Review of the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music
Background
I’ve been using the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music for over four years. After experiencing battery issues with my first unit, I had it replaced. Recently, my replacement started having screen issues, prompting me to upgrade. I decided to stick with Garmin as their competitors didn't seem as appealing. My shortlist included the 165, 255, and 265. Ultimately, I chose the 165 Music for its AMOLED screen, as I didn't need the Training Readiness, Status, and Load features. I'm a casual runner, covering 20-30 km a week. After a week of using the 165, here's my short review. Hopefully, it helps with your next watch purchase.
Screen
The AMOLED screen is stunning. As someone who loves high-definition visuals on my TV and laptop, having that quality on my watch is fantastic! Visibility is excellent even in bright sunlight at minimum brightness. I was pleasantly surprised to find the screen has an auto-brightness feature, adjusting to ambient light levels.
However, I did notice accidental touches on the touchscreen can drain the battery. I mitigated this by disabling gestures, requiring me to touch the screen to view the time and cover it to turn off the display.
Battery
With always-on display disabled, the battery life is impressive. Enabling it reduces battery life by more than half. My rough estimate is about a 10% daily drop with 30-minute daily runs (always-on disabled, minimum screen brightness). I expect to charge the watch once a week, which is reasonable.
Daily Suggested Workouts
The Daily Suggested Workouts (DSW) adapt well to my body and the races I’ve added to the calendar. This is a significant improvement over the 245, which didn’t consider upcoming races.
GPS Accuracy
I was concerned the 165 might have poor GPS without dual-band support like the 255 and 265. However, GPS accuracy has been excellent in medium-density urban areas. The tracking lines on Connect closely follow my actual path. I haven't tested it in dense forests or among high-rises yet, so I can't comment on that.
Health and Fitness Features
The 165 offers features like HRV, Body Battery, Intensity Minutes, Sleep Score, and Sleep Coach, which are fantastic for maintaining my health and fitness. These insights are a significant upgrade from the 245.
Summary
For me, the 165 Music is a fantastic AMOLED watch with numerous features, at a lower cost than the 265. It’s a great choice if you don’t need the extra features of the higher-end model.
Background
I’ve been using the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music for over four years. After experiencing battery issues with my first unit, I had it replaced. Recently, my replacement started having screen issues, prompting me to upgrade. I decided to stick with Garmin as their competitors didn't seem as appealing. My shortlist included the 165, 255, and 265. Ultimately, I chose the 165 Music for its AMOLED screen, as I didn't need the Training Readiness, Status, and Load features. I'm a casual runner, covering 20-30 km a week. After a week of using the 165, here's my short review. Hopefully, it helps with your next watch purchase.
Screen
The AMOLED screen is stunning. As someone who loves high-definition visuals on my TV and laptop, having that quality on my watch is fantastic! Visibility is excellent even in bright sunlight at minimum brightness. I was pleasantly surprised to find the screen has an auto-brightness feature, adjusting to ambient light levels.
However, I did notice accidental touches on the touchscreen can drain the battery. I mitigated this by disabling gestures, requiring me to touch the screen to view the time and cover it to turn off the display.
Battery
With always-on display disabled, the battery life is impressive. Enabling it reduces battery life by more than half. My rough estimate is about a 10% daily drop with 30-minute daily runs (always-on disabled, minimum screen brightness). I expect to charge the watch once a week, which is reasonable.
Daily Suggested Workouts
The Daily Suggested Workouts (DSW) adapt well to my body and the races I’ve added to the calendar. This is a significant improvement over the 245, which didn’t consider upcoming races.
GPS Accuracy
I was concerned the 165 might have poor GPS without dual-band support like the 255 and 265. However, GPS accuracy has been excellent in medium-density urban areas. The tracking lines on Connect closely follow my actual path. I haven't tested it in dense forests or among high-rises yet, so I can't comment on that.
Health and Fitness Features
The 165 offers features like HRV, Body Battery, Intensity Minutes, Sleep Score, and Sleep Coach, which are fantastic for maintaining my health and fitness. These insights are a significant upgrade from the 245.
Summary
For me, the 165 Music is a fantastic AMOLED watch with numerous features, at a lower cost than the 265. It’s a great choice if you don’t need the extra features of the higher-end model.