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Garmin Forerunner 945 vs 945 LTE comparison: differences, which one to choose?

by Philippe Baudoin © Copyright (published 24/06/2021)
Garmin Forerunner 945 and Forerunner 945 LTE watches compared

2 high-end multi-sport watches with or without LTE / 4G connectivity

The Forerunner 945 is Garmin's premium watch, equivalent in features to the Fenix 6, but in a lightweight, sporty version and offered in one case size. The newer Forerunner 945 LTE offers a few new features, most notably LTE connectivity for interacting with the outside world without having to carry a smartphone with you. Find out the differences between the 2 models and our opinion on which one to choose.

Buy Garmin Forerunner 945

Merchant
Price (from)
 
Lepape
499,00 €
319,00 €
Alltricks
583,16 €
398,99 €
Amazon
599,00 €
498,00 €
i-Run
499,00 €
Bikeinn
735,71 €
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Buy Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE

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Price (from)
 
i-Run
599,00 €
399,00 €
Bikeinn
599,99 €
433,99 €
Alltricks
599,99 €
512,17 €
Lepape
749,00 €
649,00 €
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Commercial links. Prices are not contractual. Please visit the merchant site.

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Garmin Forerunner 945 and 945 LTE: with or without 4G!

The Forerunner 945 is a high-end multisport watch designed for all sports, especially triathlon, running, outdoor and mountain sports. The Fenix 6 is the equivalent model (same functions) but more chic, designed to be worn on a daily basis in addition to sport and available in many versions (solar or not, 3 case sizes, titanium versions, various straps, etc.).

Forerunner 945: the premium watch with colour mapping

The Forerunner 945 is the most comprehensive sports watch on the market in 2020. It offers full colour mapping of Europe including bike paths, ski slopes and resorts and over 41,000 golf courses worldwide. It has a built-in mp3 player, Garmin Pay, comprehensive tools for sports training and GPS navigation. Its battery life is excellent.

This is a multi-sport watch, suitable for triathlon. This model is ideal for experienced athletes, competitors, professionals and fans of statistics and advanced tools.

Learn more about Forerunner 945
Buy Forerunner 945
 
 

Forerunner 945 LTE: with LTE / 4G connectivity

Forerunner 945 LTE

Released in June 2021, the Forerunner 945 LTE is not a replacement for the Forerunner 945, but a complement to it. It inherits all the features and battery life of the Forerunner 945 but with new training features, a more compact size and LTE connectivity.

The watch can therefore connect to the 4G cellular network and benefit from connectivity without using a smartphone. This is useful for being followed by your friends on the Internet, corresponding with them or contacting emergency services without having to carry your phone.

Learn more about Forerunner 945 LTE
Buy Forerunner 945 LTE
 
 

The main differences between Forerunner 945 and 945 LTE

The main differences between the Forerunner 945 and 945 LTE are the different body sizes, LTE connectivity on the new model and new features:

  • LTE connectivity for access to the 4G network without a phone (with a paid subscription) for certain functions: LiveTrack (to be tracked on the internet), incident assistance. Streaming music still requires a smartphone.
  • A spectator messaging allowing friends to send text and audio messages that can be read on the watch or listened to with Bluetooth earbuds
  • Assistance Plus: 24/7 assistance from Garmin's global emergency response and crisis management centre (IERCC) in the event of an incident (the centre coordinates with emergency services)
  • A new optical heart rate sensor (4th generation)
  • A more compact format with a smaller case (44.4mm diameter versus 47mm) and slightly lighter (49g versus 50g)
  • Almost identical battery life: 35 hrs in GPS mode instead of 36 hrs, 12 hrs listening to music instead of 10 hrs
  • New colours: black, white and, for the triathlon pack, yellow (instead of black and blue)
  • New sport profiles (ultradeep, swim-run, electric bike, electric mountain bike) that will also be integrated into the Forerunner 945
  • Mountain bike dynamics: difficulty and consistency

  • New or improved features: relaxation reminders, improved recovery time, improved interval work feature, 2 new features for golf (pinpointer, handicap scoring)
Features945945 LTE
 Forerunner 945Forerunner 945LTE
Price550 €650 €
Weight50 g49 g
Case diameter (mm)4744,4
Thickness (mm)13,713,9
Screen size30.4 mm30.4 mm
Color screen
Battery life in GPS mode36 h35 h
Barometric altimeter
Pulse oximeter
True multi-sport (Triathlon, etc.)
Advanced training tools
MP3 player
Garmin Pay
Mapping
Round trip course generator
ClimbPro
Fall Detection and Assistance
Assistance Plus (Garmin IERCC)
X
LTE / 4G connectivity
X
Mountain bike dynamics
X
Spectator messaging (audio + text)
X
Forerunner 945 vs. 945 LTE: Key differences

Design and main technical features

One of the major differences between the two models is the design: the new Forerunner 945 LTE is smaller (but slightly thicker) and better suited to slim to medium sized wrists. The watch, more comfortable, is better adapted to the practice of certain activities such as triathlon, climbing and trail running. The display remains identical (size and definition).

