Apple Watch Series 11 vs Garmin Forerunner 165
Sqwod verdict
Dead heat: 86 vs 86. Your use case is the tiebreaker.
Both are strong: the call comes down to what you prioritise:
- Apple Watch Series 11: You're upgrading from a Series 6 or older and want the best all-round Apple Watch: real battery life, brighter screen, and the new health alerts, with no subscription.
- Garmin Forerunner 165: You coach runners or endurance clients and want Garmin's training data without the €500 tier.
Apple Watch Series 11
86Score · High
from €380.99
The battery finally goes the distance (up to 24 hours) and hypertension notifications plus 5G land real health wins. But it's an iterative jump: Series 9 and 10 owners gain little, and the cheaper SE undercuts it.
Garmin Forerunner 165
86Score · High
from €175
The best-value entry into Garmin's training ecosystem: bright AMOLED, ~11-day battery, and the metrics that matter, without the €500 price.
Compare side-by-side
| Apple Watch Series 1186Scorefrom€380.99Review → | Garmin Forerunner 16586Scorefrom€175Review → | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | — | Watch (running) |
| Battery life | — | ~11 days |
| Screen | — | AMOLED |
| Sleep tracking | — | Yes |
| Recovery / HRV | — | Body Battery |
| Subscription | — | None |
| Water resistance | — | 50 m (5 ATM) |
Prices are our researched reference points.
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