Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Garmin Forerunner 570: $100 More for ECG & Calls?

The Forerunner 570 replaces the 265 in Garmin’s mid-tier running lineup. That’s the headline. If you’re a brand-new buyer with no allegiance to either watch, the 570 is the default recommendation — it’s newer, better-built, and will get firmware love for years longer. The real question is whether existing 265 owners should upgrade, and whether the 265 is now a screaming deal at its post-launch street price.

Key Differences

• Screen: The 570 jumps to a 1.4-inch, 454 x 454 AMOLED. The 265 sits at 1.3-inch, 416 x 416. Side by side, the 570 looks noticeably crisper.
• Build: The 570 adds an aluminum bezel over the polymer case. The 265 is all polymer.
• Mic and speaker: The 570 has them; the 265 does not. That means on-wrist calls and voice assistant on the 570 only.
• ECG: The 570 includes ECG for heart rhythm checks. The 265 does not.
• Battery: The 265 wins — 13 days smartwatch and 20 hours multi-band GPS, vs 11 days and 18 hours on the 570.
• Weight: The 570 is 3 grams heavier (50g vs 47g) and 0.9mm wider.
• Price: The 570 launched at $549, the 265 at $449. Street pricing on the 265 is now well below MSRP.

Deep Dive Comparison

Design & Comfort

Both watches use a fiber-reinforced polymer case, but the 570 wraps it in an aluminum bezel that reads more premium on the wrist. The 570 is also slightly larger at 47.0mm vs 46.1mm and a touch heavier at 50g vs 47g. For most runners, that 3-gram difference is invisible during a workout. The bigger screen is the more noticeable design change — text and maps simply have more room to breathe on the 570.

Battery Life

This is the one category where the 265 actually wins, and it’s not close. The 265 hits 13 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours of multi-band GPS. The 570 drops to 11 days and 18 hours. Same battery chemistry, bigger and brighter display — that’s the trade. For weekend marathoners, both will survive race day. For ultra runners pushing 15-plus hours, the 265 has the safer margin.

Health & Fitness Features

Both watches share the core Garmin running stack: multi-band GPS, wrist heart rate, SpO2, barometric altimeter, and the full Garmin training metrics suite — Training Readiness, Training Status, race predictor, and recovery time. The 570 adds ECG for on-demand heart rhythm checks, which is genuinely useful for anyone tracking AFib risk. GPS accuracy on both is excellent thanks to multi-band; the 570 is not measurably more accurate, just newer.

Smart Features

This is where the 570 pulls ahead clearly. The mic and speaker mean you can take Bluetooth calls from your wrist when your phone is nearby, and use Garmin’s voice assistant for replies and commands. The 265 has neither. Both watches handle Garmin Pay NFC, music storage on 8GB, smart notifications, and offline maps. If you take a lot of calls and don’t always have headphones in, the 570’s hardware is a real quality-of-life upgrade.

Price & Value

The 570 launched at $549. The 265 launched at $449 in 2023 and now regularly sees street prices in the $349 to $399 range. That makes the practical gap closer to $150–$200, not $100. For a new buyer, the 570 is worth the premium for the screen, build, calls, and longer support window. For an existing 265 owner, the upgrade math is harder — you’re paying $200-plus to gain a slightly bigger screen, a metal bezel, and on-wrist calls, while losing two days of battery.

Technical Specs

Spec	Garmin Forerunner 265	Garmin Forerunner 570
Released	March 2023	May 2025
Launch Price	$449	$549
Case Size	46.1mm	47.0mm
Weight	47g	50g
Case Material	Fiber-reinforced polymer	Aluminum bezel, fiber-reinforced polymer case
Display	1.3-inch AMOLED, 416 x 416	1.4-inch AMOLED, 454 x 454
Water Rating	5 ATM	5 ATM
Battery (Smartwatch)	13 days	11 days
Battery (Multi-band GPS)	20 hours	18 hours
GPS	Multi-band	Multi-band
Sensors	HR, SpO2, barometer, compass, accelerometer, thermometer, ambient light	HR, SpO2, ECG, barometer, compass, accelerometer, thermometer, ambient light
Mic/Speaker	No	Yes
NFC Payments	Yes	Yes
Storage	8GB	8GB

The Verdict

Buy the Forerunner 570 if you’re shopping new in 2025, you want the longest software support runway, and you’ll actually use the bigger screen, ECG, and on-wrist calls. It’s the right default for any runner who isn’t already locked into a 265.

Buy the Forerunner 265 if you find it discounted to $399 or below, you don’t care about ECG or wrist calls, and you’d rather have two extra days of battery and pocket the savings. It’s still a Garmin AMOLED watch with multi-band GPS — that hasn’t aged.

Existing 265 owners: Skip the upgrade unless ECG or on-wrist calling specifically matters to you. The training data and GPS accuracy are essentially identical, and you’d be giving up battery life to gain a screen bump.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Forerunner 570 worth $100 more than the 265?

For a new buyer, yes — the bigger 1.4-inch AMOLED, aluminum bezel, mic/speaker for calls, and ECG justify the launch-price gap. For an existing 265 owner already getting solid training data, no. The core running experience is nearly identical.

Should I upgrade from the Forerunner 265 to the 570?

Probably not. The training metrics, GPS accuracy, and Garmin Pay are unchanged. You’d pay around $200 in the upgrade swap to gain ECG, calls on your wrist, and a slightly larger screen — while losing two days of standby battery. Only worth it if those specific features fix a real frustration.

Which has better battery life, the 265 or the 570?

The 265 wins. It pushes 13 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours with multi-band GPS, compared to 11 days and 18 hours on the 570. The bigger, brighter screen on the 570 is the trade-off.

Do both watches work equally well with iPhone and Android?

Yes. Both pair with the Garmin Connect app on iOS and Android with feature parity for training, notifications, and Garmin Pay. The 570’s on-wrist calling works with both platforms over Bluetooth as long as your phone is nearby.

Is the Forerunner 265 still a good buy in 2025?

Yes, if it’s discounted. At $349-$399 street price, the 265 is one of the best Garmin AMOLED running watches by dollar. You get multi-band GPS, AMOLED, and the full Garmin training stack. At full MSRP, just buy the 570 instead.