Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

93 facts in comparison

Based on 222 Reddit opinions. Forerunner 165 leads by 14 points.

222 opinions
Forerunner 165 leads by 14pts
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.

Check prices
VS
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
76%
B
Based on
263 Redditors

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

~$649.99
112 opinions

tldr; Samsung's Apple Ultra rival. Rugged, titanium. Android adventure.

Check prices
Fitness TrackingBattery LifeDisplaySmart FeaturesBuild & Comfort
FIT
🔋BAT
🖥️DIS
📱SMA
🔧BUI
87
Points
74
Points

Score by Category

Fitness Tracking
92%56%
Battery Life
83%65%
Display
100%100%
Smart Features
75%81%
Build & Comfort
80%67%

Why is Galaxy Watch Ultra better than Garmin Forerunner 165?

  • Better smart features (81% vs 75%)
  • Adventure
  • Titanium
  • Android Ultra
Based on 559 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the Forerunner 165

Winning by 14 points (90% vs 76%)

Better value
Better fitness tracking
Better build quality
High confidence (559 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 559 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Forerunner 165
9.0/10
296 mentions
Watch Ultra
7.6/10
263 mentions
VALUE
Forerunner 1659.0/10
Watch Ultra7.5/10
FITNESS TRACKING
Forerunner 1659.2/10
Watch Ultra5.6/10
BUILD QUALITY
Forerunner 1658.0/10
Watch Ultra6.7/10
SMART FEATURES
Forerunner 1657.5/10
Watch Ultra8.1/10
DISPLAY
Forerunner 16510.0/10
Watch Ultra10.0/10
BATTERY LIFE
Forerunner 1658.3/10
Watch Ultra6.5/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Forerunner 165: 4|Watch Ultra: 1
ValueForerunner 165
Forerunner 16590%
Watch Ultra75%
Fitness TrackingForerunner 165
Forerunner 16592%
Watch Ultra56%
Build QualityForerunner 165
Forerunner 16580%
Watch Ultra67%
Smart FeaturesWatch Ultra
Forerunner 16575%
Watch Ultra81%
Display
Forerunner 165100%
Watch Ultra100%
Battery LifeForerunner 165
Forerunner 16583%
Watch Ultra65%
Forerunner 16590%
Watch Ultra76%
Forerunner 165 wins by 14 points

Key Specs

SpecGarmin Forerunner 165Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
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 Ultra
🏔️ Adventure
💪 Titanium
📱 Android Ultra
💸 Premium

Topic Battles

Forerunner 165: 3|Tied: 1|Watch Ultra: 1
Fitness Tracking
Forerunner 165 wins
Forerunner 165
92%
Watch Ultra
56%
🔋Battery Life
Forerunner 165 wins
Forerunner 165
83%
Watch Ultra
65%
🖥️Display
Forerunner 165
100%
Watch Ultra
100%
📱Smart Features
Watch Ultra wins
Forerunner 165
75%
Watch Ultra
81%
🔧Build & Comfort
Forerunner 165 wins
Forerunner 165
80%
Watch Ultra
67%

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
View
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
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

Best Praise
+3 pts
Its a nice way of being in contact etc... without having to hold / look at your phone all the time. I have a Galaxy Watch Ultra which is amazing and has its own data and a xiaomi watch pro 2 which is a lot cheaper but has the main features and will update to Wear OS 4. If you want to try a cheap one, look at either unknown cmf watch or one watch 2 r (they give you a lot of free stuff)
r/Smartwatch
View
Top Criticism
+4 pts
There areany really accurate smartwatches that measure blood pressure available in the U.S. . None have been approved by the FDA. The closest you can get is the Samsung Galaxy Ultra, but you have to do some serious hacks to import the blood pressure monitor from a European app. I've tried several and the blood press was always off by 20 or 30 points. I checked them using a medical grade blood pressure cuff.
r/Smartwatch
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Garmin Forerunner 165
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
$200$400$600May '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Apr '26May '26Low: $198.88Low: $529.99Current: $199.89
Garmin Forerunner 165
All-time low: $189.99(2025-06)
$25 below 90-day avg
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
All-time low: $399.99(2025-12)

Which is Better?

Garmin Forerunner 165 Wins
90%
165
vs
76%
Ultra

Garmin Forerunner 165 leads by 14 points based on 559 Reddit opinions.

Why Forerunner 165Winner
  • Better Value for Money (90% vs 75%)
Why Watch Ultra
  • 🏔️ Adventure
  • 💪 Titanium

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

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

Sentiment Breakdown

33%Positive
Positive
33%
Neutral
57%
Negative
10%
Based on 263 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Garmin Forerunner 165 or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra?
Based on 559 Reddit comments, Garmin Forerunner 165 is the preferred choice with 90% positive sentiment vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra's 76%. Garmin Forerunner 165 leads by 14 percentage points.
Should I buy Garmin Forerunner 165 or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Garmin Forerunner 165 has stronger approval ratings (90% vs 76%). However, Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 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 Ultra?
Reddit users highlight: Adventure. Titanium. Android Ultra. With 263 mentions and 76% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 559 Reddit comments: 296 about Garmin Forerunner 165 and 263 about Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. 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.

222 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 5/14/2026