Garmin has introduced Garmin Connect+, a new premium level designed for new features for the best Garmin watches in its free Garmin Connect application.
Today’s launch (March 27), with a price of $ 6.99 / £ 6.99 / au $ 12 per month or $ 69.99 / £ 69.99 / AU $ 120 annually, with a free one -month test available, Garmin Connect+ offers new functions, including the ideas of AI, a performance board that allows you to see historical graphics and Gminrine improvements.
The ideas of AI de Garmin, called ‘Active Intelligence’, the name is similar to the intelligence of Strava athletes, are designed to provide Connect+ users with “personalized ideas and suggestions throughout the day based on health and activity data, promoted by AI” according to a Garmin press release.
“As customers use Garmin Connect+ More, ideas will adapt more to them and their goals,” Garmin adds. “The AI that provides these ideas and suggestions was built to help maintain safe users’ data and is currently being launched in Beta.”
It seems that Garmin is putting user security at the forefront of his new service: the company has had problems with the flight of confidential information, during a ransomware attack in 2020.
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Garmin is also interested in addressing concerns about the incoming payment wall, since a Garmin representative sent me an email to the following: “The Garmin Connect application is a free and personalized experience, and that does not disappear.”
It is confirmed that the performance board that appears as a Garmin Connect+ function is different from the statistical performance tab that is currently free in Garmin Connect, which also allows you to see data graphics based on its historical performance.
I have communicated with Garmin, and the company confirmed that “all the characteristics and data existing in Garmin Connect will remain free. Nothing will move or block behind the GC+ Paywall.”
Other new features available for Connect+ Users include live training guidance during training, such as force sets with enlarged livetrack videos and functions, such as notification through the text. Social characteristics such as exclusive badges and challenges for members of Connect+are also included.
It has begun
In 2023, in an article entitled ‘I hope that the new maps service based on Garmin subscriptions is not the beginning of a trend’, I wrote: “‘Garmin Connect’s free service makes its watches some of the best value devices in the market. A movement towards a larger subscription service would monopolize and devalue the brand, and possibly boost a huge portion of its user base The apple “.
Like Fitbit, Garmin has chosen to get premium functions and charge an additional price for access to them. It is encouraging that Garmin does not make its devices less useful, or block everything we used to get free behind a payment wall; This is just an optional extra, such as Garmin Maps subscription service.
However, the big difference between Fitbit and Garmin is the prices of their devices. A Google Pixel Watch 3, The Most Expensive Device on Our Best Fitbit Guide, Costs $ 399 / £ 349 / Au $ 669, While The Garmin Fenix 8 Starts at $ 999 / £ 949 / Au $ 1,699 (Although You Can Pick Up A Cheaper Watch, Such As The Vary Good Garmin Garmin Forerunner 165, for Around $ 299.99 / £ 249.99 / AU $ 489.99).
If someone told me that after buying a Fenix 8 I could not get a particular feature without paying an additional premium at the top, that watch would go through the window or (more likely) back to the store. Garmin will have to be careful to announce their free and paid characteristics accordingly.
I have always praised Garmin Connect as a brilliant example of a free complementary application, one that makes its expensive watches an perspective of excellent long -term value. Hopefully the free features we get used to remain free, otherwise, I can see many angry exercises that jump the ship to other brands.
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