Features945945 LTE
 Forerunner 945Forerunner 945LTE
Case diameter (mm)4744,4
Thickness (mm)13,713,9
Weight50 g49 g
Display size (mm)30,430,4
Display resolution (px)240 x 240240 x 240
Number of fields per screen66
Touch screen
X
X
Color screen
BezelReinforced polymerReinforced polymer
GlassDX corning GorillaDX corning Gorilla
Waterproofing5 ATM5 ATM
Strap size22 mm22 mm
Interchangeable strap without tools
Wristband materialSiliconeSilicone
Forerunner 945 vs. 945 LTE comparison: design and key features

Autonomy

The autonomy remains more or less the same between the two models except in Ultra mode where we lose 10 hours on the new model. Note the high consumption of LTE. For an outing with LiveTrack activated, we will barely last 7 hours and much less if we listen to music!

Model945945 LTE
Watch mode14 days14 days
GPS mode36 h35 h
GPS mode with music10 h12 h
GPS with music and LTE-7 h
UltraTrac Mode60 h50 h
Rechargeable during activity
Forerunner 945 vs. 945 LTE: Battery life

The sensors

Both watches offer exactly the same sensors. The Forerunner 945 LTE has the latest generation optical heart rate monitor (4th generation)).

For accurate heart rate and associated physiological measurements (VO2max, recovery, calories burned, etc.), it will be better to use a chest cardio belt. Both models are compatible with the new all-in-one Garmin HRM-Pro, a belt that offers the functions of the HRM-Tri triathlete belt and embeds the sensors for measuring 6 running dynamics.

For triathletes, Garmin offers the Forerunner 945 and Forerunner 945 LTE in a triathlon pack consisting of a quick-fit kit, 2 chest belts (HRM-Tri and HRM-Swim for the Forerunner 945 and HRM-Pro and HRM-Swim for the Forerunner 945 LTE) and an additional black wristband.

Features945945 LTE
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
Wrist HR works underwater
New optical sensor
X
Wrist HR works underwater
Accelerometer
Compass
Barometric altimeter
Gyroscope
Thermometer
Pulse oximeter
HRM-Dual
HRM-Run
HRM-Swim, HRM-Tri
HRM Pro
Footpod
Cadence & bike speed sensor
Bike power sensor (Vector, etc.)
Temperature sensor
Forerunner 945 vs. 945 LTE comparison: sensors

GPS navigation

Both watches offer full-featured GPS navigation, a round trip route builder (roads and bike paths), access to popular routes (Garmin community data), ClimbPro and more. There are no differences between the two watches.

Features945945 LTE
GPS speed and distance
Route recorder
Point-to-point navigation
GPS track on the watch
GPS coordinates
See & rally
Return to start
Distance to destination
Around me\" mode
Altitude profile
Future altitude profile
Climb planner (ClimbPro)
Onboard mapping
Round trip route generator
Trendline (popular routes)
BaseCamp compatible
Projected waypoint
XERO positions (shooting aid)
Forerunner 945 vs 945 LTE: GPS navigation

Functions for training and performance analysis

Both watches offer almost the same functions for training, analysis and tracking, running dynamics and physiological measurements. The new Forerunner 945 LTE also offers mountain bike dynamics and some improvements to existing functions, including interval work (see below).

New sports profiles have been added to the 2 watches: ultra deep, swim-run, electric bike and electric mountain bike.

Functions for training

Interval work function has been improved to be more convenient
Time lapse display for work time

Among the new features of the Forerunner 945 LTE, Garmin has improved the interval work function to make life easier for the user. The feature now offers automatic categorisation of the type of work done (without the need to load a split program) and a new, convenient display on the watch.

Automatic categorisation identifies warm-up, work and recovery times from the laps (circuits or laps) recorded by the user. This work is done in Garmin Connect and is therefore available after the ride. Garmin displays, for each lap, the work and recovery times identified from the pace and heart rate.

The watch also offers a new "Open repeats" option which allows you to extract and display directly on the watch, for the different laps, the duration and pace for each work time (recovery times are not displayed).

Features945945 LTE
Customize data pages and activity profiles
Split training
Advanced workouts
Daily workout suggestions
PacePro
Downloadable workout programs
Race time predictor
Final time
Recovery time
Audio instructions
Auto Lap
Manual Lap
Configurable Lap Alerts
Virtual Partner
Virtual Racer
Strava functions
Automatic and manual multi-sport
Forerunner 945 vs. 945 LTE: Training and analysis features

Running and mountain biking dynamics

The Forerunner 945 LTE offers 2 mountain bike dynamics (like on the Edge bike GPS meters): it evaluates the difficulty of the track and the smoothness of the descents (how the braking is used for example). The idea is to help the mountain biker to improve his technique.

