Garmin launches new affordable smartwatch with AMOLED display and up to 10 days battery life
Almost a year has passed since Garmin released the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 simultaneously (curr. $649 on Amazon). Announced on May 15 2025, the pair effectively replaced the Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965. However, Garmin decided to leave the Forerunner 165 without a successor.
Now, the company has addressed that discrepancy by unveiling the Forerunner 170. Presented alongside the cheaper Forerunner 70, the Forerunner 170 arrives as a 42.6 mm smartwatch with a 1.2-inch AMOLED display that resolves at 390 x 390 pixels. While this display size is unchanged from the Forerunner 165, the Forerunner 170 looks more modern thanks to its smaller display bezels.
Unfortunately, battery life estimates have dropped between generations, with a 5% reduction in Battery Saver Mode from 20 days to 19 days, and a 9% reduction in smartwatch mode from 11 days to 10 days. According to Garmin, the Forerunner 170 should last up to 14 hours in All-Systems GNSS mode compared to 17 hours for the Forerunner 165.
For some reason, Garmin has removed touch/button lock support too, while dropping its area calculation and fish forecast functionality. With that being said, Garmin has added over 50 workout modes missing on the Forerunner 165. Moreover, the Forerunner 170 contains a gyroscope and includes other software features unsupported on the Forerunner 165 like Smart Wake Alarm, Garmin Fitness Coach and Shortcuts. Please see Garmin's comparison page for a full list of differences between the Forerunner 165 and Forerunner 170.
The Forerunner 170 starts at £259 in the UK, €299 in the Eurozone and $299.99 in the US. Garmin charges £50/€50/$50 extra for Wi-Fi connectivity, which it sells as the Forerunner 170 Music. All variants and colour options will be available to order on May 15.
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