Garmin Enduro 4 vs Forerunner 970 specs comparison

Enduro 4 is the better choice for ultras, expeditions and anyone who puts battery life ahead of display quality, with solar charging, up to 90 days in smartwatch mode and dramatically longer GPS endurance. Forerunner 970 is the better everyday running watch, with a brighter AMOLED touchscreen and a lighter, more compact design, while still offering mapping and Garmin's high-end training tools.

Full comparison

The full record

138 specifications across 13 areas, with 31 genuine differences.

1. Design & display 9 differences · Garmin Forerunner 970 leads on Weight, Display resolution Garmin Forerunner 970
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Release date
October 2026
May 2025
Physical size
51 x 51 x 15.7 mm
47 x 47 x 12.9 mm
Weight
66 g
56 g
Material
Fiber-reinforced polymer case; titanium bezel and rear cover
Titanium bezel; fiber-reinforced polymer case; silicone strap
Water resistance
10 ATM
5 ATM
Color options
Multiple color and material combinations
Carbon Grey DLC Titanium with Black Case, Titanium with Whitestone Case, Soft Gold Titanium with French Grey Case
Display type
Color transflective MIP touchscreen
AMOLED touchscreen
Display size
1.4 inch diameter
1.4 inch diameter
Display resolution
280 x 280 pixels
454 x 454 pixels
Display protection
Power Sapphire
Sapphire crystal
2. Battery & charging 1 difference · Garmin Enduro 4 leads on Battery life Garmin Enduro 4
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Battery
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Battery life
Up to 36 days / 90 days with solar in smartwatch mode; up to 120 / 320 hours with solar in GPS mode
Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days; GPS-only: Up to 26 hours; SatIQ (AutoSelect): Up to 23 hours; All-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band: Up to 21 hours; GPS-only with music: Up to 14 hours; SatIQ with music: Up to 13 hours; All-Systems + Multi-Band with music: Up to 12 hours
Charging
Garmin proprietary charging cable
Garmin proprietary charging cable
3. Sensors & positioning 2 differences · Garmin Forerunner 970 leads on Microphone, Speakers Garmin Forerunner 970
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
GNSS type
Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ
Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ
GPS
Yes
Yes
GALILEO
Yes
Yes
GLONASS
Yes
Yes
QZSS
Yes
Yes
Beidou
Yes
Yes
Accelerometer
Yes
Yes
Gyroscope
Yes
Yes
Barometric altimeter
Yes
Yes
Compass
Yes
Yes
Geomagnetic
No
No
Ambient light sensor
Yes
Yes
Optical heart rate
Yes
Yes
Electrical heart rate
Yes
Yes
SpO2
Yes
Yes
Temperature
Yes
Yes
Galvanic skin response
No
No
Microphone
No
Yes
Speakers
No
Yes
Vibration motor
Yes
Yes
4. Health & activity No significant differences Even
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Steps
Yes
Yes
Distance
Yes
Yes
Calories burned
Yes
Yes
Floors
Yes
Yes
Sports tracking
Yes
Yes
Sleep
Yes
Yes
Heart rate
Yes
Yes
HRV
Yes
Yes
Stress
Yes
Yes
Blood oxygen
Yes
Yes
Respiration rate
Yes
Yes
Skin temperature
Yes
Yes
ECG
Yes
Yes
Blood pressure
No
No
Body composition
No
No
Glucose
No
No
Hydration level
No
No
UV exposure
No
No
Calorie intake
No
No
Hyperglycemia risk assessment
No
No
Arterial stiffness detection
No
No
Pulse wave arrhythmia analysis
No
No
No significant differences in this area.
5. Smart features 3 differences · advantages split between the two Mixed
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Smartphone compatibility
Android and iOS
Android and iOS
Operating system at launch
Garmin proprietary
Garmin proprietary
