A recent Garmin social media post led many fans to believe that the brand was about to launch a new Forerunner smartwatch. However, it appears that the poster was actually advertising an upcoming discount on an existing smartwatch in China.
Recent rumors about a new Garmin Forerunner smartwatch have proved incorrect. They began after the company released a cryptic poster on the Chinese social media site Weibo, with an obscured image of a smartwatch. This led many to believe that a new running wearable was about to be released.
However, it turns out that this post was in fact advertising an upcoming sale. In some parts of China, on July 22nd, the Forerunner 265 smartwatch was reduced in price to CNY 1,999 (~$279), a figure indicated in the marketing poster. This is a CNY 1,381 (~$192), or roughly 40%, discount on the CNY 3,380 (~$472) RRP.
As for offers in other markets, the black and gray Forerunner 265 is currently discounted from $449.99 to $421.60 at Amazon US. However, this is not a particularly good deal on the watch, which was reduced to $399.99 earlier in July and $349.99 across May and early June 2025.
Garmin has already launched two new running smartwatches this year: the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970. However, customers are still hoping for a more affordable new release. Whether or when Garmin could announce a Forerunner 65 or Forerunner 170 smartwatch remains to be seen.
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Polly Allcock – Senior Tech Writer – 4234 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021
I’ve been interested in technology for as long as I can remember. From a young age, I have loved gadgets and understanding how things work. Since graduating, I have worked for several technology companies across FinTech, AdTech and Robotics.
Polly Allcock, 2025-07-23 (Update: 2025-07-23)