Garmin Connect Plus Revolutionizes Fitness with AI-Powered Insights

Garmin introduces Garmin Connect Plus, an AI-powered subscription service offering personalized fitness insights and training tips. This move aligns with the tech industry's trend towards AI-driven user experiences in wearables. Available for $7 a month, it promises enhanced features and educational content, setting a new standard in fitness technology.

Garmin is stepping into the fitness subscription arena with Garmin Connect Plus, an AI-powered service designed to enhance the experience for its device users. This innovative service aims to provide smarter, more personalized insights, helping users make informed decisions about their fitness journeys. By leveraging AI, Garmin Connect Plus offers tailored, actionable insights, expert training tips, and expanded LiveTrack features, all while maintaining the existing free features of the Garmin Connect app.

Throughout the day, users will receive insights and suggestions based on their health and activity data. Customizable graphs and charts will offer a comprehensive view of progress over various time periods. As users engage with the service, the insights will become increasingly personalized, adapting to their unique fitness profiles.

The Live Activity feature is enhanced to allow real-time sharing of heart rate and pace data with family and friends, fostering a more interactive fitness experience. Additionally, Garmin Connect Plus promises more educational content, videos from trainers, and new ways to earn exclusive badges by completing challenges.

This move by Garmin is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies like Whoop, Strava, and Oura are already using AI to deliver tailored training and activity summaries. Samsung and Google have also explored AI-driven insights, highlighting the growing importance of AI in wearable technology.

Garmin Connect Plus is available for $7 a month or $70 a year, with a 30-day free trial. As AI integration in wearables is still limited to a few companies, Garmin's entry into subscription services is significant. It marks a shift in business models, traditionally associated with smart rings like the Oura Ring, towards a broader range of wearable devices. This move could potentially lead to a wider ecosystem that offers more accurate and personalized services across different price tiers.

David McQueen, a director at ABI Research, notes that while AI integration is currently limited to premium devices, many companies are likely to adopt AI in their wearable lineups. This trend could drive innovation and provide users with a richer, more personalized experience.