Compare Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Google Pixel Watch 3

Auto-detection was usually praised for reliable workout or bedtime recognition, though one reviewer said it missed training sessions.

Connect IQ gives the watch a modest app ecosystem for watch faces, widgets, data fields, and extras, though it is not framed as a full smartwatch app platform.

Reviewers liked Wear OS app availability and found the platform close enough to mature smartwatch ecosystems for most users.

Reviewers generally liked the soft, adjustable silicone strap and standard strap options, with no major comfort complaints about the band itself.

The default band could be comfortable, but reviewers disliked the proprietary connector, strap mechanism, and 45mm band reset.

Battery life was praised as strong for an AMOLED Garmin in normal training use, but several reviewers said always-on display, music, or endurance use reduces its advantage.

Battery life was a consistent improvement, especially on 45mm models, generally landing between a full day and close to two days.

The watch includes blood oxygen or Pulse Ox tracking, but reviewers treated it as a useful health sensor rather than a headline reason to buy.

Blood oxygen data appears as part of the health metrics stack, but reviewers discussed it as one metric rather than a headline strength.

Bluetooth and ANT+ sensor/headphone support were viewed positively, with reviewers noting external sensor support and solid headphone connectivity.

Bluetooth was viewed positively for upgraded specs and stable phone pairing, with some ecosystem unlocking benefits tied to connectivity.

Brightness was a clear strength, especially the bold AMOLED screen and usable bright-display behavior.

Brightness drew strong praise after the jump to 2,000 nits and better sunlight readability.

Build quality was viewed as dependable for the price, with Garmin durability praised even though the plastic construction feels less premium.

Build quality felt refined and premium, though ruggedness concerns remain separate from the basic construction impression.

The five-button layout was one of the most consistently praised usability strengths, especially for workouts, gloves, sweat, and wet conditions.

The crown and side buttons were generally responsive, with reviewers appreciating the haptic crown and physical controls.

Call handling was limited to reliable call-related smartphone alerts rather than full on-watch calling.

Call features were useful, especially Ask to Hold and watch-based call handling, with Pixel phone integration adding value.

Calorie tracking received weak support; one reviewer saw calorie burn data in strength mode but did not find that feature very useful.

Calorie tracking was treated as useful for general fitness context, not as a dedicated precision tool.

Charging convenience was mostly fine thanks to secure contacts and Garmin’s familiar proprietary cable, though it is not universal wireless charging.

Charging convenience was mixed: the puck could be secure and useful for quick top-ups, but some found accessory options or cable behavior limiting.

Charging speed was generally acceptable to good, with reviewers reporting around one hour to just under two hours depending on the source.

Charging speed improved meaningfully, with multiple reviewers noting fast partial top-ups and shorter full-charge times.

Coaching features were well supported through Garmin Coach, adaptive plans, structured workouts, daily suggestions, and race-related guidance.

Coaching improved substantially through custom runs, voice cues, Cardio Load, and AI-style suggestions, though it still leans runner-first.

Comfort was a major point of agreement: reviewers repeatedly described the watch as light, compact, unobtrusive, and easy to wear day and night.

Comfort was a recurring strength, with reviewers finding both the strap and larger model wearable day and night.

Garmin Connect was mostly praised for depth, workout analysis, and improving organization, though one reviewer found the redesign not dramatically easier.

The Fitbit app and data presentation were repeatedly praised for clarity and explanation, though Premium still complicates the value.

Garmin Pay was consistently mentioned as available and useful for contactless payments across models.

Contactless payments are well supported through Google Wallet or Google Pay and treated as a normal smartwatch strength.

Cross-platform compatibility is functional, but one reviewer noted the phone experience differs between iPhone and Android, especially for replies.

Compatibility is good across Android phones but limited by no iPhone support and a few Pixel-exclusive features.

Customization was strong, with configurable widgets, data fields, watch faces, and training screens noted across reviews.

