The similarities are that each of those are Garmin watches that assist tons of exercises together with operating, biking, swimming, triathlons and lots of extra, and each of them additionally assist maps, which most cheaper Garmin watches haven’t got.
Nonetheless, the Fenix 8 is on the market in three sizes, a small 43mm one, a medium 47mm measurement, and an additional giant 51mm model, whereas the Forerunner 965 solely is available in one 47mm measurement that won’t match everybody as nicely. I personally have a smaller wrist, so the Forerunner 965 can be too large for me, so you must hold that under consideration.
With these fundamental details set, let us take a look at the Fenix 8 vs Forerunner 965 specs variations:
| Fenix 8 47mm |
Forerunner 965 47mm |
|---|---|
| Display measurement 1.4-inch AMOLED (no photo voltaic) 1.3-inch MIP (photo voltaic) |
Display measurement 1.4-inch AMOLED |
| Dimensions 47 x 13.8mm (AMOLED) 47 x 15.2mm (photo voltaic) |
Dimensions 47.2mm x 13.2mm |
| Weight 73g (52g solely case) for AMOLED 80g (57g solely case) for MIP/photo voltaic |
Weight 53g solely case |
| Sensor Elevate Gen 5 |
Sensor Elevate Gen 4 |
| Battery Life 7 days (At all times-on) 16 days (No always-on) 23 days (Battery saver) 30 hours (All Sat techniques) |
Battery Life 7 days (At all times-on) 23 days (No always-on) |
| Photo voltaic Supported |
Photo voltaic Not supported |
| Costs $1,000 for glass $1,100 for sapphire |
Costs $600 (typically on sale for $500 or much less) |
Additionally learn:
What are the variations as soon as once more?
The Fenix 8 is extra premium with a metallic plate, plus you need to use it for diving
The primary one is the design and construct high quality. Each the Fenix 8 and the Forerunner 965 have a metallic bezel, however the physique and backside a part of the Forerunner are plastic, whereas the Fenix has a fiber strengthened case with a metallic rear cowl, so it is extra sturdy.
Curiously, the burden is virtually the identical at round 52 grams.
The Forerunner is barely out there with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX, whereas the Fenix 8 is obtainable in a selection of Gorilla Glass or for $100 extra – sapphire, which is what we suggest. Sapphire is way more immune to scratches so you’ll hold your resale worth higher.
The display measurement is identical at 1.4 inches on each and the decision can be similar at 454 x 454 pixels.
Oh, and solely the Fenix 8 has a built-in actual flashlight, a extremely cool additional.
Exercises / Exercise Profile Variations
Each watches assist a lot of the similar kinds of exercises, however there are a number of exceptions associated to water sports activities.
First, it is diving on the whole. Within the dive train group you will see that Scuba Diving (single gasoline), Apnea Diving, and the Depth App, and people are solely out there on the Fenix 8.
The Forerunner 965 additionally does NOT assist Browsing, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Fishing, Boating, Crusing, Water Snowboarding, Wakeboarding, Wakesurfing, Tubing, Snorkeling, Whitewater.
These selections appear to be additionally associated to the water safety ranking on these two gadgets. The Forerunner 965 just isn’t dive licensed and is barely rated at 5ATM, whereas the Fenix 8 is and is rated at 10ATM and you may dive right down to 40 meters with it (which is the place most dives happen).
There are a number of particular person exercises additionally that Garmin retains unique to the Fenix 8 equivalent to Impediment Working, however we think about there may be not an enormous neighborhood of individuals engaged in a lot of these sports activities.
Garmin Stats and Metrics
In the case of the foremost Garmin metrics that you simply need to have, most of them can be found on each the Forerunner 965 and Fenix 8.
Each of them assist the next cool options:
- Physique Battery – primarily based in your sleep, you get an estimation in your power stage after which this quantity drains all through the day primarily based in your exercise.
- Coaching Readiness – a quantity particularly devoted to your readiness to tackle a exercise.
- Coaching Standing – stats that present you the way your physique is reacting to your coaching and whether or not you is perhaps at risk of overtraining or undertraining.
Coronary heart Charge, HRV and different metrics
How correct your readings are relies upon rather a lot on the standard of the guts fee sensor, and there’s a distinction between these two.
The Forerunner 965 makes use of the older Garmin Elevate Gen 4 sensor, whereas the Fenix 8 will get the newer Elevate V5, which is meant to be extra correct in numerous actions.
Based mostly on our anecdotal proof with each sensors, we will see a slight enhance in accuracy with the nwere Elevate Gen 5 sensor, however we’d not low cost the Forerunner 965 simply due to its older sensor. It is nonetheless fairly correct and let’s remind ourselves that no wrist-based sensor is kind of nearly as good as a chest strap for HR monitoring.
Which one do you have to purchase?
We love the premium design of the Fenix 8, however truthfully, it is laborious to justify its $1,000 worth for most individuals when you will get 95% of the performance with the wonderful Forerunner 965 at actually half the worth.
The rationale to think about the Fenix 8 is if in case you have a smaller wrist or the other, if you would like an excessive, additional giant watch with equally excessive battery life.
There are a number of exercise sorts which are additionally unique to the Fenix 8, and the foremost one is clearly diving. So for the divers on the market, the Fenix may truly seem to be a greater deal than the even pricier Garmin Descent watch / dive laptop.
However for the runners, cyclists, swimmers, triathlon opponents and people engaged in much less aggressive sports activities, the Forerunner 965 looks as if the way more good choice.