Garmin Forerunner 165 vs OnePlus Watch 3

88 facts in comparison

Based on 332 Reddit opinions. Close race—Watch 3 edges ahead.

332 opinions
Watch 3 leads by 2pts
Garmin Forerunner 165
90%
A
Based on
296 Redditors

Garmin Forerunner 165

~$199.99
110 opinions

tldr; Entry AMOLED runner. Good value, training features. New entry.

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VS
Reddit's Pick
OnePlus Watch 3
92%
A
Based on
403 Redditors
Winner

OnePlus Watch 3

~$356.67
222 opinions

tldr; Reddit overwhelmingly recommends the OnePlus Watch 3. With 94% positive sentiment across 407 mentions, this is a clear community favorite.

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Fitness TrackingBattery LifeDisplaySmart FeaturesBuild & Comfort
FIT
🔋BAT
🖥️DIS
📱SMA
🔧BUI
87
Points
84
Points

Score by Category

Fitness Tracking
92%55%
Battery Life
83%93%
Display
100%100%
Smart Features
75%87%
Build & Comfort
80%93%

Why is OnePlus Watch 3 better than Garmin Forerunner 165?

  • Higher Reddit score (92% vs 90%)
  • Better battery (93% vs 83%)
  • Better smart features (87% vs 75%)
  • Better build quality (93% vs 80%)
Based on 699 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the Watch 3

Winning by 2 points (92% vs 90%)

Better battery
Better smart features
Better build quality
High confidence (699 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 699 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Forerunner 165
9.0/10
296 mentions
Watch 3
9.2/10
403 mentions
VALUE
Forerunner 1659.0/10
Watch 37.6/10
FITNESS TRACKING
Forerunner 1659.2/10
Watch 35.5/10
BUILD QUALITY
Forerunner 1658.0/10
Watch 39.3/10
SMART FEATURES
Forerunner 1657.5/10
Watch 38.7/10
DISPLAY
Forerunner 16510.0/10
Watch 310.0/10
BATTERY LIFE
Forerunner 1658.3/10
Watch 39.3/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Forerunner 165: 2|Watch 3: 3
ValueForerunner 165
Forerunner 16590%
Watch 376%
Fitness TrackingForerunner 165
Forerunner 16592%
Watch 355%
Build QualityWatch 3
Forerunner 16580%
Watch 393%
Smart FeaturesWatch 3
Forerunner 16575%
Watch 387%
Display
Forerunner 165100%
Watch 3100%
Battery LifeWatch 3
Forerunner 16583%
Watch 393%
Forerunner 16590%
Watch 392%
Close race - Watch 3 edges ahead by 2 points

Key Specs

SpecGarmin Forerunner 165OnePlus Watch 3
Display Type
AMOLED touchscreen
Display Size
1.2 inch diameter
Display Resolution
390 x 390 pixels
Battery Life Smartwatch
Up to 11 days
Water Rating
5 ATM

Key Highlights

Garmin Forerunner 165
🆕 New entry
🖥️ AMOLED
🏃 Running
💰 Good value
OnePlus Watch 3Winner
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended

Topic Battles

Forerunner 165: 1|Tied: 1|Watch 3: 3
Fitness Tracking
Forerunner 165 wins
Forerunner 165
92%
Watch 3
55%
🔋Battery Life
Watch 3 wins
Forerunner 165
83%
Watch 3
93%
🖥️Display
Forerunner 165
100%
Watch 3
100%
📱Smart Features
Watch 3 wins
Forerunner 165
75%
Watch 3
87%
🔧Build & Comfort
Watch 3 wins
Forerunner 165
80%
Watch 3
93%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for OnePlus Watch 3

