Garmin has just introduced Garmin Connect+, a new AI-powered premium plan within the Garmin Connect app designed to take your health and fitness tracking to the next level.
It might catch some people off guard, but for anyone who follows the wearables space as closely as I do, this move has been a long time coming. In fact, the only real surprise is that it took Garmin this long to jump in.
With companies like Whoop, Oura and others building successful subscription-based models around insights and recovery metrics, Garmin has likely spent a while figuring out how to introduce a paid tier without alienating its almost cult-like following of endurance athletes.
As is often the case these days, artificial intelligence – in this instance, Large Language Models (LLMs) – has provided the perfect vehicle. It allows Garmin to offer more personalised insights and justify a premium charge for users who want to squeeze even more value out of their data. It’s a move not unlike what Strava’s doing with Athlete Intelligence.
What do you get with Garmin Connect+?
Garmin won’t cordon off any existing user data. Instead, Connect+ builds on what’s already there, helping you compare historic stats, spot trends, and follow more targeted training plans.
At the heart of the service is Active Intelligence, a smart new feature that delivers daily insights and suggestions tailored to your health and activity data.
As you’d expect, the more you use it, the sharper and more personalised it becomes. It’s all powered by AI, and Garmin promises your data privacy is baked in from the ground up.
You’ll also get access to a new performance dashboard, with customisable charts and graphs to give you a clearer picture of your progress over time.
The live activity feature lets you start an indoor workout on your watch and view heart rate, pace, reps and even workout videos on your phone as you train.
Upgraded LiveTrack now includes text alerts when you start an activity, plus a shareable profile page so people can follow your progress.
For a bit of extra motivation, Connect+ also adds social features, including unique profile frames and exclusive badge challenges to keep things fun and competitive.
Why does Garmin need a subscrition service?
Garmin charges quite a lot for its wearables (see also: best outdoor watch and best triathlon watch), but the company has clearly been feeling the pressure in recent years, particularly from the east.
More and more brands are entering the smartwatch market, undercutting Garmin significantly, which puts the company in a tricky position and forces it to adjust pricing just to stay competitive.
There’s also the ongoing cost of innovation and support. Garmin is well known for backing its devices with software updates for a decade or more, which isn’t cheap.
Many of the newer performance wearable brands are clearly looking to Garmin for inspiration when it comes to features, but developing those ideas in the first place isn’t free.
Sure, charging a higher upfront cost helps offset some of this, but a steady income stream from subscription services is even better.
Of course, there’s a valid argument to be made about layering subscriptions on top of high-end hardware. It’s a bit like adding micro-transactions to a AAA video game.
Still, that £800–£1,000 you spent on your Garmin Fenix 8 means very little to the company eight years down the line, especially when it’s still pushing out software updates and refining algorithms behind the scenes.
How much does Garmin Connect+ cost?
Garmin Connect+ is available now. You can try it free for 30 days, then continue with a monthly plan (£6.99/ $6.99/ AU$12) or save with a yearly subscription (£69.99/ $69.99/ AU$120). All the existing features you already use in Garmin Connect remain completely free.
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