Latest news with #GarminConnect
Phone Arena
24-05-2025
- Health
- Phone Arena
Garmin smartwatches get a bunch of new features, but some cost money
Garmin has just released a major software update for many of its smartwatches. While the bulk of the improvements that are part of the update are free for everyone, there are a couple that require customers to pay for a Garmin Connect+ subscription, which costs as low as $6.99 per month. Before we deep-dive into the latest features coming to Garmin smartwatches, it's important to first list the models that are actually getting this major update: Fenix 8, Forerunner, Instinct 3, Lily 2 Active, Venu 3 and more. These are the only smartwatches listed by Garmin, but even if your model is not on the list, it may still qualify for the update. There are five new features coming to Garmin smartwatches in the coming days. These are available for free, so you don't have to be subscribed to Garmin Connect+ to enjoy their benefits. Breathing Variations : For a closer glimpse of the user's health, the breathing variations feature uses Pulse Ox2 to help them better understand shifts in their breathing patterns as they sleep. : For a closer glimpse of the user's health, the breathing variations feature uses Pulse Ox2 to help them better understand shifts in their breathing patterns as they sleep. Rucking Activity : Weighted hiking feature allows users to manually input their pack weight for load-carrying exercises to enable more accurate tracking and analysis of metrics like pace, distance, heart rate, VO2 max, calorie burn, elevation and more. : Weighted hiking feature allows users to manually input their pack weight for load-carrying exercises to enable more accurate tracking and analysis of metrics like pace, distance, heart rate, VO2 max, calorie burn, elevation and more. Pack Weight : For training or trekking, this feature allows pack load to be entered for various activities – including running, trail running, hiking and walking – where carrying extra weight may be involved. Adding pack weight will ensure the user's VO2 max estimates are not negatively affected. : For training or trekking, this feature allows pack load to be entered for various activities – including running, trail running, hiking and walking – where carrying extra weight may be involved. Adding pack weight will ensure the user's VO2 max estimates are not negatively affected. Passcode : Help protect sensitive data with a passcode to access smartwatch data. For even greater security, an automatic wrist detection option allows users to set up a pin to regain access once the watch has been removed from their wrist. : Help protect sensitive data with a passcode to access smartwatch data. For even greater security, an automatic wrist detection option allows users to set up a pin to regain access once the watch has been removed from their wrist. Stage Timer : A new tool for competitive marksmen that gives them alerts via paired hearing protection or from the speaker, so they know the remaining time in their current stage. Garmin Venu 3 is one of the beneficiaries of the new premium features | Image credit: PhoneArena Apart from the improvements mentioned above, Garmin also added two new premium features. These require a Garmin Connect+ subscription, but as you'll notice from their description, they are only aimed at two specific categories of users: golfers and hikers. Garmin Trails : Users can filter and find trails in select regions that match exactly what they're looking for – from trail type to dog-friendliness or terrain – accessible in the Garmin Explore or Garmin Connect apps. Users can filter based on features like waterfalls, rivers and forests or on permitting requirements and steepness. Adventurers can also receive trail details, including difficulty, distance, total ascent/descent and estimated time to complete and access the latest community reviews with photos and descriptions. Garmin Golf Membership : Venu 3 customers are now able to access many of the premium golf features traditionally available with our premium Approach golf watches. With an active Garmin Golf Membership, golfers can now see the course in advanced detail with access to full-color CourseView maps, touch targeting, PlaysLike distance and Green Contours. Users can add a Garmin Golf Membership on a month-by-month basis ($9.99/month) or save with an annual plan ($99.99/year); both options include a free 30-day trial. As per Garmin's announcement, the new update is already making its way to all the compatible smartwatches. Make sure you have automatic updates enabled from your device and sync with Garmin Connect to get all these new features. Adding premium features that are only available for subscribers is nothing unusual. What makes this a bit frustrating is that they come with a huge update that includes several free new features that are actually very useful. On the bright side, the two new premium features that require subscription are very specific and will not downgrade your experience in any way.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Garmin adds rucking, trail maps and more to these smartwatches — what you need to know
