Wear Radar

COROS PacevsGarmin Forerunner 165

COROS Pace
Buy/Wait:good

Current model just released

Best for: Serious runners on a budget who want multi-band GPS accuracy, a bright AMOLED display, long battery life, and COROS's training analytics (EvoLab) without paying Garmin mid-range prices. The Pace 4's 32g weight also makes it the lightest AMOLED GPS running watch available.

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Garmin Forerunner 165
Buy/Wait:bad

Late in cycle — a new model is likely coming

Best for: Beginner and intermediate runners who want real GPS accuracy and Garmin's analytics depth without the price of the 265 or 965. Also ideal as a first serious GPS watch for anyone moving up from a fitness tracker.

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COROS PaceGarmin Forerunner 165
TierSports GPSSports GPS
PlatformiOS & AndroidiOS & Android
Battery19 days11 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
Health sensorshr, spo2, hrv, training loadhr, spo2, hrv, stress, body battery
ReleasedNov 10, 2025Mar 5, 2024
Cycle length800 days1006 days
Cycle advicegoodbad
Deals adviceneutralgood
Next modelGarmin Forerunner 170 (Expected March 2026)

Why buy each?

COROS Pace

AMOLED display at 32g and $249

First COROS Pace with AMOLED — a vivid 1.2" touchscreen in a 32g nylon-band body, making it the lightest AMOLED GPS running watch at this price.

41 hours GPS, 19-day battery

16 more GPS hours than the Pace 3, with 19 days typical use. Best-in-class battery life for a sub-$250 AMOLED GPS running watch.

Multi-band GPS and voice features

Dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS for precise tracking in cities and trails, plus built-in voice pin recording and audio lap alerts — new for the Pace line.

Garmin Forerunner 165

AMOLED display at entry-level price

The FR165 is the first Garmin entry-level running watch with an AMOLED display — dramatically more readable than the LCD it replaces.

Full Garmin running analytics

Training load, recovery time, Body Battery, HRV status, VO2 max estimation — the same analytics found on watches costing twice as much.

11 days of battery

11 days typical use and roughly 19 hours GPS — enough for most training blocks without mid-week charging.