Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Vivoactive 6

Garmin Forerunner 165 and Garmin Vivoactive 6 are watches released in 2024 and 2025, with overlapping phone compatibility. This comparison separates the catalog's listed specifications from missing information and approximate values. It covers 17 fields, including 6 exact differences; it does not choose a winner.

Specifications side by side

Field	Garmin Forerunner 165	Garmin Vivoactive 6
Release year	2024	2025
Case sizes	Not listed	42 mm
Display	1.2-inch AMOLED, 390×390	AMOLED, Always-On
Battery, as listed	Up to 11 days · 19 GPS hours	Up to 11 days
Operating system	Garmin OS	Garmin OS
Phone compatibility	Android, iPhone	Android, iPhone
Cellular connection	None · Bluetooth	None
Water rating	5ATM	5ATM
Glass	Chemically strengthened glass	Not listed
Case material	Fiber-reinforced polymer	Polymer/aluminum
GPS	Standard GPS	Standard GPS
Maps	No	No
Payment system	Garmin Pay	Garmin Pay
Plan requirement	Not required	Not required
Listed sensors and features	HRV, Readiness score, SpO2	Sleep apnea, HRV, Readiness score, SpO2
Safety features	livelocate, SOS calling	livelocate, SOS calling
Hardware flashlight	No	No

"Not listed" means the catalog has no usable value for that field. It does not mean the watch lacks the feature. Approximate values stay visible but do not support the difference count or numeric deltas.

Where they differ

Release year: Garmin Forerunner 165 lists 2024; Garmin Vivoactive 6 lists 2025. The listed values are 1 years apart.
Display: Garmin Forerunner 165 lists 1.2-inch AMOLED, 390×390; Garmin Vivoactive 6 lists AMOLED, Always-On.
Battery, as listed: Garmin Forerunner 165 lists Up to 11 days · 19 GPS hours; Garmin Vivoactive 6 lists Up to 11 days. These are the full listed battery descriptions. Different modes or case variants prevent a single numeric battery-life delta.
Cellular connection: Garmin Forerunner 165 lists None · Bluetooth; Garmin Vivoactive 6 lists None. Variant wording is retained. A cellular specification alone does not confirm activation with your mobile carrier.
Case material: Garmin Forerunner 165 lists Fiber-reinforced polymer; Garmin Vivoactive 6 lists Polymer/aluminum. Keep the variant qualifications when comparing an individual model; this row describes the catalog entry rather than every configuration.
Listed sensors and features: Garmin Forerunner 165 lists HRV, Readiness score, SpO2; Garmin Vivoactive 6 lists Sleep apnea, HRV, Readiness score, SpO2. This compares the listed feature names, not measurement accuracy, clinical usefulness or availability in a particular country.

What separates these two

The entry points of two Garmin lines: the 2024 Forerunner 165 and the 2025 Vivoactive 6. Both list standard GPS, no maps, no voice control, no flashlight and up to 11 days of battery, with the Forerunner's label adding a 19-hour GPS figure. The Vivoactive 6 lists a sleep apnea sensor the Forerunner does not. The Forerunner lists exact dimensions and a 39-gram weight; the Vivoactive lists a case size only. Both work with iPhone and Android, both list Garmin Pay, and neither offers cellular.

Where they are the same

Both list operating system: Garmin OS.
Both list phone compatibility: Android, iPhone.
Both list water rating: 5ATM.
Both list gps: Standard GPS.
Both list maps: No.
Both list payment system: Garmin Pay.
Both list plan requirement: Not required.
Both list safety features: livelocate, SOS calling.
Both list hardware flashlight: No.

Which one fits you

Garmin Forerunner 165 is listed as a watch compatible with Android, iPhone. Start with that phone requirement before comparing the other rows. The exact differences above are a way to identify which listed specifications matter to your use, not evidence that one model is better in every respect.

Garmin Vivoactive 6 is listed as a watch compatible with Android, iPhone. Start with that phone requirement before comparing the other rows. The exact differences above are a way to identify which listed specifications matter to your use, not evidence that one model is better in every respect.

Information is missing on at least one side for: Case sizes, Glass. Those rows are excluded from the exact difference count.