied by devices like the Amazfit T-Rex Pro, catering to runners who want a bright, good looking screen and reliable GPS, but don't want to splash out too much cash.
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