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In this guide
In Australia the price ladder runs the other way from the American one. Garmin's own store lists the Forerunner 165 at A$429 in Black/Slate Grey and Mist Grey/Whitestone, filed under Running > Previous Models, while the Forerunner 70 that replaced it in the line is A$399 and the Forerunner 170 is A$479. Bought from Garmin, the older watch costs A$30 more than its successor.
The case for the 165 therefore rests on two things: hardware the 70 leaves off, and a lower price from a third-party seller. On 5 November 2026 Amazon Australia showed the Black/Slate model at A$328.95 against an A$429 RRP, sold and shipped by Buymobile Online rather than by Amazon, with a Sydney 2000 delivery address. That is A$70 under the Forerunner 70 at Garmin, provided the seller and its receipt suit a warranty claim.
Our verdict
Buy it from a reputable seller at about A$330 if you run phone-free and want the altimeter, Garmin Pay and 4 GB. At Garmin's A$429, the A$399 Forerunner 70 costs less and runs longer.
- A good fit for
- Runners and riders who leave the phone at home, want elevation and floors from the watch, pay at the café afterwards, and can buy it well under Garmin's A$429.
- We would skip it if
- You would pay Garmin's A$429, want Training Readiness, Sleep Coach and the 70's 23-hour GPS figure, or need a security-update commitment that runs past 2026.
Reasons to consider it
- GPS, GLONASS and Galileo on the sensor list, rated up to 19 hours GPS-only and 17 hours with all systems on
- Barometric altimeter, compass, thermometer, floors climbed, open-water swim metrics and Garmin Pay, none of which appear on the Forerunner 70 sheet, plus 4 GB against the 70's 512 MB
- 20 mm industry-standard quick-release bands and a 5 ATM rating
The compromises
- Garmin Australia sells it for A$30 more than the newer Forerunner 70, so the value case depends on a marketplace price
- The spec table promises security updates only until at least 23 January 2026, against 28 April 2028 for the 70 and 170
- No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth sensors on this model, a proprietary charging plug, and a one-year Garmin warranty that excludes damage from non-Garmin cables
What we have not verified: Garmin's dated security commitment for the 165 has already passed, and the page does not say whether updates stop or simply stop being promised. The A$328.95 Amazon price comes from Buymobile Online and can change with stock; whether that seller's units carry an Australian-purchase receipt Garmin Australasia will accept is for the buyer to confirm before ordering. Garmin Pay works only with cards from listed banks.
The things in this guide
A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.
Forerunner 165, Black/Slate Gray
Built-in GPS, GLONASS and Galileo with up to 19 hours in GPS-only mode, a barometric altimeter, compass, thermometer, Garmin Pay and 4 GB in a 43 mm, 39 g case, all of which the A$399 Forerunner 70 sheet either lacks or cuts to 512 MB.
Before you buy: Garmin Australia lists security updates only until at least 23 January 2026, the cheaper Amazon offer comes from a third-party seller, and this model has no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth sensor support and no Training Readiness or Sleep Coach.
What it records with the phone left at home
Garmin Australia's sensor list names GPS, GLONASS and Galileo alongside the Elevate wrist heart rate monitor, Pulse Ox, a barometric altimeter, compass and thermometer, so pace, distance and climbing come from the watch itself. Battery is rated at up to 19 hours in GPS-only mode and 17 hours with all satellite systems on; smartwatch mode runs up to 11 days, or 20 with the battery saver.
The running screens are on the spec sheet rather than behind a subscription: VO2 max, training effect, recovery time, HRV status, race predictor, PacePro and wrist-based running power. Pool and open-water swim metrics are both listed, and the 5 ATM rating covers the swim. Courses and interval workouts are built in Garmin Connect and then run on the watch with the phone back at home.
Garmin Australia prices the older watch above its replacement
At Garmin's own store the line reads A$399 for the Forerunner 70, A$429 for the 165, A$479 for the Forerunner 170 and A$499 for the 165 Music. Read against each other, the 70 wins on runtime, up to 13 days in smartwatch mode and 23 hours GPS-only, and adds Training Readiness, Training Status and Sleep Coach. The 165 keeps a barometric altimeter, compass, thermometer, floors climbed, Garmin Pay, open-water swim metrics and 4 GB where the 70 lists 512 MB.
Paying A$30 more for a previous model at Garmin is hard to defend; the 170 at A$479 restores that hardware on a current watch. The 165 only makes sense below the 70's price. Amazon Australia's A$328.95 comes from Buymobile Online, not Amazon, with eight new offers starting at the same figure. Check the seller and keep the tax invoice, because Garmin Australasia asks for a receipt from the original retailer.
Where the phone comes back into it
Notifications, weather, calendar and the safety features depend on a phone paired through Garmin Connect. Assistance and incident detection send your location through that phone, so they need its data plan and coverage on the run. Wind-adjusted running power also takes wind data from the phone, so a phone-free run gets the measurement without that correction.
The manual draws the harder line: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth sensors belong to the music watch only. On this model uploads and software updates travel through the phone or a cable, and chest straps or footpods must speak ANT+. Garmin Pay does work phone-free once a card is loaded; the participating-bank list includes Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ and NAB, though Garmin warns that some cards from listed banks are not supported.
A support date that has already passed, a proprietary plug and twelve months
Garmin Australia's spec table carries a security information row: updates until at least 23 January 2026 for the 165, and 28 April 2028 for the Forerunner 70 and 170. The page does not say updates have stopped, only that Garmin's commitment ran to that date. For a watch bought now and worn for years, that row is the clearest difference between the 165 and its replacements.
The case is 43 by 43 by 11.6 mm and 39 g on a 20 mm quick-release band, so a worn strap is an off-the-shelf part. Charging uses Garmin's proprietary plug. Garmin Australasia warrants the watch for a year alongside the Australian Consumer Law guarantees, the buyer pays transport to the service centre, and damage from cables Garmin did not supply is excluded.
Skip it if Garmin's price is the only one on offer
If the only way to buy is Garmin's A$429, take the Forerunner 70 at A$399 for longer battery and the newer coaching screens, or the 170 at A$479 if the altimeter and Garmin Pay matter. Either comes with a security-update date in 2028 rather than one already behind it.
Music is the other fork. Unlike the US range, Garmin Australia still sells the 165 Music at A$499, whose spec table adds music storage and Wi-Fi for A$70 more; the 170 Music is A$549. A runner who carries the phone on every run gets little from the 165's own GPS and altimeter, and pays for hardware the phone already duplicates.
How we put this together
Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.
- Garmin Australia: Forerunner 165 product page (opens in a new tab)
- Garmin Australia: Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 170 product page (opens in a new tab)
- Amazon Australia: Garmin Forerunner 165, Black/Slate (ASIN B0CT3SGHXL) (opens in a new tab)
- Garmin: Forerunner 165 Series owner's manual (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Garmin Australia: Consumer warranty and repairs (opens in a new tab)
- Garmin: Garmin Pay participating banks (opens in a new tab)