Storage
64 GB
32 GB
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Yes
NFC / connected pay
Yes
Yes
UWB
No
No
Cellular
No
No
Smartphone notifications
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth calling
No
Yes (paired smartphone)
Smartphone music control
Yes
Yes
On-board music storage
Yes
Yes
Voice assistant
No
Yes (paired smartphone)
6. Navigation & safety 1 difference · no clear overall edge No clear edge
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Maps
Yes
Yes
Offline maps
Yes
Yes
Navigation
Yes
Yes
Emergency SOS
Yes (paired smartphone)
Yes (paired smartphone)
Satellite SOS
No
No
Fall detection
Yes
Yes
LED flashlight
Yes (built-in LED flashlight)
Yes (built-in LED flashlight)
Diving
No
No
Updated map engine
Yes
No
7. Garmin performance & training 7 differences · Garmin Enduro 4 leads on Garmin Epic, Rucking workouts +5 Garmin Enduro 4
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Body Battery
Yes
Yes
Training Readiness
Yes
Yes
Training Status
Yes
Yes
Training Load Focus
Yes
Yes
Endurance Score
Yes
Yes
Hill Score
Yes
Yes
Real-Time Stamina
Yes
Yes
Running Tolerance
Yes
Yes
Running Economy
Yes (compatible accessory)
Yes (compatible accessory)
Step Speed Loss
Yes (compatible accessory)
Yes (compatible accessory)
Performance Condition
Yes
Yes
PacePro
Yes
Yes
ClimbPro
Yes
Yes
Jet Lag Adviser
Yes
Yes
Daily Suggested Workouts
Yes
Yes
Race Widget
Yes
Yes
Morning Report
Yes
Yes
Garmin Coach
Yes
Yes
Garmin Epic
Yes
No
Rucking workouts
Yes
No
Indoor rowing VO2 max
Yes (requires compatible rower)
No
Indoor rowing FTP
Yes (requires compatible rower)
No
Indoor rowing power curve / zones
Yes (requires compatible rower)
No
Indoor rowing lactate threshold
Yes (requires compatible rower)
No
Indoor rowing max heart rate
Yes
No
8. Garmin golf 6 differences · Garmin Enduro 4 leads on PlaysLike Distance, Touch Targeting +4 Garmin Enduro 4
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Golf course maps
Yes
Yes
Green View
Yes
Yes
Hazard View
Yes
Yes
Garmin AutoShot
Yes
Yes
PlaysLike Distance
Yes
No
PinPointer
Yes
Yes
Touch Targeting
Yes
No
Virtual Caddie
Yes
No
Green Contours
Yes (with Garmin Golf membership)
No
Club tracking compatibility
Yes
Yes
Swing Tempo
Yes
No
Tempo Training
Yes
No
9. Garmin tactical 1 difference · no clear overall edge No clear edge
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Stealth Mode
No
No
Kill Switch
No
No
Jumpmaster
Yes
No
Night Vision compatibility
No
No
Applied Ballistics
No
No
10. Garmin aviation No significant differences Even
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Direct-to/Nearest airport navigation
No
No
Aviation maps
No
No
METAR/TAF weather
No
No
NEXRAD radar
No
No
Automatic flight logging
No
No
Garmin Pilot flight-plan transfer
No
No
No significant differences in this area.
11. Garmin diving No significant differences Even
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Dive modes
No
No
Air integration
No
No
SubWave networking
No
No
Dive Readiness
No
No
DiveView maps
No
No
Diver-to-diver messaging
No
No
No significant differences in this area.
12. Garmin marine 1 difference · no clear overall edge No clear edge
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Chartplotter connectivity
No
No
Autopilot control
No
No
Fusion-Link
No
No
Boat data streaming
No
No
Tide data
Yes
No
13. Garmin ecosystem No significant differences Even
Fact
Garmin Enduro 4
Garmin Forerunner 970
Connect IQ
Yes
Yes
Built-in inReach
No
No
No significant differences in this area.

Individual specifications

These technical specs are correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing.