Wear Radar

Garmin Forerunner 165vsOnePlus Watch

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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OnePlus Watch
Buy/Wait:neutral

First-generation product — no release history to base predictions on

Best for: Android users who want full Wear OS 5 — Google Maps, Google Wallet, Play Store — with longer-than-average battery life without paying premium Galaxy Watch or Pixel Watch prices. Not for iPhone users: OnePlus Watch 3 does not support iOS.

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Garmin Forerunner 165OnePlus Watch
TierSports GPSSmartwatch
PlatformiOS & AndroidAndroid only
Battery11 days5 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
ReleasedMar 5, 2024Apr 10, 2025
Cycle length1006 days
Cycle advicebadneutral
Deals advicegoodneutral
Next modelGarmin Forerunner 170 (Expected March 2026)

Health Sensors

Garmin Forerunner 165 only
Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals
Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank
Both
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
OnePlus Watch only
ECGDetects irregular heart rhythms (AFib)
Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking

Why buy each?

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.

OnePlus Watch

5-day Wear OS battery — finally

The dual-engine Snapdragon W5 + BES2800 co-processor architecture delivers up to 5 days in Smart Mode — 2–3× longer than most Wear OS rivals. A 10-minute charge provides a full day of use.

Dual-frequency GPS on a $329 watch

L1 + L5 dual-band GPS gives running and cycling route accuracy typically found only on $500+ sports watches — accurate to within metres even in urban canyons.

Full Wear OS 5 with Google ecosystem

Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation, Google Wallet contactless payment, and Play Store app access — plus Google Health Connect integration for the full Android wearables ecosystem.