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Some of the best Garmin watches just got an upgrade, thanks to a new software update that adds more tools for tracking sleep, training with weighted gear, and exploring outdoor trails. The update is now rolling out to devices including the fēnix 8, Forerunner, Instinct 3, Lily 2 Active, and Venu 3. New additions include sleep breathing tracking, a rucking activity mode for carrying weight, a stage timer for shooting practice, and premium golf and trail features. To access the new tools, users need to sync their watch with the Garmin Connect app or use Garmin Express. Most of the new features in this update are free for all users of the compatible Garmin smartwatches. However, a couple — including premium golf features and expanded trail filters — will require a subscription to Garmin's new Connect+ paywall. This new feature uses Pulse Ox sensors to track changes in your breathing patterns while you sleep to offer deeper insights into your respiratory health. A brand-new activity profile designed for weighted hiking. You can manually input your pack weight to get more accurate metrics like pace, heart rate, calorie burn and VO2 max. A broader feature that lets you add pack weight to existing activities like running, hiking or walking. This helps ensure your VO2 max estimates aren't thrown off when you're carrying extra load. A timer designed for competitive marksmen. It provides audible alerts through your paired hearing protection or watch speaker to let you know how much time remains in your current shooting stage. An added security feature that lets you set a passcode to protect sensitive smartwatch data. The watch can detect when it's removed from your wrist and lock itself automatically. Garmin Trails is a new subscription-based feature available through Garmin Connect+. It's designed to help outdoor enthusiasts find and filter trails based on details like terrain, steepness, dog-friendliness, or natural features such as waterfalls and rivers. You can also view community reviews, save trails for offline access, and edit them with custom waypoints. A 30-day free trial is available for new users. Venu 3 users with a Garmin Golf Membership can gain access to advanced golf tools like full-color CourseView maps, touch targeting, PlaysLike distance, and Green Contours. These features were previously only available on Garmin's premium Approach golf watches. Memberships cost $9.99/£8.99 per month or $99.99/£89.99 per year, with a 30-day free trial. Before getting started, make sure you have one of the compatible devices listed above because only those models will receive this update. To access the new features, simply update your smartwatch by syncing it with the Garmin Connect app on your phone or using Garmin Express on your computer. You can also enable automatic updates on your watch to help ensure you get new features as soon as they roll out. Garmin Forerunner 265 vs. Forerunner 570 — which running watch should you buy? I ran a half marathon with the Garmin Forerunner 570 vs. Garmin Forerunner 265 — here's the winner My Garmin watch alerted me to a heart issue I didn't know I had — here's how
Tom's Guide
22-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Garmin adds rucking, trail maps and more to these smartwatches — what you need to know
Some of the best Garmin watches just got an upgrade, thanks to a new software update that adds more tools for tracking sleep, training with weighted gear, and exploring outdoor trails. The update is now rolling out to devices including the fēnix 8, Forerunner, Instinct 3, Lily 2 Active, and Venu 3. New additions include sleep breathing tracking, a rucking activity mode for carrying weight, a stage timer for shooting practice, and premium golf and trail features. To access the new tools, users need to sync their watch with the Garmin Connect app or use Garmin Express. Most of the new features in this update are free for all users of the compatible Garmin smartwatches. However, a couple — including premium golf features and expanded trail filters — will require a subscription to Garmin's new Connect+ paywall. This new feature uses Pulse Ox sensors to track changes in your breathing patterns while you sleep to offer deeper insights into your respiratory health. A brand-new activity profile designed for weighted hiking. You can manually input your pack weight to get more accurate metrics like pace, heart rate, calorie burn and VO2 max. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. A broader feature that lets you add pack weight to existing activities like running, hiking or walking. This helps ensure your VO2 max estimates aren't thrown off when you're carrying extra load. A timer designed for competitive marksmen. It provides audible alerts through your paired hearing protection or watch speaker to let you know how much time remains in your current shooting stage. An added security feature that lets you set a passcode to protect sensitive smartwatch data. The watch can detect when it's removed from your wrist and lock itself automatically. Garmin Trails is a new subscription-based feature available through Garmin Connect+. It's designed to help outdoor enthusiasts find and filter trails based on details like terrain, steepness, dog-friendliness, or natural features such as waterfalls and rivers. You can also view community reviews, save trails for offline access, and edit them with custom waypoints. A 30-day free trial is available for new users. Venu 3 users with a Garmin Golf Membership can gain access to advanced golf tools like full-color CourseView maps, touch targeting, PlaysLike distance, and Green Contours. These features were previously only available on Garmin's premium Approach golf watches. Memberships cost $9.99/£8.99 per month or $99.99/£89.99 per year, with a 30-day free trial. Before getting started, make sure you have one of the compatible devices listed above because only those models will receive this update. To access the new features, simply update your smartwatch by syncing it with the Garmin Connect app on your phone or using Garmin Express on your computer. You can also enable automatic updates on your watch to help ensure you get new features as soon as they roll out.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
