This is the premium version, equipped with many significant improvements in both hardware and software by Garmin, while also inheriting many outstanding features from the renowned Fenix 8 series.
The product is positioned towards runners and professional triathletes.
More than just a sports watch, the Forerunner 970 also acts as a "smart assistant," helping to optimize training performance and track overall health.
Reporters from Dan Tri newspaper spent nearly a month conducting on-site testing to verify the product's effectiveness.
The question is: will battery life be affected by the new upgrades, and more importantly, is the Forerunner 970 truly worth the nearly 20 million VND price tag that Garmin is setting?
Advantage:
- Bright screen: Allows for clear display in all lighting conditions.
- High accuracy: GPS and heart rate sensors perform excellently on land.
- Diverse ecosystem: Fully integrated with smart features such as Garmin Pay, offline music storage, speaker/microphone, etc.
Limit:
- High cost: The price of nearly 20 million VND makes it an expensive option.
- Battery drains quickly: When using the screen in "Always On" mode with high brightness, the battery drains very quickly.
- Minor software bug: The automatic rerouting feature on the round-trip route is not yet working reliably.
Garmin Forerunner 970 Review: Is the high price worth it?
Design and display
The Forerunner 970 continues the elegant and durable design language of the Forerunner line with its ultra-lightweight and sturdy titanium chassis, combined with a 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen for a modern feel.
The most notable upgrade is the screen coating, which has been upgraded to Sapphire Crystal instead of the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX found on the 965 version, providing better scratch resistance, especially useful for outdoor activities.
The Forerunner 970's screen also boasts significantly higher brightness compared to its predecessor. Garmin hasn't shared specific brightness figures, but according to some sources, it could reach 1,500-2,000 nits, a significant improvement over the 1,000 nits of the Forerunner 965.
The reporter's impression of the Forerunner 970 under the intense sunlight was still clearly evident.
By default, the brightness is set to 2/3 of maximum, but users can easily adjust it. However, please note that using the "Always On" mode with high brightness will drain the battery very quickly.
Specifically, when tested in this mode, the watch only lasted about 2.5 days - a rather modest figure.
Additionally, the Forerunner 970 is equipped with five physical buttons along with a touchscreen, allowing for flexible use of both methods to control the watch. Users can also completely disable the touchscreen or only use it in specific situations.
Features and performance
The Forerunner 970 is not just a running watch; it also serves as a comprehensive health and fitness tracker, packed with smart features.
The Forerunner 970 will automatically track your sleep, including your sleep times, wake times, and different sleep stages.
The Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical heart rate sensor on the Forerunner 970 is the same as the Fenix 8 (Photo: Bao Khanh).
The product is equipped with the Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical heart rate sensor, which Garmin introduced in 2023 and is still used in its highest-end models (such as the Fenix 8). This sensor provides accurate and highly-rated data.
Regarding electrocardiogram (ECG) and skin temperature features, the Gen5 sensor enables the product to perform medical- grade ECGs to detect atrial fibrillation (AFIB). However, all these features are for reference only and are not a substitute for medical equipment.
Users can also get an overview of their sleep quality, recovery status, and daily exercise suggestions. Notably, the watch can also monitor sleep apnea.
Connect
The Forerunner 970 is equipped with both a speaker and a microphone, allowing users to make calls, use voice assistants (Siri, Google Assistant, Bixby), and play music directly from the watch when connected to a phone.
Experience shows that the speaker's sound quality is rated as better than previous Garmin models; while with the offline voice assistant, you can easily request features like running, timer, or alarm settings with a simple voice command.
The watch also supports internal memory for storing offline music from services like Spotify and Amazon Music, allowing you to enjoy music without having to carry your phone.
The 47mm watch face is suitable for people with medium to large wrists (Photo: Bao Khanh).
Contactless payment (NFC) functionality via Garmin Pay is also integrated, making payments more convenient.
The Forerunner 970 has added 15 new sports profiles, including not only traditional running, cycling, and swimming, but also expanding to include extreme sports such as adventure racing, exploration, obstacle courses, and other sports like rucking, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding.
