The Garmin 970 stands as the latest premium model in the Forerunner series, which emphasizes fitness and running. Replacing the 965, the 970 introduces many new features, but it also makes a few significant trade-offs. You can view my complete review in the video above or continue reading for the key points.
Remains Sleek
The Forerunner series is crafted to be lightweight and slim, ensuring comfort during running or other athletic endeavors. True to this design philosophy, the 970 measures 47 x 47 x 12.9 millimeters with a 35.3 millimeter screen. Although it has gained 3 grams (now at 56), it remains light, and the slightly increased weight is a compromise you are likely to accept.
The lens is now made of a more scratch-resistant material (sapphire crystal), but the majority of the added weight is due to two significant hardware upgrades.
Bright, Listen, and Communicate
The 970 features an integrated flashlight with 3 white light settings and a vibrant red light mode. As bright as the latest smartphones, a flashlight is one of those functionalities on a watch you only realize you needed once you start using it regularly. Garmin has also added a microphone and speaker to the 970, allowing you to make and receive calls directly from the watch. You can also have it announce kilometer milestones or indicate when an activity starts, but a less publicized feature is the new voice command capability.
These commands work entirely offline and enable you to set alarms, countdown timers, activate the flashlight, and perform various other watch functions with a long press followed by speaking the command. Voice commands function reasonably well, though they may be somewhat glitchy; I anticipate that Garmin will enhance the feature through software updates over time, making it even more beneficial.
Enhanced Sensors
The 970 now includes Garmin’s fifth-generation Elevate heart rate sensor—more precise than the fourth generation—and is capable of performing electrocardiograms (ECG). The ECG function may be helpful for detecting atrial fibrillation, or Afib, which indicates an irregular heartbeat. However, this feature is not universally available and, to be honest, it’s likely something you’ll utilize once or twice upon acquiring the 970, then probably not again.
The Elevate 5 heart rate sensor can also assess skin temperature and ambient temperature if you remove it for approximately 10 minutes. There’s a specific glance dedicated to temperature, and when you’re asleep, the 970 employs these temperature readings to more accurately evaluate your sleep score.
However, the most notable change for the Forerunner 970 is its new price point. The 970 retails for $750 (up from the $600 price tag of the 965 when it launched), and despite the significant upgrades in the 970, the price may deter many potential buyers. The 965 remains available at a discount, and other brands offer watches with built-in maps at much lower prices if you’re considering whether to purchase a Forerunner right now. Garmin opted for the Forerunner 970 to make a substantial advancement, but I doubt many anticipated such a large increase in cost.