Garmin Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches are new smartwatches. Forerunner 965 was released in March 2023 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar was unveiled in the last week of May 2023.
The price difference between the two watches is $200. Fenix 7 Pro Solar is costlier.
What do you get by spending $200 more on the Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatch? Let us look at Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatch in greater detail below.
For the purpose of this comparison, we have picked the Fenix 7 Pro Solar 47 mm variant.
Main differences
The main differences between Garmin Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches are shared below:
- Fenix 7 Pro Solar is a solar watch. Forerunner 965 is a regular smartwatch designed for runners.
- Forerunner 965 has an AMOLED display. The screen is brighter and affords a better display experience than Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
- Forerunner 965 is thinner and broader than Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
- Forerunner 965 has a titanium bezel; Fenix 7 Pro Solar has a stainless steel bezel.
- Fenix 7 Pro Solar comes with an LED Flashlight, a feature that can be handy on your hiking tours.
- Fenix 7 Pro Solar has a 10 ATM water resistance compared to the 5 ATM water resistance of Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
- Forerunner 965 offers the safety feature of spectator messaging. Your followers can send you text or audio messages through the paired smartphone on a Forerunner 965.
- Fenix 7 Pro Solar has a higher number of supported profiles in outdoor recreation and cycling.
- Fenix 7 Pro Solar comes at a list price of $799.99; Forerunner 965 has a list price of $599.99.
The primary difference between the two watches is the fact that Fenix 7 Pro Solar is a solar watch. We look at these smartwatch details below.
Display specifications
The display specifications of Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar vary by a fair distance.
Fenix 7 Pro has a Power Glass in the display lens. Power Glass is Corning Gorilla Glass that is coated with a layer of PV or Photo-voltaic cells.
PV cells or Photo-voltaic cells help in tapping sunlight and converting solar energy to the battery charge.
Forerunner 965 has a third-generation DX-coated Corning Gorilla Glass.
The DX coating is a special anti-reflective coating. It helps in:
- improving display readability, especially under the sun.
- improving screen brightness of the display screen
Generally speaking, you will find that the display experience of a Forerunner 965 is brighter and more vibrant than the display experience of Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches.
Apart from the display lens, Forerunner 965 also uses more advanced display technology.
Forerunner 965 uses an AMOLED display while the Fenix 7 Pro Solar watch uses the MIP or memory-in-pixel screen.
There are intrinsic advantages of the AMOLED display.
- AMOLED display improves the display resolution of the smartwatch.
- AMOLED display helps in providing the Always-on-display mode on the smartwatch.
We look at all the display configurations and specifications of Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar in a side-by-side comparison below.
| Display specifications | Forerunner 965 | Fenix 7 Pro Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Display lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX coating | Power Glass |
| Display size | 1.4″ or 33 mm | 1.3″ or 30 mm |
| Display type | AMOLED | MIP (Memory-in-pixel) |
| Display resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Color display | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| LED Flashlight | No | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
Forerunner 965 has an AMOLED display and uses DX-coated third generation Corning Gorilla Glass in the display lens.
Fenix 7 Pro Solar is a solar watch that uses Power Glass in the display.
Forerunner 965 has a higher display resolution than Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
Physical specifications
There are size differences between Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches. The bezel of Fenix 7 Pro Solar is thicker than Forerunner 965’s bezel.
At the same time, the display screen of Fenix 7 Pro Solar is smaller than Forerunner 965 screen by 3 mm.
We look at the hardware or physical attributes of Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches below.