Features945945 LTE
Ground contact time
Ground contact time balance
Pace
Stride length
Vertical oscillation
Vertical ratio
Mountain bike dynamics (difficulty, consistency)
X
Forerunner 945 vs. 945 LTE: Race dynamics

With compatible accessory (footpod or HRM-Pro belt)

Physiological measurements

The Forerunner 945 LTE, like the new Garmin watches released in 2021, benefits from an improved Firstbeat algorithm that assesses recovery time (the recommended rest time before resuming training). The calculation is approximate when the watch is first used and improves with each training session, as the watch needs a certain amount of data for a more accurate assessment. The calculation is based in particular on the Training Effect calculated for the activities performed. To reduce this time, the algorithm now takes into account additional data, including stress levels, sleep quality, daily activity and training intensity.

Characteristics945945 LTE
VO2max
Prediction of race duration (5, 10, 21, 42 km)
Final time
Training Effect aerobic
Training Effect anaerobic
Recovery time
Improved recovery time
X
Training load
Training status
Training load target
Stress test
Primary benefit (Training Effect labels)
Lactic threshold
Breathing Rate 24/7
Blood oxygenation (SpO2)
Breathing rate during activity
Heat and temperature acclimation
Forerunner 945 vs. 945 LTE: Physiological measurements

With compatible accessory

The use of heart rate

Both watches benefit from an optical cardio on the wrist that works under water. The Forerunner 945 LTE has a new (4th generation) optical heart rate monitor.

Characteristics945945 LTE
Latest generation optical monitor
X
FC zones
Automatic HRmax
Heart rate alarms
Calories by heart rate
Percentage of max HR
Percentage of reserve HR
Records HR during swimming
Forerunner 945 vs. 945 LTE: Heart rate monitoring

Sports functions

Below we summarise the functions available on the two watches. They are identical except that the Forerunner 945 LTE has some of the improvements mentioned above, new functions for golf (pinpointer and handicap scoring) and a new heart rate monitor on the wrist.

Both watches are true multi-sport watches, designed for triathlon, offering colour mapping, Europe's bike trails, numerous ski slopes and resorts around the world, full golf functions and 41,000 preloaded courses.

Function945945 LTE
Sports profiles35+35+
Running  
ProfilesRunning, treadmill, indoor and outdoor running, virtual running, trail running, track runningRunning, treadmill, indoor and outdoor running, virtual running, trail running, track running
Distance, time, pace on GPS
Running training
Track running
Running dynamics (stride length, etc)
PacePro
Race time predictor (5, 10, 21, 42 km)
Final race time
Speed and cadence sensor support
Stryd power sensor support
Lactic threshold
Bike & Mountain Bike  
ProfilesBike, indoor bike, MTBCycling, Indoor Cycling, Mountain Biking
Comparison to previous activities
Race against an activity
ClimbPro
Time/distance alarm
Cadence sensor compatibility
Varia compatible (vision, radar, lights)
Power sensor compatible
Vector compatible
Advanced Vector support
FTP
Round trip generator
Road and bike maps
Mountain bike dynamics
X
Swimming  
ProfilesSwimming pool, open waterPool, open water
Swimming metrics
Swim type detection
Swimming efficiency (SWOLF)
Recording of exercises
Swimming workouts
Open water swimming metrics
HR measurement and tracking
Outdoor  
ProfilesHiking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, stand-up paddle, rowing, kayakingHiking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, stand-up paddle, rowing, kayaking
Point to point navigation
Real time breadcrumb trail
Back to the start
Distance to destination
"Around me" mode
Area calculation
Altitude profile
Future altitude profile
Vertical speed
Total ascent/descent
Climb planner (ClimbPro)
GPS coordinates
See & rally
Projected waypoints
Onboard topographic maps
Barometric trend indicator
Sunrise/sunset times
Moon/sun information
Fishing & hunting calendar
XERO position (archery, rifle sight)
Forerunner945 and 945 LTE compared: sports features

Connectivity

The advantage of the Forerunner 945 LTE is that it has LTE connectivity, allowing it to connect to the 4G network without the need for a smartphone nearby. This requires a subscription fee of €7.99 per month (or €6.99 for a one-year commitment).

However, the functions that benefit from this connectivity are limited. You can use the LiveTrack function to be followed on the Internet by your friends and Group LiveTrack to find out the position of other athletes in the group, receive audio or text messages of encouragement (Spectator Messaging) or contact assistance, but you cannot listen to streaming music. The watch also does not allow you to make phone calls or receive traditional notifications (SMS, calls, social networks) from a personal smartphone (the Garmin subscription is independent of that of a traditional smartphone).