More Future Garmin Watch Features Will Be Locked Behind The Connect+ Paywall
Garmin Instinct 3 watch In a recent earnings call, Garmin confirmed it plans to begin placing more features behind its Connect+ subscription paywall. As part of a Q+A section of Garmin's Q1 2025 earnings call, Garmin CEO Clifton Pemble hinted, unsurprisingly, more future features will only be accessible to Connect+ subscribers. 'We still have a strong commitment to develop Garmin Connect and our devices with broad features that are available to everyone. But certain ones we will likely reserve for our premium offerings,' Pemble said, while reaffirming the official line 'we're not taking any features away.' A recording of the call has been posted on YouTube. He also claimed Garmin Connect+ had received a 'positive' reception, which isn't the impression you might come away with following at look at online communities like Reddit. Users have accused Garmin of greed, others have intimated they may stop using the brand's watches in future as a result. Garmin Connect+ is not going anywhere, though, based on the company's wording. 'It's a long-term thing for us, a very important part of our fitness segment going forwards,' Pemble said during the earnings call. At present Garmin Connect+ is not a hugely substantive service. It provides AI-generated summaries of your progress, alongside a few additional features such as live tracking of your activities, so other people can follow along remotely. The big question is what could be planned for future integration into Connect+. Garmin has already debuted ECG readings as a standard feature in its watches, but it could potentially expand its coaching options into a paid service. One problem for Garmin is its free Garmin Coach and Suggested Workouts platforms are already excellent. You can effectively get marathon coaching without paying anything extra. There is scope for building it up into a more direct competitor to Runna, one of the hottest fitness platforms of the moment, though. While both can help get you fitter, a not-insignificant portion of the Runna user base likely already owns a Garmin watch. This expansion of training could involve more varied training, tied to a more appealing training interface and likely more prominent use of AI. Garmin Connect+ costs $6.99 a month, significantly less than the $19.99 a month Runna charges. Strava recently acquired Runna for an undisclosed sum, but claims there are no imminent plans to fold the platform into Strava's own.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Garmin launches monthly subscription for extra features on its watches
Garmin will start charging a monthly subscription for features in its app. The move marks a dramatic departure for a company that has until now resisted the subscription trend that has overtaken much of the technology and fitness industry. And it marks a major change for users, who will now have to pay $6.99, or the same in pounds, for access to all of their devices' features. The new premium plan is called Connect+, and Garmin says that it will offer 'even more personalised insights to its customers, with new features to help users elevate their health and fitness knowledge'. Some of the new tools are based around AI, and others include training tools and new badges within the app. All of the features currently offered on the Garmin Connect platform will remain free, the company promised. Users will also be able to trial the new tools for 30 days for free, before being asked to pay for them. 'Customers worldwide love using Garmin Connect to track, analyse and share their health and fitness activities,' Susan Lyman, Garmin's vice president of consumer sales and marketing, said. 'We are excited to provide even more personalised data and enriched features with the addition of Garmin Connect+. You can now learn even more about yourself, take on new challenges, train confidently and stay even more connected.' The new tools include AI features that have been branded as 'Active Intelligence' and offer personalised insights based on health data that has been collected by the device. It will initially be launched in beta, and Garmin said it had been engineered to 'help keep users' data secure'. It will also include new performance dashboards for seeing changes over time, more detailed live tracking for followers, more detailed training guidance and new social features. Garmin joins other platforms such as fitness tracker Whoop and active social network Strava in offering extra features for a monthly subscription. Until now, Garmin had resisted doing so, a stance that had been applauded by users who pay something of a premium for the company's devices. Both Whoop and Strava have also explicitly embraced AI tools for exercise, too.
