Garmin Forerunner 970

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Description

Launch Date
6/17/2025
Launch Price
750 USD

The Forerunner 970 is a premium GPS running and triathlon smartwatch featuring a bright 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen, advanced multisport training and recovery metrics, a new optical heart rate sensor (Elevate Gen5), and enhanced SatIQ multi-band GPS chipset for superior accuracy. It includes a built-in LED flashlight, microphone, speaker, ECG-capable sensor, and detailed color topographic mapping with route creation capabilities. Designed for performance-driven athletes, it offers extensive training load and recovery metrics, safety features, and up to 26 hours of GPS battery life.

Highlights

  • 1.4-inch bright AMOLED touchscreen
  • SatIQ multi-band GPS chipset for high accuracy
  • Up to 26 hours GPS battery life
  • Built-in LED flashlight, microphone, and speaker
  • ECG-capable sensor included
  • Advanced training load and recovery metrics
  • Color topo mapping with route creation
  • Water-resistant up to 50 meters

Specifications

display size 1.4 inches AMOLED touchscreen
gps SatIQ multi-band GPS chipset
battery life gps_mode : up to 26 hours , smartwatch_mode : up to 15 days , gps_with_music : up to 14 hours
heart rate sensor Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical wrist-based sensor
led flashlighttrue
microphonetrue
speakertrue
ecg capabletrue
maps color_topographic :true, preloaded : Road , Topo , programmable_routes :30, waypoints :1000
altimeter Pressure-based
compasstrue
water resistance 50 meters
activity tracking pool_lap_recognition :true, stroke_recognition :true, sleep_tracking :true, steps :true, calories_burned :true, interval_training :true, pace_alert :true
connectivity ANT+ , Bluetooth
compatibility Cadence Sensor , Heart Rate Monitor , Power Meter
training metrics Training Readiness , Training Status , Acute Load , Running Economy , Race Predictor , Recovery Advising , VO2 Max Estimate

Pros and Cons

  • Unmatched breadth of training features
  • Best-in-class GPS and heart rate accuracy
  • Long battery life in GPS mode
  • Incorporates safety and incident detection features
  • Comprehensive multisport support including triathlon
  • Detailed offline topographic mapping
  • Can be buggy and slow with maps
  • Steep learning curve for casual users
  • Some metrics' accuracy and value may be questionable

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