Best Praise
+6 pts
WearOS offers a lot as it really makes the watch into a tiny smartphone. But it has its costs to offer that. A simpler OS (as Tizen was) is really more suited for these relatively small devices with (compared to full smartphones) tiny tiny batteries - for obvious physics reasons with current battery tech. That is why the OnePlus watch 3/2 solution of offering dual boot is so smart an idea. Work with a more primitive but much leaner OS normally AND offer you the option to boot into WearOS when you need the fancy stuff. Or the other way round: Use with WearOS when frequent charging is not a problem, and boot into the leaner OS when you prefer prolonged stamina. IMHO **all** fancy smartwatches *ought* to have the option to dumb down so it was never more power-hungry than needed for the user's selected active features.
r/Smartwatch
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Top Criticism
+2 pts
Unfortunately none of the werOS watches offer a reasonable battery life. The least bad is the 46mm variant of the oneplus watch 3, as it offers to boot into an OS more suited a smart watch, while not an strictly need of fancy WearOS features (the model 2 does offer dual boot as well as do the 43mm variant watch 3 with a lesse bettery)
r/Smartwatch
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3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Garmin Forerunner 165

Best Praise
+3 pts
For Garmin, I can’t imagine needing more than the Garmin Forerunner 165. Or, maybe the Instinct 3. I think the feature set tops out at around $500. Gotta have that flashlight! (Do you, though?) Above that is looks, mostly. (They always unlock some feature to make it more tempting.)
r/Smartwatch
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Top Criticism
+1 pts
personally I think the FR165 would be a bad choice as its a much more running, swimming & cycling focussed watch with very little on the outdoor recreational side. It does have hiking, but its got no water sport options. While you could always use other to track paddling activities you would miss out on paddling specific metrics like stroke rate etc. Despite not having elevation data (post activity in the app the app will populate this data based on your gps fixes) and a hiking activity (can just use walking) the vivoactive 5 (VA5) would probably be a much better fit overall for you at the same price level. Note the standard FR165 doesn't have offline music - so would need the FR165 music version, which is generally more expensive than the VA5. [https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/compare/?compareProduct=1057989&compareProduct=1285545&compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=886725](https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/compare/?compareProduct=1057989&compareProduct=1285545&compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=886725) Comparison of suggested options - you can see how from an activity point of view the FR165 really is much more focussed on people serious about running, swimming & cycling - has very few leisure recreational activity types that it will track. Personally would suggest looking to see the original Epix gen 2 (non pro non sapphire version - will have 16GB storage) is going for - as its old now and is often at a serious discount, making it super attactive and will easily cover all your needs. if price wise it the Epix isn't there there, and VA5 isn't a go, then would suggest looking at the fR265 as I think it will give you next best fit (or the venu 3 as they are normally similarly priced in most countries) - [https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/compare/?compareProduct=1057989&compareProduct=1285545&compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=873008](https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/compare/?compareProduct=1057989&compareProduct=1285545&compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=873008) (Venu 3 instead of FR965).
r/Smartwatch
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3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Garmin Forerunner 165
OnePlus Watch 3
$180$270$360$450Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Oct '25Nov '25Nov '25Dec '25Feb '26Apr '26May '26Low: $198.88Low: $319.99Current: $199.99
Garmin Forerunner 165
All-time low: $189.99(2025-06)
$17 below 90-day avg
OnePlus Watch 3
All-time low: $249.99(2025-11)

Which is Better?

OnePlus Watch 3 Wins
92%
3
vs
90%
165

Close race, but OnePlus Watch 3 edges ahead by 2 points based on 699 Reddit opinions.

Why Watch 3Winner
  • More discussed (403 vs 296)
Why Forerunner 165
  • Better Value for Money (90% vs 76%)

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

52%Positive
Positive
52%
Neutral
45%
Negative
3%
Based on 403 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

35%Positive
Positive
35%
Neutral
63%
Negative
2%
Based on 296 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, OnePlus Watch 3 or Garmin Forerunner 165?
Based on 699 Reddit comments, OnePlus Watch 3 has a slight edge with 92% positive sentiment vs Garmin Forerunner 165's 90%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy OnePlus Watch 3 or Garmin Forerunner 165?
Both have similar approval ratings (92% vs 90%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about OnePlus Watch 3?
OnePlus Watch 3 has 403 mentions on Reddit with 92% positive sentiment. Users consistently recommend it based on real ownership experiences.
What do Redditors say about Garmin Forerunner 165?
Reddit users highlight: New entry. AMOLED. Running. With 296 mentions and 90% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 699 Reddit comments: 403 about OnePlus Watch 3 and 296 about Garmin Forerunner 165. Data was sourced from Smartwatches community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

332 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/15/2026