Garmin 245 Music Deezer



This is a product battle between the Garmin Forerunner 235 vs Forerunner 245 Music. It’s a one sided contest. The FR245 dominates its older sibling in several different ways.

The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music has the advanced running features but also offers the music playback feature. It can store up to 500 songs, which allows users to load music files to it or get music from Spotify and Deezer. And it has a good battery life. The smartwatch mode can go for 7 days, GPS with music mode lasts 6 hours and GPS without. The Garmin Forerunner 245 is available in a music version which allows you to store up to 500 songs on the watch as well as sync to Spotify or Deezer. But getting the music transferred over to your. Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.

However, the Forerunner 235 is much cheaper than it used to be, so if you want a good quality running watch that doesn’t break the bank, you could uncover a hidden gem in the FR235.

To help you decide which watch is better suited to your needs, we are going to unpack all the key similarities and all the key differences, with some pretty strong recommendations at the end.

Let’s get stuck in.

Forerunner 235 vs Forerunner 245 - Key Similarities

FR235

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GPS + GLONASS
24/7 Activity Tracking

Garmin 245 Music Deezer For Sale

Indoor + Outdoor Cycling
Cardio Modes
Control Smartphone Music
V02 Max Estimates
Barometric Altimeter

Forerunner 235 vs Forerunner 245 - Key Differences

FR235

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Music Storage & Apps

No

Body Battery Score
Garmin Coach Training Plans
Pool Swimming
GPS Battery

24 Hours

9 Days

Sports Modes

13

It’s actually really difficult to find all the sports modes for the FR235. In the table below, we’ve listed all the modes that we can find for each watch.

Forerunner 235 - Sports ModesForerunner 245 - Sports Modes
01) Indoor Running01) Cardio Training
02) Outdoor Running02) Elliptical Training
03) Indoor Cycling03) Stair Stepping
04) Outdoor Cycling04) Yoga
05) Cardio Mode05) Outdoor Running
06) Treadmill Running
07) Indoor Track Running
08) Cycling
09) Indoor Cycling
10) Strength Training
11) Trail Running
12) Indoor Rowing
13) Pool Swimming

The Garmin Forerunner 245 comes in a music version and a non-music version, which costs about 50 dollars less.

This is one of the key selling points of the FR245. You essentially get 3.5GB of music storage (about 500 songs) and you can also play music through the following apps:

  • Spotify
  • Deezer
  • iHeartRadio

This is one of the best features of the Garmin Forerunner 245. When paired with a suitable accessory (Garmin HRM-Run, Garmin HRM-Tri or Garmin Running Dynamics Pod), you can unlock the following key statistics.

  • Ground Contact Time (the time your foot spends on the ground with each stride)
  • Ground Contact Balance (Symmetry between left and right foot)
  • Vertical Oscillation (degree of ‘bounce’ in your running motion)
  • Vertical Ratio (the cost-benefit ratio with stride length)
  • Cadence (Real time)
  • Stride Length (Real time)

Of the metrics above, measuring and improving your vertical oscillation and vertical ratio stats can literally make you a more efficient runner.

The point of a pulse oximeter is to measure your bloody oxygen saturation levels. The problem here is that unless you live in a super high altitude environment, this feature isn’t actually all that useful.

Also, certain reviewers have pointed out that the Pulse Oximeter on Garmin devices isn’t all that accurate.

The main benefit for most people is that Garmin are using the Pulse Oximeter to help calculate your body battery score (more info on this feature below).

Garmin first introduced this feature in 2018, and now it’s becoming a staple offering in their GPS watches and activity trackers.

The idea of a body battery score is pretty simple. Garmin are essentially adding up all your most important metrics (sleep, resting heart rate, recovery status, stress levels), and using that info to calculate a score for your overall energy levels (body battery).

In theory, it’s an awesome idea that can help you see the impact of pushing yourself too hard, not getting enough sleep, or facing too much stress at work. The only issue is that it isn’t necessarily the most accurate metric in the world.

Even so, we think it’s a pretty cool feature that is likely to be refined by Garmin over time. Ultimately, it’s nice to know that the FR245 will always be able to calculate this measurement.

For people who take their running seriously, this is one of the biggest strengths of the Forerunner 245. Like the Nike Running App, Garmin Coach creates custom training plans, based on your target race pace.

Also, there are actually three different coaches to choose from, and they are all highly respected runners. It’s actually quite amazing when you think about it. You are literally gaining access to running plans built by Jeff Galloway, Greg McMillan and Amy Parkerson-Mitchell.

To use a term that Strava users will appreciate, Kudos to Garmin for introducing this benefit into their ecosystem.

No need for in-depth analysis here. The Forerunner 245 tracks pool swimming. The Forerunner 235 does not. This could be a dealbreaker who train in the pool regularly.

We’ve already listed all the different sports modes in the table above. The point is, the Forerunner 245 has 13 sports modes, while the FR235 only has 5. It’s just another way in which the FR245 really outshines its predecessor.

Garmin have officially transition to GPS chip sets, which has unlocked some serious wins in terms of GPS battery life. The bullet points below should make this pretty clear:

  • FR235 GPS Battery Life = 11 Hours
  • FR245 GPS Battery Life = 24 Hours

So you literally get double the GPS battery life by upgrading to the FR245.

The Forerunner 235 really shows its age in the screen department.

