Garmin's new smartwatch paywall triggers massive backlash

Garmin Connect is the app or rather the platform where data from the manufacturer's wearables and smartwatches is aggregated. With Garmin Connect+, the US company is now offering a premium subscription that gives users access to additional features for a fee of just under $7 per month or $70 for a full year. Garmin is also advertising AI features which are said to provide deeper insights.

However, many owners of Garmin smartwatches aren't entirely thrilled by this new offering. On Reddit, there are numerous threads where criticism is being voiced by users who have invested their hard-earned money into this ecosystem. Some are also pointing to a certain kind of agreement, which was never explicitly mentioned by Garmin.

Specifically, these users assert that they have already paid for the software support by buying one of Garmin’s quite expensive smartwatches. For example, some variants of the Fenix 8 cost over $1,000, which turns it into one of the most expensive consumer wearables on the market aside from conventional luxury watches.

Furthermore, some users are referring to previous statements from Garmin representatives. Back in 2022, Phil McClendon (who is no longer with Garmin) stated that the company wouldn't charge users for access to their data in the future. It's worth noting that this is still true. In a corresponding video, Garmin clarifies that features that have been free will remain free.