Disappointed with Garmin’s decision to stop new features for the Forerunner 965

Much more disappointing when you know that latest watch Series F8, Venu X1 & FRx70 are using the same SoC from 2021 which is integrated into all Garmin models since then.

Garmin Rumors add a radar tool with release date about hardware. It is an interesting tool to "understand' the Garmin product Lifecycle

https://garminrumors.com/release-radar/

This is the way that Garmin has always behaved. They don't give a monkey's about rewarding customer loyalty, all they care about is £££ so they cease updating non-current hardware at the earliest opportunity so that we stupidly loyal customers buy new products. I find it infuriating, yet I have been buying Garmin fitness products for over 2 decades. I'm a mug.

I would have nothing against Garmin continuing to provide new features to my 965, but Garmin has been quite consistent in this regard for some time. When I bought my previous Fenix 5+ in 2020, it received its last feature updates (the watch was released in 2018). So two years seems to be the time when Garmin gives feature updates to watches.

But to socorsu, if similarity of hardware would be a reason for companies to continue giving feature updates, then currently phone manufacturers would have to continue to support phones indefinitely, because the phase of quick hardware evolution is over (both for phones and watches).

My old iPhone 11 and AW se 2 are always supported 

even if they do not receive the latest features, this is the most important.

In my opinion there's definitely no reason to change to 970. Your newish 965 still has all the features it had when you bought it, and it will receive bug fixes and stability firmware updates for the next couple of years (based on Garmin's past record).

I have a 4 years old Samsung flagship phone, and it stopped getting most new features about a year ago. It still will get security fixes for a year or two. So it's not that far from what Garmin is doing.

But as I said, I would of course be glad if Garmin decided to bring new features to watches for longer. But I'm not actually disappointed for not getting what was never promised.

i've been through Garmin Fenix 3, Fenix 5, Fenix 6, Fenix 7 and now a Garmin 965. I'm starting to feel that the timeframe the watch is supported is shrinking for every iteration though.

This 965 will be my last Garmin though if Garmin doesn't rethink its firmware strategy.

The thing is, there was really no reason to release 970 imo. It's not better or more attractive/desirable in anyway. It's just a meaningless release as I see it. Basically just a reason to make people by a newer watch - It would give me absolutely nothing I want, compared to FR965 - That's what makes it frustrating.

It doesn't make it better that they now want connect+ money as well.....it's not any full functional AI, it's just more of the same If...then....else....do - It's just a tad too greedy. As a runner Garmin makes me look more and more at Coros and others.

They are so busy making new watches while there are still bugs in the existing LOL and now they stop new functionality.....the connect app could be so great and the web as well, if they wanted it to be. The thing is...they don't care.

How is it that we get used to and accept, that a company charges a pretty nice sum of money, for something filled with bugs. We are just beta testers and we pay dearly for it :-) Then before it works properly, they make a new model, with bugs and so it goes on and on...and on the way to fix bugs.....new bugs are introduced

It's just sad.....:-(