| Specifications | Forerunner 965 | Fenix 7 Pro Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Watch size | 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm | 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm |
| Thickness | 13.2 mm | 14.5 mm |
| Watch weight | 53 g | 56 g |
| Watch body | Fiber-enforced polymer | Fiber-enforced polymer with steel rear cover |
| Bezel | Titanium | Stainless steel |
| Band material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Band size | 22 mm | 22 mm |
| Recommended wrist circumference | 135-205 mm | 125-208 mm |
| Alternate Band material options | – | Metal, Fabric and Leather |
| Device storage | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM (50 Meters) | 10 ATM (100 Meters) |
| Swimming profile | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running |
| Wireless connectivity | ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-FI | ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-FI |
| NFC Payments | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Garmin Elevate Heart Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox SpO2 Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| iOS compatible | Yes, iOS 15 and higher | Yes, iOS 15 and higher |
| Android compatible | Yes, Android 7 and higher | Yes, Android 7 and higher |
| Charger | Garmin wire charger | Garmin wire charger |
| Secondary charging | None | Solar charging |
The thicker bezel of Fenix 7 Pro Solar is made of stainless steel. Forerunner 965 has a titanium bezel. There is a higher water resistance rating of 10 ATM or 100 meters in Fenix 7 Pro Solar. Forerunner 965 is thinner than Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
Fenix 7 Pro Solar also offers additional smartwatch band options in metal, fabric and leather.
GPS
There are no GPS capability differences between the Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar. Both watches support the GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo networks.
Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar watches come with:
- Multi-frequency positioning sensor
- SatIQ technology sensor
The multi-frequency positioning sensor allows both watches to support multi-band GPS or dual-frequency GPS.
If the GPS signals are weak, multi-band GPS allows you to get GPS data from alternate satellites. Multi-band GPS helps in improving GPS reliability and accuracy.
The practical use of multi-band GPS applies when you are in remote areas, or in areas with dense and tall buildings.
The multi-band GPS mode drains the battery faster than usual. So, Garmin also added the SatIQ technology sensor to the watch.
SatIQ manages the multi-band GPS mode.
It will automatically toggle on or off the multi-band GPS mode.
If the GPS signal or connectivity is poor, SatIQ will automatically turn on the multi-band GPS mode. When the quality of the GPS signal or connectivity is decent, SatIQ will automatically turn off the multi-band GPS mode.
There is no user involvement in managing the multi-band GPS mode when you are using the SatIQ technology.
A combination of multi-band GPS or dual-frequency GPS with SatIQ technology helps in improving GPS performance without sacrificing the battery life of Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches.
Music
Fenix 7 Pro Solar and Forerunner 965 offer the full suite of music functionality on the smartwatch.
Both watches can perform the following music functions:
- You can store audio content on the offline device storage of Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar. Both watches have 32 GB internal storage for storing music and for storing maps.
- You can manage music on the smartwatch directly from the smartwatch.
- You can control and play music from the paired smartphone.
- You can stream music using the Deezer and Spotify apps. You will need to download the apps for Deezer and Spotify from the Connect IQ store. And, you will also need a valid subscription to Deezer and Spotify to make the most of music streaming capabilities on both watches.
Battery
Forerunner 965 offers an extended battery backup. It is designed to give the runners ample battery backup time.
In comparison, Fenix 7 Pro Solar uses a combination of normal charging and solar charging to boost battery backup.
A side-by-side comparison between battery backup times for Fenix 7 Pro Solar and Forerunner 965 is shared below.
| Watch modes | Forerunner 965 | Fenix 7 Pro Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode | Up to 23 days | Up to 18 days/22 days with solar |
| GPS mode | Up to 31 hours | Up to 57 hours/73 hours with solar |
| GPS-Only GNSS mode with music | Up to 10.5 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band | Up to 19 hours | Up to 23 hours/26 hours with solar |
| All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band with music | Up to 8.5 hours | Up to 8.5 hours |
| Max Battery GPS | Up to 136 hours/289 hours with solar | |
| Expedition GPS | Up to 40 days/74 days with solar | |
| Battery Saver Watch Mode | Up to 57 days/173 days with solar |
On the various GPS modes, Fenix 7 Pro Solar offers a 20 percent incremental battery backup in comparison with the Forerunner 965 smartwatch.
Solar charging
Fenix 7 Pro Solar is a solar watch that uses PV cells to convert solar energy into battery charge.
For solar charging to be an effective source of battery charging, Garmin has suggested the following:
- You need to expose your smartwatch to sunlight for at least 3 hours every day.