This makes it easier for users to categorize and track their activities accurately.
Batteries and chargers
Battery life is always a crucial factor for sports watches, and the battery life experience on the Forerunner 970 is quite impressive.
Although the battery life in smartwatch mode and GPS-only mode is reduced compared to the Forerunner 965 (from 23 days to 15 days in smartwatch mode and from 31 hours to 26 hours in GPS-only mode), battery life is improved in other modes.
For GPS-only navigation (GNSS) mode with all systems and multi-band operation: the Forerunner 970 can operate for up to 21 hours (compared to 19 hours on the Forerunner 965). And in GNSS mode with GPS only and music, it's 14 hours (compared to 10.5 hours on the Forerunner 965).
Real-world testing showed that with the screen always on and default brightness, the battery drained very quickly (approximately 2.5 days). However, when the brightness was reduced to the lowest level, the usage time increased significantly, almost equivalent to the Forerunner 965.
With popular GPS workouts, the Forerunner 970 still outperforms the 965; for example, during a 4-hour hike, the watch still has over 30 hours of battery life remaining.
New running feature
Running is one of the biggest highlights of Garmin watches, and the Forerunner 970 is no exception. Garmin has introduced a range of new software features aimed at optimizing running performance and minimizing injury.
Impact Load Factor: This is a new metric used to calculate the "true cost" of your run, adjusting the actual distance based on terrain, intensity, and running posture.
For example, a 10km run in the mountains will have a much higher impact load factor than a 10km run on flat ground, because it causes greater muscle strain.
This feature is very helpful in explaining why your body feels tired after strenuous workouts. In our reporter's tests, Impact Load appeared to accurately reflect how the body actually feels.
Running Tolerance: This feature uses data on your recent impact loads to determine a safe threshold for running, helping you avoid injury.
Although theoretically this is a good idea, in practice it's not suitable for people with diverse training volumes.
This feature not only considers the distance run but also assesses biomechanical load, including pressure on muscles, joints, and tendons, based on various factors such as speed, intensity, incline, cadence, and landing time... However, in the reporter's actual experience, this feature is not very useful.
However, this is still a good tool for beginners or those who want to carefully track their progress in increasing training volume.
Additionally, there are features like Running Economy and Step Speed Loss; both of these require the user to use Garmin's HRM-600 external chest heart rate monitor.
While interesting, they require accessories and seem only effective for easy, stable runs.
Garmin Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8 (Photo: Bao Khanh).
This can leave users feeling limited when training for high-intensity runs or running on challenging terrain, as these types of workouts are not counted towards the metrics.
The watch also has several other features such as automatic timed track tracking, finish line suggestions, race time predictions, etc.
GPS accuracy and heart rate
The Forerunner 970 is equipped with both a new optical HR sensor (Gen5) and a new GPS chipset, delivering high accuracy.
The Forerunner 970 has added 15 new athletic profiles (Photo: Bao Khanh).
During workouts, the Elevate Gen5 optical heart rate sensor on the Forerunner 970 provides stable and accurate data, with no discrepancies compared to the reference watch, the Fenix 8.
The Forerunner 970 also includes detailed offline maps, including roads, trails, and attractions. It also inherits the map user interface of the Fenix 8, providing a more intuitive experience.
Summary
Compared to the Garmin Forerunner 965, the Garmin Forerunner 970 is a worthwhile upgrade, but not a revolutionary one.
From a brighter AMOLED display and titanium casing to a Gen5 sensor with ECG functionality and an LED flashlight, these are all worthwhile improvements.
However, with a price tag of up to 19.63 million VND, almost the same as the high-end Fenix series, the Forerunner 970 may not appeal to everyone.
This isn't a watch for the masses, but rather a product for professional athletes or tech enthusiasts who are willing to pay for the best.
If you're looking for a comprehensive watch with the most advanced and intelligent features for running and triathlon, the Garmin Forerunner 970 might be a worthwhile option.
However, if you don't need all these advanced features, earlier versions or competitors from Coros, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc., might be a more cost-effective option.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/danh-gia-garmin-forerunner-970-dat-co-xat-ra-mieng-20250817102818999.htm
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