Coros Pace 4 vs Garmin Forerunner 170: Battery or Garmin Pay?

The Coros Pace 4 and Garmin Forerunner 170 are aimed at the same shopper: a runner who wants AMOLED, GPS, and a sub-$300 price. They land in very different places once you look past the marketing pages, and the spec sheets do most of the arguing for you.

Key Differences

• Battery life is not close. The Pace 4 lasts 19 days in smartwatch mode and 41 hours with GPS on. The Forerunner 170 lasts 10 days and 20 hours. The Coros has roughly double the endurance in both modes.
• GPS hardware is a tier apart. Pace 4 uses multi-band GPS. The Forerunner 170 uses single-band. Multi-band is more accurate in cities, under tree cover, and on twisty trails.
• Payments split the watches. Garmin has NFC and Garmin Pay. Coros does not have NFC at all.
• Coros has a mic and speaker. The Forerunner 170 does not, so you cannot take calls or use voice commands from the wrist.
• Weight gap is real. The Pace 4 is 32g. The Forerunner 170 is 41g. That is about 28% heavier on a watch this small.
• Ecosystem is Garmin’s main weapon. Garmin Connect, ANT+ accessory support, and Garmin’s training-load and recovery tools are stronger than what Coros ships, even if the hardware is weaker.
• Price favors Coros. $249 vs $299.99 at launch.

Deep Dive Comparison

Design & Comfort

Both watches are 43mm fiber-reinforced polymer cases with 5 ATM water resistance, so neither is a beater you need to baby. The difference shows up on the scale. The Pace 4 weighs 32g and the Forerunner 170 weighs 41g. Nine grams sounds trivial until you wear one on a long run and the lighter watch quietly disappears on your wrist while the Garmin reminds you it is there. The two share an identical 1.2-inch AMOLED panel at 390 x 390, so screen quality is a tie.

Battery Life

This is the category Garmin loses outright. The Pace 4 advertises 456 hours (19 days) in smartwatch mode and 41 hours of multi-band GPS. The Forerunner 170 advertises 240 hours (10 days) in smartwatch mode and 20 hours of single-band GPS. Coros gives you nearly 2x the runtime in both modes, and that is with the better GPS chip turned on. If you train for marathons or ultras and want a watch you charge once a week and forget, the Pace 4 wins this on the spec sheet and in real-world planning.

Health & Fitness Features

Sensor lists are similar. Both ship optical heart rate, SpO2, barometric altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, and a thermometer. The Forerunner 170 adds an ambient light sensor for auto-brightness. The Pace 4 adds a 3D compass. Neither has ECG. The real fitness gap is GPS quality. Multi-band on the Pace 4 will hold a cleaner track in downtown areas, narrow canyons, and dense tree cover. Single-band on the Forerunner 170 is fine for open roads and tracks but will drift more than the Coros when conditions get rough. Where Garmin claws back ground is on the software side. Garmin Connect, daily suggested workouts, training readiness, and the broader Garmin Coach platform are deeper than what Coros offers out of the box, and the Forerunner 170 supports ANT+ so it pairs with chest straps, foot pods, and cycling power meters that some Coros users hit edge cases with.

Smart Features

The Pace 4 has a microphone and speaker, which means voice commands and the ability to take Bluetooth calls from the wrist when your phone is nearby. It also has Wi-Fi for faster syncs and updates, plus 4GB of storage for music. What it does not have is NFC, so there is no tap-to-pay. The Forerunner 170 flips the script. No mic, no speaker, no Wi-Fi, but it has NFC for Garmin Pay and ANT+ support. If paying for coffee from your wrist matters, only one of these watches does it. If voice and calls matter, only the other one does.

Price & Value

The Pace 4 launches at $249. The Forerunner 170 launches at $299.99. That is a $50 gap, and the cheaper watch is the one with longer battery, better GPS, lighter case, more connectivity, and a mic and speaker. The Garmin is not overpriced for what Garmin charges, it just lands in a tough spot next to a Coros that simply has more hardware for less money. The only way the Forerunner 170 wins on value is if you already live inside Garmin Connect and consider that ecosystem worth $50 plus the spec downgrades.

Technical Specs

Spec	Coros Pace 4	Garmin Forerunner 170
Launch Price	$249	$299.99
Case Size	43.4mm	43.0mm
Weight	32g	41g
Case Material	Fiber-reinforced polymer	Fiber-reinforced polymer
Water Rating	5 ATM	5 ATM
Display	1.2-inch AMOLED, 390 x 390	1.2-inch AMOLED, 390 x 390
Battery (Smartwatch)	456 hours (19 days)	240 hours (10 days)
Battery (GPS)	41 hours (1.7 days)	20 hours (0.8 days)
GPS	Multi-band	Single-band
Connectivity	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	Bluetooth, ANT+, NFC
NFC Payments	No	Yes
Mic / Speaker	Yes	No
Storage	4GB	4GB
Sensors	Optical HR, SpO2, Barometric Altimeter, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, 3D Compass, Thermometer	HR, SpO2, Barometric Altimeter, Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Thermometer, Ambient Light

The Verdict

The Coros Pace 4 wins this fight. It is lighter, cheaper, lasts roughly twice as long on a charge, uses better GPS hardware, and adds a mic and speaker. For most runners shopping in the sub-$300 AMOLED bracket, it is the smarter buy.

Buy the Coros Pace 4 if you want the longest battery, the most accurate GPS, and the lightest watch for the lowest price. It is the right pick for marathoners, ultrarunners, trail runners in tree cover, and anyone who hates charging.

Buy the Garmin Forerunner 170 if you already use Garmin Connect, want NFC payments on your wrist, or need ANT+ to pair with older chest straps and cycling sensors. The hardware is worse, but Garmin’s training software and ecosystem are the real reason to pay the premium.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which watch is better for marathon training?

The Coros Pace 4. It has 41 hours of multi-band GPS versus 20 hours of single-band on the Forerunner 170, so you can record a full marathon block, including long runs, without thinking about charging. The cleaner GPS track also matters when your pace data drives your training paces.

Does the Garmin Forerunner 170 have multi-band GPS like the Pace 4?

No. The Forerunner 170 is single-band GPS. The Pace 4 is multi-band, which is more accurate in cities, canyons, and tree cover. If GPS accuracy is a priority, the Pace 4 is the only watch in this matchup that delivers it.

Is the Forerunner 170 worth $50 more than the Coros Pace 4?

Only if you value Garmin Connect, Garmin Pay, and ANT+ accessory support enough to pay for them despite worse battery, weaker GPS, and a heavier case. On hardware alone, no, the Pace 4 is the better buy at $249. The premium is a tax on the ecosystem, not the watch.

Will the Coros Pace 4 work with iPhone and Android?

Yes. The Pace 4 pairs with both iPhone and Android through the Coros app over Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi handles larger syncs and firmware updates. The Forerunner 170 also supports both platforms through Garmin Connect, so phone compatibility is a wash between the two.

Can either watch take phone calls from the wrist?

Only the Coros Pace 4. It has both a microphone and a speaker, so you can take Bluetooth calls when your phone is in range. The Forerunner 170 has neither, so calls and voice commands from the wrist are not an option on Garmin’s side of this matchup.