Sapphire display glass — Sapphire is sourced from naturally occurring Sapphire crystals and is among the hardest materials used in watch glass. The result is a display that is highly scratch resistant and widely regarded as the premium standard for sport watches.

36 mm dial · 454 × 454 px resolution — the larger dial gives the Forerunner 970 a more generous screen area with a crisper, higher-resolution AMOLED panel compared to the Fenix E.

AMOLED display — vibrant colours, deep blacks, and excellent outdoor visibility in both standard and always-on modes.

Titanium bezel — the Forerunner 970 features a titanium bezel, offering a lighter yet highly durable premium finish that is a step above the steel bezel found on the Fenix E.

Multi-band GPS — the Forerunner 970 pulls positioning data from multiple satellite frequencies simultaneously. In areas with weak signals from one system, the watch seamlessly uses another, improving reliability and accuracy in challenging conditions.

SatIQ sensor — intelligently and automatically toggles multi-band GPS on or off based on current signal conditions. Users benefit from maximum GPS accuracy when needed without manually managing settings or sacrificing battery life unnecessarily.

GPS · GLONASS · Galileo · QZSS · BeiDou — five satellite network support for broad global coverage, including strong performance in East Asia where BeiDou and QZSS provide meaningful additional accuracy.

Best for urban, trail, and remote use — multi-band GPS is a significant advantage in dense city environments, forest trails, and mountain terrain where single-band GPS commonly drifts.

Garmin ECG App compatible — the Forerunner 970 supports Garmin's FDA-approved ECG app, which records an electrocardiogram to analyse the rhythm of the heart. This is a meaningful advantage for users monitoring cardiac health closely.

24/7 heart rate monitoring — continuous optical heart rate tracking throughout the day and during all workout profiles.

Pulse Ox (SpO₂) — blood oxygen saturation monitoring, useful for altitude activities and sleep quality assessment.

Advanced sleep & stress tracking — multi-stage sleep monitoring, Sleep Score, HRV-based stress levels, and Garmin Body Battery energy gauge.

Built-in speaker and microphone — the Forerunner 970 includes both a speaker and mic, enabling you to take or reject calls directly from the wrist without reaching for your phone. A genuine convenience feature for active users.

Higher internal storage — the Forerunner 970 offers more internal storage than the Fenix E, ideal for storing detailed maps for navigation or a larger offline music library.

5 ATM water rating (50 metres) — waterproof to 50 metres depth, suitable for swimming, surfing, and water sports in most standard conditions.

Designed for athletes — the Forerunner 970 is built specifically for runners, triathletes, and endurance athletes with an extensive suite of performance features and workout profiles.