Garmin ECG App compatible — the Forerunner 970 supports Garmin's FDA-approved ECG app, enabling on-demand electrocardiogram readings at any time. ECG data can be shared with a medical professional to detect and monitor heart rhythm irregularities and cardiac health issues.

24/7 heart rate monitoring — continuous optical heart rate tracking for training load, recovery, and daily wellness, identical to the Forerunner 965.

Pulse Ox, stress & Body Battery — same HRV-based stress monitoring, SpO₂ blood oxygen tracking, and Body Battery energy gauge as the Forerunner 965.

Advanced sleep tracking — multi-stage sleep monitoring with Garmin Sleep Score for nightly recovery insights, identical to the Forerunner 965.

Sapphire crystal display glass — Sapphire is the second hardest naturally occurring mineral, making it highly scratch resistant. Sapphire glass watches maintain a pristine display through normal wear and tear over years of daily and athletic use, and are widely regarded as the premium standard in sport watch glass.

Titanium bezel — the Forerunner 970 features a titanium bezel, combining a premium look and feel with an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Together with the Sapphire glass, the 970 sits at the top tier of Garmin's build quality among Forerunner models.

Note on display brightness — Sapphire glass does not carry an anti-reflective coating, which means the display can appear slightly less bright compared to the DX-coated Gorilla Glass on the Forerunner 965 in certain lighting conditions. If maximum display brightness is the priority, the 965 edges ahead here.

Built-in speaker and microphone — the Forerunner 970 includes both a speaker and mic, allowing you to answer or reject phone calls directly from your wrist mid-run without stopping to reach for your phone. A genuine time-saver and convenience upgrade for active users.

Voice commands — the onboard microphone supports voice commands, enabling hands-free control of key watch functions during workouts, runs, and daily activities without pressing physical buttons.

Audible alerts — the speaker delivers audio alerts for workout milestones, pacing prompts, turn-by-turn navigation cues, and incoming notifications, complementing the watch's visual display throughout your activity.

Up to 11 days in smartwatch mode — the Forerunner 970 offers up to 11 days of battery life in standard smartwatch mode. While shorter than the Forerunner 965, 11 days remains a strong result for an AMOLED watch at this feature level, comfortably covering most users' weekly charging habits.

Fast charging supported — both the Forerunner 970 and 965 support fast charging via the proprietary Garmin charger, topping up an empty battery in under two hours. This largely mitigates the real-world impact of the battery difference for most users.

Extended GPS battery modes available — like all recent Forerunner models, the 970 offers lower-power GPS modes to extend battery life during ultra-distance events and multi-day adventures when needed.