Garmin talks up Connect+ while hinting at more paywalled features
Garmin used its Q1 2025 earnings call to talk about how Connect+ has been received so far. According to CEO Cliff Pemble, the feedback has been positive. That might come as a surprise if you’ve spent any time reading through online discussions. He also suggested that some anticipated future features could end up being exclusive to Connect+ subscribers.
Garmin’s View on Connect+ Reception
During the call, Pemble addressed the introduction of the Connect+ subscription service. He stated that the idea of a premium layer within Garmin Connect is not new. The company has apparently been mulling this over for some time, and AI-based insights were mentioned as a driving force behind the move. But if that’s the hook, it’s not a very sharp one.
Pemble noted that Connect+ is not mandatory for users and that no existing free features have been removed. He did indicate, however, that “certain features, we will likely reserve for premium offerings,” suggesting that new functionalities might be exclusive to subscribers in the future. As TechRadar notes, this actually is one of the biggest fears of the current user-base.
“The certain ones, we will likely reserve for premium offerings and so far, the response has been positive. We’re not measuring success in terms of the short-term. This is a long-term thing for us, a very important part of our Fitness segment going forward. So we’re going to build on where we started.”
You can read the full transcript of the earnings call on this link.
Our Perspective on Garmin’s Subscription Model
I tested Connect+ during the free trial period. It’s available to all users for one month, but be careful. Cancel the trial before it rolls over, and also cancel the recurring payment on your bank account or PayPal. Otherwise, you may end up paying for something you didn’t intend to keep.
As for the content itself, I am not finding much value so far. The so-called Active Intelligence insights feel shallow and vague. There is nothing there that added to what I already get from the standard Garmin Connect platform – or simple common sense. A lot of it reads like surface-level feedback, more like motivational fluff than meaningful analysis.
The wider user reaction suggests there’s real friction. And it’s not just about AI. It’s about trust and expectations. Especially for those who’ve spent big on hardware and assumed they were getting everything upfront.
A trend worth pushing back on
Garmin isn’t the only company leaning into subscriptions, but it should be careful about how far it goes. Right now, Connect+ feels light. The current iteration does not offer much that would justify a long-term fee. That could change, and if it does, great, but users are right to be skeptical.
Garmin’s strength has always been in offering solid devices with deep, reliable data baked in. If it starts locking valuable features behind a paywall just to follow a trend, that reputation could wear down quickly.
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