Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

103 facts in comparison

Based on 244 Reddit opinions. Forerunner 165 leads by 21 points.

244 opinions
Forerunner 165 leads by 21pts
Reddit's Pick
Garmin Forerunner 165
90%
A
Based on
296 Redditors
Winner

Garmin Forerunner 165

~$199.99
110 opinions

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

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VS
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
69%
C+
Based on
330 Redditors

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

~$98.99
134 opinions

tldr; Current Samsung. Improved display, same core. Incremental update.

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Fitness TrackingBattery LifeDisplaySmart FeaturesBuild & Comfort
FIT
🔋BAT
🖥️DIS
📱SMA
🔧BUI
87
Points
61
Points

Score by Category

Fitness Tracking
92%55%
Battery Life
83%22%
Display
100%75%
Smart Features
75%80%
Build & Comfort
80%44%

Why is Galaxy Watch 6 better than Garmin Forerunner 165?

  • Better display
  • Samsung eco
  • Incremental
Based on 626 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the Forerunner 165

Winning by 21 points (90% vs 69%)

Better fitness tracking
Better build quality
Better display
High confidence (626 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 626 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Forerunner 165
9.0/10
296 mentions
Watch 6
6.9/10
330 mentions
VALUE
Forerunner 1659.0/10
Watch 69.0/10
FITNESS TRACKING
Forerunner 1659.2/10
Watch 65.5/10
BUILD QUALITY
Forerunner 1658.0/10
Watch 64.4/10
SMART FEATURES
Forerunner 1657.5/10
Watch 68.0/10
DISPLAY
Forerunner 16510.0/10
Watch 67.5/10
BATTERY LIFE
Forerunner 1658.3/10
Watch 62.2/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Forerunner 165: 4|Watch 6: 1
Value
Forerunner 16590%
Watch 690%
Fitness TrackingForerunner 165
Forerunner 16592%
Watch 655%
Build QualityForerunner 165
Forerunner 16580%
Watch 644%
Smart FeaturesWatch 6
Forerunner 16575%
Watch 680%
DisplayForerunner 165
Forerunner 165100%
Watch 675%
Battery LifeForerunner 165
Forerunner 16583%
Watch 622%
Forerunner 16590%
Watch 669%
Clear winner - Forerunner 165 leads by 21 points

Key Specs

SpecGarmin Forerunner 165Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
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 165Winner
🆕 New entry
🖥️ AMOLED
🏃 Running
💰 Good value
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
🖥️ Better display
📱 Samsung eco
📈 Incremental
💰 Premium

Topic Battles

Forerunner 165: 4|Tied: 0|Watch 6: 1
Fitness Tracking
Forerunner 165 wins
Forerunner 165
92%
Watch 6
55%
🔋Battery Life
Forerunner 165 wins
Forerunner 165
83%
Watch 6
22%
🖥️Display
Forerunner 165 wins
Forerunner 165
100%
Watch 6
75%
📱Smart Features
Watch 6 wins
Forerunner 165
75%
Watch 6
80%
🔧Build & Comfort
Forerunner 165 wins
Forerunner 165
80%
Watch 6
44%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

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

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Best Praise
+3 pts
Too bad you missed the black friday deal where the Galaxy Watch 6 was like $68. Stupid good deal.
r/Smartwatch
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Top Criticism
+2 pts
just note that a Samsung GW6 isn't an option as its pretty much locked to an android phone (its possible via work arounds to get it to work with an apple watch but will reduce functionality of watch and all i have seen/read about this work around is that it doesn't work great and heavily reduces features - so not a recommend for what you want.
r/Smartwatch
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3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Garmin Forerunner 165
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
$100$150$200$250Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Oct '25Nov '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Low: $198.88Low: $95.22Current: $199.99Current: $98.99
Garmin Forerunner 165
All-time low: $189.99(2025-06)
$17 below 90-day avg
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
All-time low: $84.24(2026-04)

Which is Better?

Garmin Forerunner 165 Wins
90%
165
vs
69%
6

Garmin Forerunner 165 leads by 21 points based on 626 Reddit opinions.

Why Forerunner 165Winner
  • 🆕 New entry
  • 🖥️ AMOLED
  • 🏃 Running
Why Watch 6
  • 🖥️ Better display
  • 📱 Samsung eco

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

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

Sentiment Breakdown

27%Positive
Positive
27%
Neutral
60%
Negative
13%
Based on 330 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Garmin Forerunner 165 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 6?
Based on 626 Reddit comments, Garmin Forerunner 165 is the preferred choice with 90% positive sentiment vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 6's 69%. Garmin Forerunner 165 leads by 21 percentage points.
Should I buy Garmin Forerunner 165 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 6?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Garmin Forerunner 165 has stronger approval ratings (90% vs 69%). However, Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Garmin Forerunner 165?
Reddit users highlight: New entry. AMOLED. Running. With 296 mentions and 90% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Samsung Galaxy Watch 6?
Reddit users highlight: Better display. Samsung eco. Incremental. With 330 mentions and 69% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 626 Reddit comments: 296 about Garmin Forerunner 165 and 330 about Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. 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.

244 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/12/2026