The 965 is here ...finally

Hi Derek, as I mentioned , I still wish the gesture was more sensitive - or that the sensitivity could be adjusted. I guess as with everything one adapts . But with less glare it makes a difference as the glare was very noticeable on the 265 at an angle (which is sort of how you look at the watch on your wrist during running).

But I guess the other points will still remain. For example if you stand still with the MIP (like in a rest between intervals) you can still see the screen and the countdown clearly whereas with the AMOLED the brightness goes off rather quickly so you have to gesture again. Again it's just a difference one adapts to.

I don't have the 955 with me currently as an acquaintance is using it as their older watch died and they needed something to use, so I am in the deep end with the 965. I see the new 955 Beta addressed many of the frustrations which is good to see.

I must say that the dimensions are more comfortable for me for sure, how a mm here or there can make a difference.

My last week was rather a turmoil and I really didn't run, so I was back out for the first time today. It was a glorious sunny warm day and useful for assessing the glare issues.

Fundamentally the two watches (955 and 965) have the same feature set and with the new Beta hopefully sorting so many things for the 955 , there seems no logical reason to change...if these decisions are ever based on logic...

Of course there seem to be some bugs appearing on the 965 as well, although I haven't had issues as yet...but 24 hours is a short time.

thanks for the insights. practically speaking, i will be curious to see if some companies come up with decent tempered glass screen protectors for the 965 (and 265 for that matter). while not absolutely necessary, i've felt safer with my clumsy self (working on cars and other things) having that disposable protector to replace as needed. gorilla glass is great, but not immune to scratches and bumps.

This is the conclusion I wanted to hear:

S.M.R. said:

Fundamentally the two watches (955 and 965) have the same feature set and with the new Beta hopefully sorting so many things for the 955 , there seems no logical reason to change...if these decisions are ever based on logic...

I guess, at least, if the AMOLED isn't a 100% must-have. So I'm still good to go with my 955, although the more comfortable dimensions of the watch are also a pro point for the 965. I also wished the MIP display of the 955 had a higher resolution :D But besides, I'm still quite satisfied with the 955 and I personally even prefer the MIP over the AMOLED display (although the latter is definetly a joy to watch at...)

Do you notice any differences in performance? Smoothness, operating speed, that kinda stuff...

From what I understand internals are mostly the same so I don't really expect much in that sense, but still wondering :)

S.M.R. said:

you can still see the screen and the countdown clearly whereas with the AMOLED the brightness goes off rather quickly so you have to gesture again. Again it's just a difference one adapts to

FWIW I had a brief experience with an Epix last year and definitely adapted to the delay. I didn’t find gesturing as smooth as that on an Apple Watch, but it was fine. 

Personally, I still prefer a MIP display for outdoor running when I’m trying to hit a defined pace, but the AMOLED screen is easier for me to read in all other circumstances. I also always keep AOD on (with Garmin and my Apple Watch) despite the hit to the battery. 

The day to day usage I have had to date It is quite slick (I haven't tried mapping area), but I never had any touch screen lagging issues with my 955 as some did. So i'd say they are on par.

The screen is clearly really nice looking at glances etc as they are super clear with this resolution. Can be a bit garish I guess in a way depends on ones taste.

for me, the 955 touch screen has been very good (at least for someone who never had an Apple watch). i think early on, it didn't seem super fluid, but in the more recent firmwares, i have no complaints and thankfully, i haven't had any lagginess or freezes reported by some users. i suspect it may be due to my fairly simple set of Glances i use (only a few third party ones)

i think i really need to see the 965 in person. i can imagine in some cases, the extra resolution and OLED will look marvelous, but agree that some of it could tend towards garish. in many ways, i like how the MIPS is an understated yet very readable display. Garmin improved the backlight dramatically in the 945LTE and 955 (vs 945 and 935) so that the blacks are blacker and there is much greater contrast. surely, not OLED quality, but plenty good enough for these old eyes.

i'm trying to not get FOMO here. in practical terms, i really should be waiting another year or two for the 975 (or whatever its called) to usher in some other features that i really need.  as i noted previously, i think for me, if i were to jump to the 965, the larger screen and thinner profile are bigger motivators than the OLED screen but i may in the minority in those being the more important upgrades.

Thanks for all your testing of these watches.

Could you please provide approximate times for how long each of the 965, 265 and 955 take to acquire a GPS signal?

Would be interesting to know if there was a difference between the models. Thanks.

i can chime in for the 955. it's probably about 5 seconds in general.  (just a rough guesstimate) it's much faster than my 935, 735XT, or 230 that came before it.  i would suspect since it's the same chipset, the 965/265 would be similar.