Customization is decent for watch faces, tiles, and runs, but sport data screens and non-running workouts remain constrained.

Display quality was one of the strongest attributes, with reviewers repeatedly praising the vibrant, crisp AMOLED screen.

Display quality was one of the strongest upgrades thanks to bigger screens, slimmer bezels, sharper visuals, and more usable space.

Durability evidence was positive overall, including resistance to daily abuse, though not all reviewers considered it a rugged outdoor watch.

Durability was a repeated caveat because Gorilla Glass and the domed design lack the rugged protections of some rivals.

ECG functionality was consistently absent; reviewers repeatedly stated users need a different or higher-end Garmin for ECG/EKG.

ECG is present as part of the health suite, but reviewers tended to mention it alongside other sensors rather than testing it deeply.

Fit was generally positive, with the small case sitting neatly on wrists and under layers without feeling oversized.

Fit was praised through the flush case, comfortable underside, and wearable larger size.

Fitness tracking accuracy was praised across multiple reviews, especially for daily activity data, run metrics, and overall sensor reliability.

Fitness tracking accuracy was generally strong for workouts and heart-rate-based exercise logging, especially for casual and mainstream use.

GPS accuracy was a major strength; most reviewers found it accurate or solid despite the lack of dual-band GPS, with only occasional challenging-environment issues.

GPS opinions were mixed to negative: lock-on and casual tracking could be fine, but precision lagged behind stronger sports watches.

Health tracking accuracy was supported by the reliable sensor package and detailed data collection, but evidence was less extensive than for GPS and heart rate.

Health tracking accuracy was praised when compared with Apple Watch, Fitbit expectations, and reviewer lived experience.

Heart rate accuracy was broadly positive, often matching chest straps or higher-end watches well, with occasional optical-sensor lag or spikes.

Heart rate accuracy was a standout, with several reviewers finding it close to chest straps or leading wearables.

LTE is available but typically framed as an optional paid upgrade rather than a transformative feature.

Navigation is useful but limited: reviewers liked breadcrumb routing, courses, back-to-start, and GPX support, while noting the absence of full maps.

Offline Google Maps improved navigation utility, but workout-integrated navigation still lagged specialized sports watches.

Materials quality was a tradeoff: the polymer/plastic body helps weight and price but feels less premium than metal.

Materials felt premium with aluminum cases and curved Gorilla Glass, though the absence of sapphire limited rugged confidence.

Menu navigation is flexible because Garmin allows almost everything to be controlled by buttons, reducing reliance on touch.

Menu navigation improved with the grid launcher and intuitive controls, but some Wear OS screens still required extra scrolling.

Music controls were a weak spot, with reviewers finding on-run controls unintuitive or limited without the Music model.

Music controls and media access were useful, including workout-screen controls and phone or streaming-player control.

Onboard music storage is useful on the Music edition, but reviews were split because syncing can be tedious and costs extra.

Onboard storage helps with offline maps and music, making phone-free runs more practical.

The operating system experience felt Garmin-like and sport-focused, with solid hybrid smartwatch behavior but limitations versus true smartwatches.

Wear OS was usually described as smooth, polished, and increasingly mature, especially in Google’s own ecosystem.

Outdoor visibility was a standout strength; reviewers repeatedly said the AMOLED screen was readable in sunlight and bright conditions.

Outdoor visibility was very strong thanks to the 2,000-nit display and better sunlight readability.

Pairing reliability was specifically praised for Bluetooth headphones in one review, with no broad pairing complaints across the review set.

Pairing and setup were reliable in the scored reviews, including easy setup and stable use across Android phones.

Recovery insights are useful through Recovery Time, Training Effect, HRV, Body Battery, and related tools, but the missing Training Readiness and Training Load limited depth.

Recovery guidance improved through Readiness, Target Load, and Cardio Load, giving more actionable daily training context.

Reliability was praised in long-term and general-use terms, with reviewers describing the watch as dependable and accessible.

