Buckle up for more subscriptions

Two weeks back, Garmin made waves by announcing a new subscription model for its Garmin Connect app. Previously, users enjoyed free access to detailed metrics and training plans, but now, the fitness tech giant is tucking premium AI summaries and other features behind a paywall. The backlash was swift and vocal across The Verge comments, my social media, and the r/Garmin subreddit, with users decrying this move as yet another case of enshittification.

Then, just days ago, Polar, a competitor to Garmin, jumped on the subscription bandwagon with its Polar Fitness Plan. While there's no AI element here, the company is now charging for training plans that were once offered for free, at least to some extent.

The trend toward subscriptions in the wearable tech industry isn't new. It arguably started with Apple's significant pivot to services back in 2019, but Garmin and Polar's moves are particularly striking. Enthusiasts of rugged smartwatches have traditionally justified the high costs of these devices because they came with all features included.

"Garmins have always felt a little on the high side price-wise, but it was justifiable as there was no ongoing cost," Aaron Fisher, a Garmin loyalist, shared with me. "Strava has taken more and more and hidden it behind a paywall, and I fear this will end up the same way."

Customer Concerns

Robbie Kellman Baxter, a subscriptions expert and author of The Membership Economy and The Forever Transaction, points out that customers are understandably worried about premium features being locked behind paywalls. "They have told customers not to worry — that the base software will always be available for free. But they have not been clear about whether or how much they will continue to improve the free version."

It's a frustration that's all too familiar. Baxter notes that customers generally resist paying for features that were once free. This sentiment was evident when Oura Health faced backlash for introducing a subscription with the Oura Ring Gen 3 in 2021. Similarly, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) felt the internet's wrath when he started a subscription for his wallpaper app, and BMW drew ire for attempting to charge monthly for heated seats in its cars.

Yet, consumers might need to brace themselves for more of this in the future. Hardware sales alone aren't cutting it anymore, and President Trump's tariffs are only likely to intensify the push toward subscriptions.

The Impact of Tariffs

Experts have told The Verge that gadget prices are set to rise due to these tariffs. This could lead to short-term buying sprees as people rush to purchase devices before prices go up. In the longer term, though, it might mean consumers hold onto their gadgets longer and buy less frequently. In such a scenario, charging for services becomes a crucial revenue stream.

"If hardware becomes more expensive, software will be a way for hardware companies to grow," Baxter explains. She suggests that tariffs will push companies to accelerate their focus on software and software-as-a-service subscriptions. "It also might change how they manufacture their products—designing for long-term stability and software flexibility. If companies designed hardware to last twice as long, and to deliver much of the value through software upgrades, they might be able to funnel more of their revenue through the 'software' side than the 'hardware' side."

Convincing Customers

The challenge lies in convincing customers that these subscriptions are worth the cost. Simply adding new features without considering their value can alienate loyal users. In the fitness tech world, for instance, athletes have criticized Strava's AI summaries as being of little use, likening them to "reading a book report a third-grader wrote."

It seems that subscription fatigue isn't going away anytime soon. Companies will need to tread carefully to maintain the trust and loyalty of their user base.