Welcome, Garmin fans! After yesterday’s announcement of Garmin Connect+, the new premium tier available in the Garmin Connect app, we’ve seen a big conversation begin to take place online.
Some Garmin users are furious, stating they want to “take a stand” against the company for introducing a paid tier. Even though the existing free features will remain free, user sentiment is generally that this is the beginning of a slippery slope for Garmin, and more and more features will be added to Connect+ instead of being available on the app’s free tier.
Especially egregious is the price of the best Garmin watches, some of them numbering among the most expensive smartwatches ever, and having to now pay still more on top for the whole package.
Want to make your voice heard? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll feature your reply here as part of this live blog. Stay tuned!
What is Garmin Connect+, anyway?
For those not in the know, Garmin Connect+ is Garmin’s new premium tier available for its previously-free Garmin Connect app, costing $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 per month or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually, with a one-month free trial available.
For this privilege, Garmin Connect+ will supply Garmin users with new features on top of their free ones, including AI-powered insights dubbed “Active Intelligence” which puts all your stats into context, a Performance Dashboard that allows you to view historic graphs, and improvements to Garmin’s LiveTrack service, including a text-based alerts system.
This isn’t the first time it’s charged for a service (it also charges for an Outdoor Maps+ subscription plan) but this is a service aimed at all Garmin users, not a specific subsection or service.