Garmin’s most recent announcement confirms that new features will be locked behind a paywall as part of its Connect+ subscription service. The brand has long been synonymous with upfront value and lifetime access before now. They’ll charge $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year for what they call “premium insights”, which is really just insights by AI, and enhanced live tracking.
They also insist that current features will remain free. But CEO Cliff Pemble made it clear during the first quarter (Q1) of 2025 earnings call reported in March that Connect+ is a “long-term” strategy. What that means for the future is that their high-end devices and services may only be functional for paying subscribers.
Now you’ll pay monthly to feel more accomplished
Garmin Connect+ is a new paid subscription layer that sits on top of Connect, the existing app that you use to view your health data, track workouts, plan training, and manage devices as a smartwatch owner. The Connect app itself is free. But the new Connect+ subscription is now a premium tier within that system.
It costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, and it unlocks additional features Garmin is introducing. So far, the company has confirmed that it will bring AI-powered Active Intelligence where you can get more personalized feedback on your health and fitness data.
Meanwhile, enhanced live tracking will allow your friends and family to follow your real-time activity precisely. You should also expect Exclusive achievement badges, which are gamified rewards tied to your workouts and progress.
To many long-time users, the new features sound more like add-ons rather than essentials. Garmin has historically provided deep performance analytics, sleep tracking, recovery tools, and VO2 Max insights without a subscription. There’s nothing truly transformative or indispensable about these extra offerings.
Forerunner 970 just received more dollar $igns
Since the brand has confirmed that existing features on current devices will remain free, but upcoming ones are behind the paywall, the Forerunner 970 may be affected. The watch is expected to launch with ECG readings, voice command, skin temperature monitoring, and tons of other capabilities.
It’s worth noting that the Forerunner 970 costs a high $749, which is $200 higher than the Forerunner 965 preceding it at $549. So you won’t even get everything it can do unless you also pay the $7 monthly fee. As expected, Garmin was bound to cave under the pressure of recurring revenue models.
With every major tech brand from Apple to Fitbit pushing subscriptions, it was only a matter of time before they followed. But the issue is that they’ll likely follow a dreaded pattern we’ve seen too many times before.
First, the subscription is framed as optional, with a few smart perks. Over time, the most useful and innovative features start appearing only behind the paywall until the free tier stagnates or dies. Particularly, badges have always been one of Garmin’s most overlooked features, and may be a major reason fans turn against the company.
The non-elite athletes would get a sense of progress from it and get a reason to run one more day or stick with it through a tough week. It seems you’ll most likely be getting that motivation when you guilt-trip a family member into cheering you on now.
