Garmin Forerunner 55 vs Garmin Forerunner 70
The 70 is the direct successor to the 55, and it is not a small refresh: AMOLED replaces MIP, touch joins the buttons, and real Training Readiness and Running Power arrive for the first time at this price.
GarminGarmin Forerunner 55
GarminGarmin Forerunner 70
- •You already own the 55 and it still does the job, no need to chase a spec sheet
- •You want the absolute cheapest legitimate Garmin, discounts on the outgoing 55 are common
- •You're buying new and want Garmin's current entry-level hardware and software stack
- •An AMOLED touchscreen and real training metrics matter more to you than saving $50
The Forerunner 55 sticks to buttons and a simple display, but still includes race predictor, suggested daily workouts, and recovery tracking underneath. It's proof that a watch doesn't need AMOLED or a touchscreen to actually coach you.
The Forerunner 70 swaps the old MIP screen and button-only design of the 55 for AMOLED and touch, while finally bringing Training Readiness, Training Status, and wrist-based Running Power down to Garmin's cheapest running watch. It skips the altimeter, compass, and Garmin Pay found on the 170, but for straightforward road running, it's the new baseline to beat at this price.
*Estimated — this model's exact GPS battery life isn't published by the manufacturer. All figures are standard GPS mode, midsize case, no solar boost.
†Estimated — this model launched too recently to have an established customer rating yet.
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