Reliability was strongest around battery consistency and stable software, though GPS and durability kept it from being flawless.

Safety features were positively noted through LiveTrack and incident detection, though the evidence came from one detailed review.

Safety features were robust, including fall detection, emergency calls, check-in tools, and loss-of-pulse detection.

Size options were a weakness because reviewers repeatedly noted there is only one case size, despite the size working for many wrists.

The new 45mm option was one of the most agreed-upon wins, broadening appeal and improving screen and battery life.

Sleep tracking was mostly useful for sleep duration and scores, but opinions were mixed because at least one reviewer found missed restless sleep.

Sleep tracking was generally viewed as accurate or useful for timing and sleep context, though not always deeply insightful.

Smartphone notifications were considered reliable and readable, with texts, calls, and app alerts working well when paired.

Notifications were a core strength, with prompt delivery and enough wrist interaction to reduce phone use.

Smartwatch features were solid for a sport watch, including notifications, wallet/payments, Find My Phone, music, and safety tools, but not full smartwatch depth.

Smartwatch features were broad, including Google app integrations, smart home control, Recorder, TV remote, Wallet, and safety tools.

Software smoothness was acceptable but not premium-watch smooth, with one review noting the refresh rate was not Apple Watch-like.

Software smoothness was highly rated, with reviewers noting snappy app loading, no perceptible lag, or no stutters.

Step counting accuracy was positively supported by one review that found it closely matched other tested devices.

Step counting tested very accurately in one review and reasonably close in another.

Stress tracking was present as part of the broader Garmin health and sleep feature set.

Stress tracking was useful for some, especially cEDA responsiveness, but other reviewers found the explanations less actionable.

Style and design were viewed positively for a sporty, compact watch with a bright display that could be worn daily.

Style and design were a major strength, with repeated praise for the pebble-like, elegant, distinctive look.

Third-party app support exists through Connect IQ widgets, watch faces, data fields, and apps, but reviewers did not portray it as a rich smartwatch store.

Third-party support was good for apps, but external sensor pairing and some data export workflows were limiting.

Touchscreen responsiveness was mostly praised as smooth and useful, though one reviewer noted accidental touches.

Touch input was responsive in normal use, though sweat or water could make it less dependable.

The user interface was considered approachable and easy to use, especially with the combined touchscreen and button approach.

The interface was clean and straightforward overall, despite some round-screen inefficiencies and sparse layouts.

Value for money was one of the strongest consensus points, with many reviewers calling the 165 a strong budget or sweet-spot Garmin.

Value was mixed: reviewers liked the watch but cited high pricing, cheaper alternatives, or weak upgrade need.

Voice assistant quality is effectively absent because one reviewer explicitly noted there is no voice assistant.

Google Assistant worked well for some tasks, but the lack of Gemini and awkward voice experiences limited enthusiasm.

Watch face quality was strong thanks to customizable stock faces and Connect IQ options.

Watch faces were mixed, with some reviewers liking Active but others wanting more variety and better defaults.

Water resistance was well supported for swimming, rain, sweat, and shallow water, with reviewers noting 5ATM or 50-meter resistance.

Water resistance was consistently supported through IP68 and 5ATM claims, suitable for showers and swimming contexts.

Wellness insights were strong through Morning Report, Body Battery, HRV, sleep, stress, recovery, and daily health glances.

Wellness insights improved through Morning Brief, Readiness, Cardio Load, and Fitbit health summaries.

Wi-Fi connectivity exists mainly for the Music edition and music syncing, but one review reported Wi-Fi troubleshooting friction.

Wi-Fi connectivity improved through faster 5GHz support and was referenced as part of stable daily connectivity.

Workout tracking variety covers most common running, cycling, swimming, gym, yoga, and fitness modes, but reviewers repeatedly noted missing triathlon, skiing, and other niche profiles.

Workout variety is broad enough for casual users, but reviewers repeatedly noted the strongest new tools favor runners.