So now we have to pay every month for new features with Garmin Connect+?

Payed premium Bug, new Garmin special.

I see 0 differences to not having connect+ There's no AI at all that I can see. It benefits me in 0 ways so far.

So many things are confusing about this post. No ones forcing you to subscribe to anything. Garmin hasn't made a statement even hinting that basic watch features like new widgets, activities etc will only be rolled out to Connect+ subscribers. Nothing's been taken away from you. What does an SOC or maps have to do with Connect+?

Don't winge about it. Just don't buy a product that doesn't give you a meaningful amount of value in exchange. That applies to watches, cars, digital services and even burritos.

Americans seem to have a problem with overconsumption to the point it seems to make them anxious that they're not buying everything that is offered up. So just relax. Take a deep breath, head out for a run and enjoy the free metrics offered by your watch. They're really the only ones you need. Trust me 

It's a load of crap,got the free trial out of curiosity and all I can see is some *** AI rubbish at the top of Garmin Connect every day that tells me what I already know.

Yah, I won't be paying for it in its current form and price.

We buy super expensive products with lots of bugs. And they have a platform with another set of issues or points to improve but at least stable and free after paying for the watch. Yeah, they don't force us to subscribe. Just they want us only pay more money to their tools while they don't even solve many issues with their platform. And I only replace them in almost two years with each new version. In two years, I have to pay $216 for + thing which I can use to buy another watch. 

With this limited feature set, of course I won't subscribe to + but I'm not sure they'll keep it this way. When they get the taste of subscription money they'll want to put more features behind the paywall.

LOL, I asked the same whiny question in a different thread. 3 things offensive in this:

1. I paid $1,150 for a watch, that is their top tier. Everything should be free at this price point.

2. 30 day free trial. Apple gives 6 months, but they only do 30 days?

3. Exclusive badges. To put those out there at a charge cheapens the system.

That said, I AM trying the 30 days free. I will cancel on day 29. I am on day 10 now, and so far there is ZERO that I have found helpful or useful, beyond the badges. (It cheapens the system, but I'm still going to collect what I can, LOL.)

Does Garmin ever communicate with their customers?

One of the reasons I bought this watch was that there’s no subscription. It’s my watch—if you know what I mean. I would never buy one of those other brands where you first pay for the device and then have to keep paying just to use it.

Abishai_Reborn said:

1. I paid $1,150 for a watch, that is their top tier. Everything should be free at this price point.

I know right. I bought a Porsche GT3 recently and demanded that they also throw in a Ducati Panigale for free given the obscene price I was paying. Those a******s had the temerity to laugh at me!