Garmin Forerunner 170vsGoogle Pixel Watch

10d vs 1.5d

battery life

Garmin Forerunner 170 lasts longer

$50

price gap

Garmin Forerunner 170 cheaper

12g

lighter

Google Pixel Watch

more health sensors

Google Pixel Watch

Garmin Forerunner 170

Buy/Wait:good

Current model just released

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Google Pixel Watch

Buy/Wait:bad

Late in cycle — a new model is likely coming

Full details →

	Garmin Forerunner 170	Google Pixel Watch
Pricing
Starting price	$299★	$349
Subscription	ℹ️ Optional — $70/yr	ℹ️ Optional — $79/yr
Hardware
Weight	43g	31g★
Water resistance	5ATM	50m
Battery	10 days★	1.5 days
Always-on display	❌	✅★
GPS	✅	✅
Cellular	❌	✅★
Platform	iOS & Android	Android only
Tier	Sports GPS	Smartwatch
Buy timing
Released	May 15, 2026	Oct 9, 2025
Cycle advice	good★	bad
Deals advice	neutral	great★
Next model	—	Pixel Watch 5 (Expected fall 2026)

Health Sensors

Garmin Forerunner 170 only

3 exclusive sensors

Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals

Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank

Training ReadinessDaily recovery score — how ready you are to perform

Both

3 shared

Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking

SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep

HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores

Google Pixel Watch only

6 exclusive sensors

Irregular RhythmBackground optical check for irregular heart rhythms

Fall DetectionAuto-calls emergency services after a hard fall

EDA / StressSkin conductance sensor measuring stress responses

ECGDetects irregular heart rhythms (AFib)

Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking

Loss of PulseDetects when pulse stops and alerts emergency services

Why buy each?

Garmin Forerunner 170

Training Readiness at entry level

Training Readiness, full Training Status, and wrist-based running power — analytics previously reserved for Garmin's mid-range — now on a $299.99 watch.

AMOLED display and 10-day battery

A bright 1.2" AMOLED touchscreen with a traditional 5-button design, up to 10 days of battery in smartwatch mode and around 17 hours of GPS.

Garmin Pay and 80+ sports apps

Contactless payments arrive on the entry Forerunner for the first time, alongside 80+ built-in sports apps and Garmin Coach adaptive training plans.

Google Pixel Watch

Loss of Pulse Detection

Pixel Watch 4 can detect when your heart stops and automatically call emergency services — a unique safety feature not found on Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch.

Fitbit Premium included

Six months of Fitbit Premium comes in the box, with daily readiness score, HRV analysis, and advanced sleep stages.

Pure Wear OS experience

Google's cleanest Wear OS implementation with fast updates, Gemini AI on wrist, Google Maps, and Google Wallet built in.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps

Forerunner 170-only sensors: Stress Tracking, Body Battery, Training Readiness.
Pixel Watch-only sensors: Irregular Rhythm, Fall Detection, EDA / Stress, ECG, Skin Temp, Loss of Pulse.
Weight. Pixel Watch is 12g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.

Commercial gaps

Hardware cost. Forerunner 170 is $50 cheaper upfront ($299 vs $349).

Pick the Garmin Forerunner 170 if…

Beginner and intermediate runners who want real GPS accuracy and Garmin's analytics depth without the price of the 570 or 970. With Training Readiness and running power now included, it closes much of the gap to Garmin's mid-range — the default first serious GPS watch.

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Pick the Google Pixel Watch if…

Pixel phone owners and Android users who want clean Wear OS integration, Fitbit health tracking, and safety-focused features. Ideal for fitness-focused users who prefer Google's approach over Samsung's more feature-packed ecosystem.

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