All the features I want to see

Garmin’s Forerunner lineup is a popular series for serious runners, and rightly so. The full family of devices features robust training tools, accurate sensors, and access to one of the best fitness-tracking platforms in the industry. At the top of the lineup sits the 965, which boasts the best experience and also the highest price tag. I rarely find many faults in any Garmin wearable, and the Forerunner 965 is no exception. It’s hard to complain about a watch that our reviewer gave 4.5 stars! However, I’m still excited for a potential new generation. Find out everything I’d love to see in a potential Garmin Forerunner 975.

I would love to see the Forerunner 975 land with an updated optical heart rate sensor. The Garmin Forerunner 965 uses Garmin’s Elevate Gen 4 sensor, which can also be found in older devices like the Fenix 7, Epix, and Venu 2. Meanwhile, the Fenix 7 Pro, Epix Pro, Venu 2 Plus, and Venu 3 all feature Garmin’s newer Gen 5. With this updated sensor, the devices can support Garmin’s FDA-approved ECG app.

ECG recording has become a staple tool on many wearable lineups, and for good reason. Garmin’s ECG app allows users to record their heart rhythm and check for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib). In some cases, it can be a life-saving feature. I was a little surprised to see Garmin saddle the 965 with an older sensor incompatible with the ECG app, but if the company were to do so on the next model, I’d be truly disappointed.

The arrival of an AMOLED display on the Forerunner 965 was a welcome upgrade, but it did come at a cost. Unlike the 955, which came in two variations, the 965 is not available with a solar charging ring. Harnessing the power of the sun is always a very satisfying way to maintain power and can dramatically stretch battery life. I would love to see the Forerunner 975 bring back solar charging or at least offer shoppers the option.

As of now, no Garmin devices with an AMOLED display offer solar charging, so this might be a long shot. The company could introduce a 975 variant with an MIP display and solar charging, but that seems even less likely.

If a solar ring is indeed off the table, I would like to see Garmin introduce wireless charging. The Forerunner 975 is likely to be as pricey as its predecessor (read: not cheap) and warrants convenient, universal charging. In fact, I’m ready for proprietary charges to go extinct altogether, though I do commend Garmin for largely sticking to one design for nearly all of its devices.

The Garmin Forerunner 965 also landed without LTE support, and we haven’t yet seen an LTE variant like the 945 LTE model. LTE support isn’t just great for on-wrist calls. It also empowers safety features like LiveTrack to be used without a phone in your pocket. It can already be found on a few of Garmin’s devices, including the Venu 3, and seems like an appropriate tool to add to a high-end running watch.

With that said, there’s no doubt the Garmin stable can be confusing for anyone new to the brand. When the company brought AMOLED facelifts to more devices, the lines between distinct families got even blurrier. Features like LTE support may become the distinguishing factors to keep the stable from getting too repetitive. In general, it’s easiest to think of the Forerunner 965 (and future 975) as the company’s top-tier watch for runners, a contingent that’s been loyal to the Garmin ecosystem for a long time.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the built-in LED flashlight found on some of Garmin’s top devices is a wildly underrated feature. Rather than an onscreen light, the tool actually functions like a miniature torch, illuminating anything from your midnight snack raid to after-hours walks up the driveway. For runners, it also offers a strobe setting to make individuals more visible to traffic at night. I adore the Garmin flashlight and would love to see it make its way to the Forerunner 975.

There is very little reason to think there won’t be a Forerunner 975 at some point. The lineup is a successful one with a proven track record. As of yet, there haven’t been any leaks or rumors about a new model, but there are still some indicators. For example, the current model introduced an AMOLED display, modernizing the device to a look more on par with popular smartwatches. This suggests Garmins aims for the lineup to compete with the likes of Apple, Google, and Samsung for a permenant place on runners’ wrists.

• Garmin Forerunner 935 — March 29, 2017
• Garmin Forerunner 945 — April 30, 2019
• Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE — June 2, 2021
• Garmin Forerunner 955 and 955 Solar — June 1, 2022
• Garmin Forerunner 965 — March 2, 2023

The question of when a possible Forerunner 975 might arrive isn’t as simple. Generally speaking, the Forerunner lineup has retained a biannual launch schedule. Then, things got stretched during COVID-19, causing a larger gap from 2019 to 2021. Perhaps to catch back up, the next jump between generations was only a single year. Then, in 2023, we got the newest model, the Forerunner 965, in under a year. In other words, it’s hard to claim regularity.

Yet, my hunch is that Garmin will return to its original plan and space the new model about two years out from the current one. This would give us a potential Forerunner 975 in early to mid-2025.

It’s hard to recommend readers wait for a device without any hint of its production timeline. I think it’s unlikely we will get the Forerunner 975 before 2025, but I would be happy to be wrong and see it launch sooner. If you are itching for a new wearable right now, I wholeheartedly recommend the Forerunner 965 ($599.99 at Garmin). For a cheaper entry point to the lineup, the Forerunner 265 ($449.99 at Garmin) also boasts a beautiful display and many powerful training tools.

On the other hand, one area in which the Forerunner line falls short is smart features. For those, I’d recommend Android users consider a smartwatch from Samsung, such as the newly launched Galaxy Watch 7 ($299.99 at Amazon) or Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra ($649.99 at Amazon).  For iOS users, the best fitness-tracking smartwatch pick is either the Apple Watch Series 9 ($392.67 at Amazon) or, if your budget allows, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($759.99 at eBay.