Function945945 LTE
Smart notifications
Call answer/reject with SMS (Android only)
Calendar
Sunrise/sunset times
Moon/sun information
Hunting calendar & fishing
Weather
Smartphone music control
Onboard mp3 player
Music storage capacity~1000~1000
Garmin Pay function
Find my phone function
Find my watch function
VIRB camera remote control
LTE / 4G connectivity
X
Viewer messaging (audio + text)
X
Forerunner 945 and 945 LTE compared: Connectivity

Activity and health monitoring

Both watches offer the same activity and health tracking functions.

Function945945 LTE
Number of steps
Step targets based on previous activities
Calories burned
Intensive minutes
Stages climbed
Detailed sleep analysis
Physical age
Body Battery Monitor
Stress level measurement
Daily effort monitoring
Breathing frequency 24/7
Women's Health Tracking
Hydration monitoring
Forerunner 945 and 945 LTE compared: activity and health tracking

Assistance and safety functions

Forerunner 945 LTE has access to Assistance Plus, a feature that provides 24/7 access to Garmin's renowned International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC). In the event of distress, the centre can call for help. The watch can communicate a text message from a predefined list and sends the user's name and GPS coordinates.

Function945945 LTE
LiveTrack
Group LiveTrack
Incident Detection
Incident Support
Support Plus (Garmin IERCC)
X
Real-time event sharing (Android only)
LTE / 4G connectivity
X
Forerunner 945 and 945 LTE compared: support and safety features

Our opinion: Garmin Forerunner 945 or 945 LTE: which one to choose?

Between Forerunner 945 and Forerunner 945 LTE, our preference is clearly for the Forerunner 945 LTE, which is better equipped in terms of components, offers a little more complete functions and above all LTE connectivity!

The watch offers assistance in the event of an incident with an SOS call and transmission of GPS coordinates to the Garmin IERCC
SOS assistance

For people who practice a sport without being accompanied, Assistance Plus allows them to leave with peace of mind. In the event of an incident, the watch can be used to contact the Garmin assistance centre, which can organise the dispatch of help almost anywhere as long as the telephone network is available! We also like the possibility of communicating with friends and being able to be followed on the Internet without having to carry your phone with you!

More compact, this model is also better suited to small to medium wrists and more comfortable for certain sports (less risk of snagging the watch on a backpack or jacket sleeve!).

But you have to pay an extra €100 for these benefits...

If you don't need these features, you might as well save €100 and stick with the Forerunner 945. The Forerunner 945 has all the same sports features, except for the few improvements described above. It's bulkier, but despite the same screen size as the Forerunner 945 LTE, it's very suitable for medium to large wrists.

In order to help you make your choice, we offer you the following summary table.

Features945945 LTE
Price550 €650 €
The plusesPrice (cheaper)LTE connectivity
More compact and better adapted to small and medium wrists
New optical monitor
Some improved functions
More complete triathlon pack (HRM-Pro and HRM-Tri belts)
Forerunner 945 and 945 LTE comparison: How to choose?

Purchase Forerunner 945 and Forerunner 945 LTE

The Forerunner 945 LTE is available in two colours (black and white) and is priced at €649, €100 more than the original price of the Forerunner 945, which is now priced at €549 instead of €600. The Forerunner 945 is also available as a triathlon pack, which includes an HRM-Pro belt, HRM-Swim belt and a yellow wristband, all for €799. The Forerunner 945 is also available in a triathlon pack, which includes an HRM-Tri belt, HRM-Swim belt and a blue wristband, all for €699.

The LTE subscription is offered at €6.99 per month for a one-year commitment or €7.99 per month for a subscription without commitment.

You can find these watches on the Internet (see below) or in specialist shops. Sport Passion and its partners offer you discount coupons.

Buy Garmin Forerunner 945

Merchant
Price (from)
 
Lepape
499,00 €
319,00 €
Alltricks
583,16 €
398,99 €
Amazon
599,00 €
498,00 €
i-Run
499,00 €
Bikeinn
735,71 €
Attention : si vous ne voyez pas certains liens, codes promos, boutons ou images, veuillez désactiver votre bloqueur de publicité (AdBlocker) pour notre site

Buy Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE

Merchant
Price (from)
 
i-Run
599,00 €
399,00 €
Bikeinn
599,99 €
433,99 €
Alltricks
599,99 €
512,17 €
Lepape
749,00 €
649,00 €
Attention : si vous ne voyez pas certains liens, codes promos, boutons ou images, veuillez désactiver votre bloqueur de publicité (AdBlocker) pour notre site

Commercial links. Prices are not contractual. Please visit the merchant site.

soldes.jpg?a=10 Découvrez notre sélection des meilleures promos !
Soldes, c'est parti ! Découvrez notre sélection des meilleures promos actuelles. De bonnes affaires à saisir rapidement !
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Philippe Baudoin
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