Garmin officially releases its most premium Forerunner watch and adds a lifesaving feature

Garmin has officially unveiled the Forerunner 970, its latest high-end smartwatch designed for serious runners and triathletes. As the successor to the well-regarded Forerunner 965, this new model brings a mix of premium upgrades, cutting-edge health features, and a noticeable bump in price.

The Forerunner 970 is crafted with a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal, wrapped in a lightweight 56-gram build with a 47mm diameter. The AMOLED touchscreen display maintains the sharp 454 x 454 resolution but now gets even brighter, improving visibility in all conditions. Garmin also updated the watch’s aesthetic with bold color accents in green or purple and refined button shapes to give it a more modern edge.

But it’s not just a cosmetic refresh. One of the headline features is the addition of an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, which can detect signs of cardiac arrhythmia. This joins the existing heart rate, SpO2, and skin temperature sensors already offered on the 965.

Garmin also adds new running-focused tools. Running Economy evaluates how efficiently you move, while Running Tolerance helps monitor your biomechanical load to reduce the risk of overtraining. Garmin Coach returns as well, offering more personalized and adaptive training plans.

Another new feature is an integrated LED flashlight, which is a handy tool for early morning or nighttime runs. And thanks to onboard microphones and speakers, the Forerunner 970 can now handle phone calls and interact with voice assistants when connected to a smartphone. It still offers 32 GB of internal storage for maps, apps, and music, plus Garmin Pay support for contactless payments.

Battery life takes a small hit compared to the previous model, with up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and around 26 hours when using GPS. These numbers are still respectable, but worth noting for users who prioritize long-distance endurance tracking.

The Forerunner 970 will be available starting May 21st for $749.99 — a steep increase over the currently reduced $499 price of the Forerunner 965. Buyers can choose from three color options: carbon gray titanium with black case, titanium with whitestone case, and soft gold titanium with french gray case.

This release follows news of another Garmin Forerunner debut, the Forerunner 570. With the Forerunner 970, Garmin is clearly pushing its premium tier forward — both in features and pricing.