For years, Garmin has been the trusty sidekick for fitness buffs—runners, cyclists, hikers, you name it—offering top-tier wearables without the nagging annoyance of a subscription fee. Well, hold onto your sweatbands, because that’s about to change. Garmin just dropped a bombshell: it’s rolling out Garmin Connect Plus, a premium subscription tier for its app, complete with AI-powered goodies and a few extra bells and whistles. Don’t panic just yet—the core stuff you love stays free—but this move signals Garmin’s ready to play ball in the ever-evolving fitness tech game.

The announcement came earlier this week, and here’s the gist: starting soon, Garmin users can dip their toes into Connect Plus with a free 30-day trial. After that, it’s $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year if you’re ready to commit. “All existing health data and features remain free,” Garmin was quick to reassure us, so your sleep stats and step counts aren’t getting locked behind a paywall. But for those willing to shell out a few bucks, there’s some shiny new tech to explore—chief among them, a little something called Active Intelligence.

Let’s talk about the star of the show: AI. Garmin is jumping on the artificial intelligence bandwagon with Active Intelligence, a beta feature that promises “personalized insights and suggestions” based on your activity and health data. Think of it like a virtual coach who’s been stalking your every move (in a good way). The more you use it, the smarter it gets, tailoring goals and advice to fit your unique fitness journey. Garmin’s keeping the details under wraps for now—Natalie Miller, a Garmin spokesperson, said that they’re still fine-tuning it—but the vibe is clear: this is their answer to a trend that’s been sweeping the fitness world.

And what a trend it is. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know Garmin’s not exactly the first to the AI party. Whoop kicked things off in late 2023 with its AI training coach, whispering sweet nothings like “you should rest today” into users’ ears. Strava followed suit with AI-generated activity summaries, because who doesn’t want a robot to tell them how epic their last ride was? Meanwhile, Samsung and Google have been flexing their AI muscles in smartwatches, and Oura’s smart ring now comes with a wellness chatbot that’s basically a therapist in your pocket. Even smaller players have joined the fray, leaving Garmin and Apple as the last big holdouts. With Connect Plus, Garmin’s officially in the game—sorry, Apple, you’re on your own now.

What else do you get?

AI might be the headliner, but Connect Plus isn’t a one-trick pony. Subscribers get access to a slick new performance dashboard where you can geek out over custom charts and graphs, tracking your progress like a data-obsessed detective. Want to see how your VO2 Max stacks up over six months? Now you can. There’s also a live activity metrics feature, letting you start a workout on your watch and follow along in real-time on your phone—perfect for those who like to keep tabs mid-sweat.

For the social butterflies, LiveTrack is getting an upgrade. You’ll be able to ping your chosen crew when you kick off an activity, and they can follow your personalized profile page to cheer you on (or, you know, make sure you’re still alive on that 20-mile trail run). If you’re training with a Garmin Coach plan—those free guided running and cycling programs—you’ll score extra tips from real human coaches. And because no modern app is complete without a little gamification, subscribers can unlock exclusive badges and profile frames to flex their dedication.

The subscription conundrum

Here’s where things get tricky. Garmin fans have long bragged about the no-subscription perk. Unlike Whoop or Oura, which lean hard into recurring fees, Garmin’s been the “buy it once, use it forever” darling of the fitness crowd—especially since their watches don’t come cheap. A mid-range Forerunner can set you back $300, while the high-end Fenix line flirts with $700 or more. So, tossing a subscription into the mix feels like a vibe shift. Will the faithful embrace it, or will they cry foul?

Garmin’s betting on the fact that keeping the basics free will soften the blow. “Developing a premium tier enables us to extend our investment in the Garmin Connect platform,” Miller explained, hinting at the costs of scaling up engineering teams and rolling out fancy features like AI. It’s a fair point—tech doesn’t build itself—but subscription fatigue is real. Just ask Oura, which faced a full-on revolt when it slapped a $5.99 monthly fee on its Gen 3 ring in 2021. Forums lit up, reviews tanked, and some users ditched the brand entirely. Garmin’s approach—optional, not mandatory—might dodge that bullet, but the jury’s still out.

Zoom out, and this move makes sense. Garmin’s not exactly hurting—its wearables division just smashed Q4 expectations with a 31 percent spike in fitness tracker sales, pushing its stock to record highs, according to a The Motley Fool report from February 2025. But the competition’s heating up. Apple’s got the Ultra, a rugged smartwatch aimed squarely at Garmin’s outdoorsy turf. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch lineup is flexing its adventure cred too. And don’t sleep on Coros, the upstart darling of athletes, with watches boasting insane battery life and GPS precision that rival Garmin’s best.

Still, Garmin’s got an edge: loyalty. Its ecosystem—built on reliable hardware, pinpoint accuracy, and a no-nonsense approach—keeps users hooked. Adding AI and a subscription tier could be the boost it needs to stay ahead, especially as fitness tech gets smarter and more crowded. Whether fans see Connect Plus as a value-add or a cash grab, one thing’s clear: Garmin’s not content to rest on its laurels. For better or worse, this is the future—and it’s coming for your wrist.