Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Garmin, the American tech brand, has earned its name for professional smartwatches, specially designed for athletes. The previous smartwatches by Garmin did not gain as much popularity, as the brand would have intended, likely due to their high price points. To address this, Garmin has launched the Forerunner 165 and Garmin Forerunner 165 Music in the Indian market. Positioned in the affordable segment, we shall take a look at the features of the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music and analyse its standing in this price segment in this review. 

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Design and sensors

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The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music has a sporty look with a 43 x 43 x 11.6 mm dimension. While the strap is made from silicone, the bezels are composed of fibre-reinforced polymer. Weighing just 39 grams with the straps included, the watch is lightweight and comfortable to wear. Additionally, it is compatible with 20mm wide bands offered with the device, allowing for quick straps replacements. On the underside of the watch, you will find Gamin’s Elevate V4 optical heart rate sensor, although it lacks ECG functionality. The device is also equipped with a blood oxygen saturation monitor, an accelerometer, a thermometer, a compass, an ambient light sensor and a barometric altimeter, useful for monitoring changes in elevation and weather conditions. It supports all common positioning systems, including GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. 

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Display

The watch features a 1.2-inch AMOLED display with a peak brightness of up to 800nits and a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels. However, it does not come with Gorilla Glass protection, which may be a downside for some users. The device has a total of five buttons with labels printed next to them. It becomes critical to read the user’s manual, in case you want to make proper usage of the buttons. The device is offered in four colour options: Mist Gray/Whitestone, Turquoise/Aqua, Berry/Lilac, and Black/Slate Gray. 

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Connectivity options 

The watch offers connectivity options including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ANT+ for seamless integration with health and fitness devices, such as the Garmin HRM-Fit. It also boasts a 5 ATM water resistance rating, allowing it to withstand pressure when swimming at a 50-meter depth. 

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Garmin Connect app and features

To use the watch optimally, users need to download the Garmin Connect app, available for both Android and iOS devices. The app allows several personalisation features, such as setting up the sleep schedule, adding music to the watch, setting up Wi-Fi, configuring safety features, and more. Additionally, users get the option to set up Garmin Pay, enabling users to make payments. For first-time users, the Connect app may seem sophisticated, so familiarisation with all its menus, configuration options, and reports is crucial. The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music already comes with several watch faces, and some more can be downloaded from the Connect IQ Store. Despite all its features, the device leans heavily towards a sporty aesthetic, making it less suitable for other occasions. 

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Smart features

The watch comes integrated with a range of smart features, such as app notifications, functionality to call or reject calls, and the option to send predefined text messages in reply. However, it does not have a dedicated microphone or speaker, and thus for a better calling experience, you need to have your phone around. On the positive side, users can play music without the smartphone, and the device is compatible with Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music. To listen to music with this device, you need to download an appropriate app and also have access to the playlist you want. Connecting your Bluetooth headphones with the watch is the next step. The process can be tricky and may need several attempts. 

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Health tracking and fitness features

The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music excels at tracking heart rate, tracked automatically throughout the day. This is then complemented by heart Rate Variability (HRV) measurements, providing insights such as stress score, respiration rate, and body battery. Sleep tracking is appropriately detected, offering a sleep score. The device satisfactorily measures blood oxygen levels, though it may not be the best in the segment. Additionally, the monitoring of respiratory rate helps evaluate sleep quality and stress levels. Other health-related features include stress level monitoring, daily water intake tracking, women’s health tracking, and more. For athletes, the device stands out with its GPS lock and accurate tracking, offering dynamic data such as cadence and power.

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Battery

The device is powered by a lithium-ion battery, with the company claiming to offer approximately an 11-day battery backup. However, this requires the pulse oxygen monitoring to be turned off completely. Once the battery reaches the 10% level, it prompts users to enable a battery saver, but it can still last for approximately 24 hours after that, which is an optimistic estimate. The device takes a little over an hour to get fully charged using a 45W charger. 

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Verdict

Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music is a well-rounded device with numerous positives, including good performance, reasonable battery life, sturdy build with proper durability, and a strong focus on fitness. Its sporty look makes it well-suited for sporting events, but the design may not be the best option for formal settings, including office setups or fancy events. If you are an aspiring athlete or a fitness enthusiast, the device can be a great option for you. 

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Review: Pros and Cons

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Pros: 

- Good performance

- Durable device

- Sporty outlook

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music Cons:

- Lacks an ECG sensor

- Primarily suited for sporty use