Garmin wants you to pay for AI features and enhanced software updates - is it worth it?

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The main crushed I ever person a Garmin watch connected my wrist is owed to the broad ecosystem powered by Garmin Connect. While the work volition proceed to supply a free, personalized acquisition via its telephone app and website, Garmin precocious launched different option, called Garmin Connect Plus, for those who privation much from their devices, and it is, understandably, rubbing the assemblage the incorrect way. More later.

Also: New FDA-cleared humor unit show delivers aesculapian people results astatine home

Garmin Connect Plus is an optional subscription work for $6.99 monthly oregon $69.99 annually. There's a escaped 30-day proceedings to trial the service, which includes caller tools similar Active Intelligence, powered by AI, designed to springiness you insights personalized to your regular wellness and enactment information collected by assorted Garmin devices. The much you usage it, the much it volition beryllium tailored to you and your goals.

Garmin Connect Plus besides includes a caller show dashboard with customizable graphs and charts, unrecorded enactment functionality wherever you tin presumption indoor enactment information from your ticker streamed to your smartphone, further coaching guidance erstwhile pursuing a Garmin Run oregon Cycling Coach program, and enhanced societal features that see exclusive Connect Plus badge challenges.

Image: Garmin

Since I usage Garmin watches daily, I volition effort Connect Plus with the escaped 30-day trial. The monthly interest is the aforesaid arsenic 1 Starbucks latte a month, truthful I whitethorn proceed paying for the service. However, Garmin indispensable person maine that adjacent a tenable monthly interest is worthy it. I seldom enactment successful challenges, truthful the enhanced societal aspects are not a origin successful my decision.

In fact, the announcement of the paywalled work has sparked a spot of discourse crossed the Garmin community, with thousands of users upset astir having to walk much connected apical of their smartwatch investments. Some models, similar the Garmin Enduro 2, retail for $1,100. Though optional, having to wage much to entree the latest bundle features is intelligibly rubbing customers the incorrect way.

Also: This Garmin bushed my Apple Watch Ultra successful astir each mode (and it's conscionable arsenic rugged)

I precocious added a Wahoo motorcycle trainer to my setup, making it the cleanable accidental to trial Garmin's indoor unrecorded enactment tracking. I'll besides enactment its capabilities to the trial with my Hydrow for rowing and different indoor workouts, arsenic good arsenic bodyweight exercises. Having antecedently recovered occurrence with Garmin's half-marathon grooming plans, I'm peculiarly funny successful evaluating the coaching guidance included with Garmin Connect Plus.

One crushed I similar the Garmin Connect website is the quality to dive into each the information collected by the watches, particularly for tracking show trends. The caller dashboards volition beryllium 1 of the archetypal things I trial arsenic I find this benignant of information motivating and utile for inspiring maine to proceed with activities. But the biggest question for maine to reply is whether oregon not the further outgo is worthy it oregon not. Stay tuned.