Coros - Apex 2 vs Garmin - Forerunner 265

The Apex 2 edges ahead on the Mars Score (47.2 vs 42.8), but the 4.4-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.

Pick the Apex 2 if you care most about gps mode and smartwatch mode. The biggest gaps in its favor are gps mode, smartwatch mode.

Pick the Forerunner 265 if you care most about multi-band gps. Its strongest claims are multi-band gps.

Both ship with comparable solar charging, ecg, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.

Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.