Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch8
The Verdict
The Garmin Forerunner 965 and Samsung Galaxy Watch8 sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 is the cheaper of the two at $300 versus $599, a difference of about $299. The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Garmin Forerunner 965 stands out for 23-day battery life in smartwatch mode for serious endurance athletes, while Samsung Galaxy Watch8 is praised for thinnest galaxy watch at 8.6mm. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Garmin Forerunner 965 if…
- →23-day battery life in smartwatch mode for serious endurance athletes
- →First Forerunner with AMOLED display — bright and easy to read
- →Multi-band GPS with SatIQ for highly accurate outdoor tracking
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 if…
- →Thinnest Galaxy Watch at 8.6mm
- →3nm Exynos W1000 processor
- →3000 nits peak brightness
Pros & Cons
Garmin Forerunner 965
Pros
- 23-day battery life in smartwatch mode for serious endurance athletes
- First Forerunner with AMOLED display — bright and easy to read
- Multi-band GPS with SatIQ for highly accurate outdoor tracking
- Advanced running metrics: running power, VO2 max, race predictor
- Garmin Pay NFC and music storage for offline playback
Cons
- No ECG sensor
- No cellular connectivity
- Garmin OS app ecosystem is very limited compared to Wear OS or watchOS
- Expensive at $599 for a running-focused device
Samsung Galaxy Watch8
Pros
- Thinnest Galaxy Watch at 8.6mm
- 3nm Exynos W1000 processor
- 3000 nits peak brightness
- Wear OS 6 with Gemini AI assistant
- Dual-frequency GPS
Cons
- $300 starting price for base model
- Battery life varies heavily with AOD
- Limited third-party watch face selection on Wear OS
Full Specifications
| Spec | Garmin Forerunner 965 | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Garmin OS | Wear OS 6 with Gemini |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 53 g | 28.8 g (40mm) |
| Case material | Fiber-reinforced polymer with titanium bezel | Armor Aluminum |
| Water resistance | 10 ATM | 5ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810H |
| Health & Sensors | ||
| ECG | ||
| SpO₂ | ||
| Skin temperature | ||
| Heart rate | ||
| Sleep tracking | ||
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 23 days smartwatch mode, 31 hrs GPS | Up to 40 hours |
| Display | ||
| Size | 1.4 inch | 40mm / 44mm |
| Type | AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Always-on display | ||
| Resolution | 454 x 454 | 480 x 480 (44mm) |
| Processor | ||
| Chipset | Garmin proprietary | Exynos W1000 (3nm) |
| RAM | — | 2 GB |
| Connectivity | ||
| GPS | ||
| NFC | ||
| Wi-Fi | ||
| Cellular | ||
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.3 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
Explore more in smartwatches, see all Garmin products or all Samsung products. View full details for the Garmin Forerunner 965 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch8.