- There needs to be bright sunlight with a luminosity of 50000 lux or more for solar charging to be effective
Fenix 7 Pro Solar, therefore, will work well on solar charging if you spend a considerable part of your day under bright sunshine.
Health tracking features
The suite of health tracking features on Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Solar are similar. The core health tracking functionality on Forerunner 965 and Fenix 7 Pro Solar is similar.
We lay out the health-tracking features and capabilities of both watches below.
| Health features | Forerunner 965 | Fenix 7 Pro Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Stress monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Body Battery scores | Yes | Yes |
| Abnormal Heart rate alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Blood oxygen saturation monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Respiration rate tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Hydration | Yes | Yes |
| Women’s Health | Yes | Yes |
| Health snapshot | Yes | Yes |
Fenix 7 Pro Solar has a Jetlag adviser, a new feature introduced in the Pro series smartwatches. Forerunner 965 lacks it. But other health features are the same across both watches.
Garmin ECG
The Garmin ECG app was approved by the FDA in January 2023. It was rolled out to the Garmin Venu 2 Plus smartwatches in January 2023.
It was widely anticipated that the Fenix 7 Pro Solar watches would be launched with an ECG feature. However, the Garmin ECG app was not available on the Fenix 7 Pro Solar watches during the launch.
In October 2023, the Garmin ECG app support was enabled on Fenix 7 Pro series watches. This includes the Fenix 7 Pro Solar range of smartwatches.
Therefore, the Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatches supports the Garmin ECG feature as of November 2023.
We had maintained in the past that the wide body sensor at the back of the Fenix 7 Pro smartwatch does seem to be capable or compatible with taking spot ECG readings.
You can take ECG readings with your Fenix 7 Pro Solar watch. This is very useful in detecting Atrial Fibrillation conditions. Or, in other words, you can help detect irregular heart rhythm issues with the help of an accurate ECG.
Forerunner 965 does not have support for the Garmin ECG app. We do not expect that the Forerunner 965 will get the Garmin ECG app compatibility anytime soon.
Hill Score and Endurance Score
Hill score and Endurance score are two dynamic scores that have been added to the Fenix 7 Pro Solar smartwatch. Forerunner 965 lacks both scores.
Hill score is a dynamic score that takes into account fitness data and training data to calculate your ability to go uphill. The hill score number will classify you as a recreational runner to an elite runner. A higher hill score classifies you as an elite runner. A lower score will rate you as a recreational runner.
The endurance score is a dynamic score that takes into account volumetric oxygen data and training data to arrive at a number or score. This score will give you an idea about your preparedness for sustained long performance.
Both indicators can be useful for athletes and hikers.
Final verdict
My personal favorite is Garmin Forerunner 965. Forerunner 965 ticks all the boxes and emerges as a complete smartwatch for accurate health, fitness, and training data. The AMOLED display is one of the best features of the Forerunner 965.
Fenix 7 Pro Solar is a solar watch. Understandably, some folks are happy with a solar watch and should therefore choose the Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
Fenix 7 Pro Solar does up the ante in terms of additional training metrics, outdoor recreation profiles, and Golf features. It also allows you to take ECG readings through the Garmin ECG app.
Fenix 7 Pro Solar has a more premium feel and a rich set of comprehensive features.
If you are tight on the budget, Forerunner 965 should work well. And, if money is not a constraint, you can pick a Fenix 7 Pro Solar.
Suggested reading
You may like to read more smartwatch comparison studies shared below:
- Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Epix 2 Pro
- Garmin Epix 2 Pro Smartwatches – Information and Features
- Garmin Epix 2 Pro vs Fenix 7 Pro Solar
- Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Smartwatches – Information and Features
- Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar vs Fenix 7 Solar
- Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar vs Fenix 7 Pro Solar
- Garmin Epix Pro 2 Sapphire vs Epix 2 Sapphire
- Garmin Epix Pro 2 vs Epix 2
- Garmin Venu Sq 2 vs Venu Sq 2 Music
- Garmin Venu Sq 2 vs Vivoactive 4
- Garmin Venu 2 vs Venu Sq 2
- Garmin Forerunner 255 vs Vivoactive 4
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Vivoactive 4