Users of Garmin fitness devices have erupted in anger following the company's announcement of a new premium subscription service called Garmin Connect+.
The new service, priced at $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually, offers features like AI training insights, performance dashboards, and expanded LiveTrack capabilities. While Garmin emphasized that the basic Connect app will remain free, thousands of customers have taken to social media to voice their strong opposition.
On Reddit, a protest post garnered over 6,000 upvotes, with users calling for a boycott of the subscription service. "We need to take a firm stand to stop this totally detrimental trend of subscriptions everywhere," wrote the original poster, highlighting concerns about paying additional fees for devices that already cost hundreds of dollars.
Many users expressed worry about the future of their expensive devices. "It will make me rethink my future watch purchases," noted one commenter, while others threatened to switch to competing brands like Coros.
The timing of this announcement has particularly frustrated users, coming after a year marked by service outages and concerns about inconsistent software updates across Garmin's device lineup. Some users who tried the free trial reported disappointment with the value proposition of the new features.
The backlash appears nearly universal, with users organizing to submit formal feedback through Garmin's ideas page. While Garmin likely anticipated some negative reaction to introducing a paid tier, the scale of customer dissatisfaction appears to have caught the company off guard.
Though a complete reversal seems unlikely, the overwhelming negative response may pressure Garmin to reconsider aspects of the subscription service. The company has yet to publicly address the widespread customer discontent.