Garmin’s recent introduction of the Connect+ paid subscription model has led to significant backlash from its user base. Many Garmin device owners are expressing their dissatisfaction with the idea of paying a monthly fee after investing heavily in Garmin smartwatches. This discontent has resulted in many users postponing their plans to upgrade their devices.
The Connect+ subscription offers enhanced, AI-driven insights based on users’ health and activity data. However, shortly after its launch, users voiced their frustrations regarding Garmin’s pivot to a subscription-based model. The vocal community on the Garmin subreddit illustrates this sentiment, with users upset about the additional $7 monthly fee for access to deeper AI health analyses, especially after spending hundreds of dollars on their premium watches.
A particularly popular Reddit thread, featuring over 6,500 upvotes and over 370 comments, captures the disappointment felt by many. Comments reflect a desire for Garmin to adopt a more affordable subscription model that includes regular software updates for all watches, rather than catering exclusively to new hardware releases. Critics argue that this move appears to be a strategy for Garmin to extract additional revenue from loyal customers, leading to concerns about the future of software updates being tied to hardware purchases.
Garmin watches typically start at around $800, with high-end models exceeding $1,500, rendering the additional subscription fee a tough pill for dedicated users to swallow. In contrast, brands like Fitbit, with significantly lower-priced devices, can more easily justify their paid subscription models. Despite a previous statement from Garmin asserting the free, personalized experience of the Garmin Connect app remains intact, user feedback suggests that confidence in the brand is waning.
The paid tier introduces features like LiveTrack and Performance Dashboard, but many users feel it does not excuse the additional cost after their significant initial investment. While Garmin is offering a 30-day trial to evaluate Connect+, the backlash may not be fleeting, and similar situations in the industry caution against underestimating user frustration.
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