Garmin Forerunner 970 and Forerunner 570 were released in May 2025. Which of the two Forerunners would you pick?
Let us find out in a quick comparison lasting less than 3 minutes of a comparison study.
Main differences
Forerunner 970 costs $200 more than Forerunner 570. The price increment of $200 can be explained in terms of the following four main differences:
- Forerunner 970 is compatible with the Garmin ECG app while the Forerunner 570 does not support the Garmin ECG app. What does the Garmin ECG app do? Find out in the Garmin ECG app section below.
- Forerunner 970 has the display glass made of Sapphire glass while the Forerunner 570 uses a Corning Gorilla Glass 3. This, in my opinion, is well worth the money for the premium look and feel of the Forerunner 970.
- Forerunner 970’s bezel is made of titanium and Forerunner 570’s bezel is made of anodized aluminum. That’s another premium offering for the Forerunner 970 over the Forerunner 570.
- Forerunner 970 has a liberal storage quota of 32 GB. Forerunner 570 comes with 8 GB internal storage. More storage helps in getting more topo maps and more music on the watch.
Let us discuss these core differences in more detail below. Meanwhile, if you are looking to get more information, you can check technical specifications of Forerunner 970 and technical specifications of Forerunner 570.
Garmin ECG app
Garmin ECG app is useful to take on-demand electro cardiogram readings directly from the watch. The ECG can be shared with a medical specialists or a cardiac specialist to help uncover any underlying cardiac issues.
ECG is usually taken to detect heart rhythm or other heart ailments.
Garmin Forerunner 970 gives you an ability to use the Garmin ECG app. Forerunner 570 is not compatible with the Garmin ECG app.
Sapphire glass
Forerunner 970’s unique offering comes with Sapphire glass in the display. Sapphire is the second hardest naturally available material in the world.
Sapphire glass affords better durability than the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 used in Forerunner 570.
The downside of using Sapphire glass is a less brighter display experience than the Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
But, 9 of 10 people will prefer getting a Sapphire crystal watch for the long term durability and strength and ability to take normal day to day wear and tear more effectively than the Corning Gorilla Glass.
In my opinion, Forerunner 970’s Sapphire display glass is worth considering.
Storage
Forerunner 970 has a decent internal storage of 32 GB while the Forerunner 570 uses 8 GB internal storage.
More storage helps in getting more topo maps and audio content on the watch storage.
Battery
Forerunner 970 offers marginally better battery backup than the Forerunner 570. For instance, on the smartwatch mode, Forerunner 970 could last up to 15 days while the Forerunner 570 could go up to 11 days.
But, it is pertinent to mention that both watches support fast charging through the proprietary charger of Garmin.
Summary
I am happy to spend $200 on the Forerunner 970 as it gets me Garmin ECG app. And, the titanium bezel lends a premium appearance. The Sapphire glass settles the argument in favor of Forerunner 970 once and for all.
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