Garmin

Where the FR245 is bright, vivid and sharp, the FR235 offers a less refined equivalent. Long story short, the Forerunner 245 has a significantly better screen than the Forerunner 235.

If you’ve read this far it should be pretty clear that the Forerunner 245 knocks the FR235 out of the park.

They are literally leagues apart in more than 10 meaningful ways. The real question here is whether or not you should consider the FR235 if you’re on a tight budget. In my opinion, it comes down to this:

  • If you want a dedicated Garmin running watch with the best combination of features, design and affordability – FR245
  • If you want the best Garmin running watch for less than $200 – FR45 (Yes. The FR45 is better than the FR235)
  • If you want a super affordable Garmin running watch that still has an impressive array of features – FR35 (it’s not new, but it’s very good value for money).

Comparing the Garmin 645 and the 245 isn’t easy, especially because these two models are from the same line, so there’s A LOT in common. However, what will strike you first is the price difference, and this is when you’ll start wondering why they’re not within the same price range and which one should you get.

Although you can’t go wrong with either watch, the difference between the two watches can make one of them more of a catch than the other. Also, although the Garmin 645 is more expensive than the 245, it’s not expensive in comparison to other high-end fitness trackers, so it’s still an excellent bargain for many athletes. So, without any further ado, let’s jump right in!

Garmin 645 vs. 245: Short Answer

If you’re on a tight budget, the Garmin 245 will be more suitable. There’s a lot in common between the two models, particularly when it comes to tracking features. With that in mind, the Garmin 645 offers more accurate data and a variety of tracking modes that you won’t get with the former model.

Specs Comparison

Design

Although these two look pretty similar at first glance, the Garmin 645 looks more like a smartwatch owing to the metal bezel. As a result, it wouldn’t be too odd to keep it on your wrist even if you’re going on a special occasion. Otherwise, there’s no significant difference between the watches in terms of the design.

It’s worth mentioning, though, that neither watches feature a touchscreen. Although it’s quite a disappointment for some users who find it more practical to use touchscreens, the way we see it, this is way better for using the watch while wearing gloves. It also comes in handy whenever you need to use the watch while it’s raining.

Winner: Garmin 645

Fitness Tracking

We can’t talk about fitness tracking without mentioning the barometric altimeter supported by the Garmin 645.

Most trackers depend on GPS to measure the distance covered while training. While this is great for road runners, it’s a deal-breaker for trail runners or hikers who prefer accurate elevation stats. For such athletes, the Garmin 645 is worth the extra cash.

The Garmin 245, on the other hand, features fewer tracking profiles, including running, biking, swimming, and cardio.

Although you won’t get a barometric altimeter, there’s a cool feature that’s not supported by other, more expensive, watches; Body Battery.

Garmin 245 Music Deezer

Body Battery relies on certain measurements like heart rate, oxygen saturation, stress level, and more parameters that are useful in determining how energetic and productive you are. If you’re not performing well, the watch notifies you that you’re “unproductive” today.

Weird enough, testing the features proves excellent accuracy, and as annoying as it is to be told that you’re not productive, it’s so satisfying to be told that you’re productive, so this feature keeps you on the move.

Winner: Garmin 645

Battery life

Like most smartwatches and fitness trackers, the battery life is significantly affected by what you use the wearable for and the mode you have it running in most of the time.

As expected, though, the Garmin 245 has a longer battery life than the 645 because the latter supports more features, so it drains the battery faster.

While both watches offer seven days of usage in Smartwatch mode, the Garmin 245’s battery lasts for 24 hours on just GPS and 6 hours on GPS and music. The Garmin 645’s battery, however, can only offer 14 hours on GPS and 5 hours on GPS and music.

Winner: Garmin 645

Music

Both watches support different music apps, including Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music. You can also download your favorite songs on the watch and control your playlist through the watch when it’s connected to your smartphone through Bluetooth.

Download

It’s worth mentioning, though, that not all models support music, so if you’re an audiophile, make sure to steer away from non-music versions.

Winner: Draw

Garmin Pay

Garmin Pay is a feature that allows you to make payments using the watch without having your credit card on you. Unfortunately, it’s only supported by the Garmin 245 model. Nonetheless, not all banks or countries support contactless payments, so contact your bank before making a decision based on this feature.

Winner: Garmin 645

Other Features

It’s worth mentioning that regardless of the model you pick, you can do a lot with it, from basic fitness stats like measuring heart rate, blood pressure, sleep stages, steps, and even menstrual tracking, to fancier stats like oxygen saturation level and safety LiveTrack so that your friends and families can always find you.

Other standard smartwatch features can be quite handy with daily use, including getting notifications from your phone, accessing the weather app, and using the calendar to plan your activities. Moreover, you can use Smart Lock to lock your phone whenever it’s away from your hands, but still within range, of course.

Winner: Draw

Garmin 645 – Pros & Cons

Garmin 245 – Pros & Cons

Garmin 645 vs. 245: Which Should you Choose?

Garmin 245 Music Watch

At this point, it’s crystal clear that the difference between the Garmin 645 and the Garmin 245 isn’t worth the extra cash unless you’re into highly accurate measurement and you prefer having Garmin Pay.

Garmin 245 Music Review

However, we believe it doesn’t make much of a difference for most users, particularly that you won’t be missing out on a lot, and you’ll get a longer battery life, so we’ll let you do the math!





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