Latest news with #ConnectPlus
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Samsung could charge monthly FEE for top gadget owned by millions – and you'll miss perks if you don't pay
Check what's available in the latest upgrade SAM DUNK Samsung could charge monthly FEE for top gadget owned by millions – and you'll miss perks if you don't pay Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CUSTOMERS could be charged a monthly fee if they want to get their hands on Samsung's latest update. The latest software in the tech giant's smart watch line introduces unrivalled health features, but also an update that could alienate millions of its existing users. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Samsung's new update could see customers charged a monthly fee Credit: AFP Samsung announced its new One UI 8 Watch update for Galaxy Watches on Monday. The tech company is exploring the introduction of a premium subscription model, comparable to Garmin's Connect Plus and Fitbit Premium, according to senior vice president Hon Pak in an interview with CNET. But who will be affected? Well, with only one month until its official release, Samsung has yet to announce who will have to pay to access this functionality, and also how much it will cost. READ MORE IN TECH JUICY APPLE Apple fans SAVE MONEY on costly gadget upgrades as firm expands major service Pak told CNET: "We believe wellness isn't just one thing. It's activity, nutrition, mental health, and sleep combined. "What we really think we can do is bring this data about sleep, nutrition, activity and stress, and really contextualize it for the user," Pak added. Samsung first launched its smartwatches with the Samsung Galaxy Gear in September 2013. This watch update comes one year after the tech giant unveiled the Galaxy Watch 7, which retailed at £289. The update will debut with the imminent release of the Galaxy Watch 8 series next month, but is currently undergoing a trial phase. The One UI 8 Watch Beta Programme will be launched in select countries and will be accessible to those with compatible older watches. Available in both the USA and South Korea for customers who enrol in the programme, the update will give them access to unprecedented health features before anyone else. The update, once released, will give users a variety of health features, including a non-invasive Antioxidant Index check, Bedtime Guidance, AI Running Coach, and Vascular Load. The reason behind having such innovative and unrivalled features is that the company aims to make a more proactive health monitor to help stand out in a market full of like-for-like fitness trackers. Who gets these features? The soon-to-be-released update and watch form part of Samsung's goal of making clinical-level insights accessible at home. While the features will make an official debut with the arrival of the new Galaxy watch in July, it will be available on some older models. The compatibility for each device will depend on whether it has advanced LED sensory, which will be essential to power these premium functions. Therefore, more complex features, Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index, will be available only on any watch after and including Galaxy Watch Ultra, with the AI Running Coach available on the Galaxy Watch 7 or later. How much does it cost? Samsung are also considering a change to how they charge their customers to access the feature. It is not known how much this may cost. The Sun has approached Samsung for a comment.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Samsung could charge monthly FEE for top gadget owned by millions – and you'll miss perks if you don't pay
CUSTOMERS could be charged a monthly fee if they want to get their hands on Samsung's latest update. The latest software in the tech giant's smart watch line introduces unrivalled health features, but also an update that could alienate millions of its existing users. 1 Samsung's new update could see customers charged a monthly fee Credit: AFP The tech company is exploring the introduction of a premium subscription model, comparable to Garmin's Connect Plus and But who will be affected? Well, with only one month until its official release, Samsung has yet to announce who will have to pay to access this functionality, and also how much it will cost. READ MORE IN TECH Pak told CNET: "We believe wellness isn't just one thing. It's activity, nutrition, mental health, and sleep combined. "What we really think we can do is bring this data about sleep, nutrition, activity and stress, and really contextualize it for the user," Pak added. Samsung first launched its smartwatches with the Samsung Galaxy Gear in September 2013 . This watch update comes one year after the tech giant unveiled the Galaxy Watch 7, which retailed at £289. Most read in Tech The update will debut with the imminent release of the Galaxy Watch 8 series next month, but is currently undergoing a trial phase. The One UI 8 Watch Beta Programme will be launched in select countries and will be accessible to those with compatible older watches. Available in both the USA and The update, once released, will give users a variety of health features, including a non-invasive Antioxidant Index check, Bedtime Guidance, AI Running Coach, and Vascular Load. The reason behind having such innovative and unrivalled features is that the company aims to make a more proactive health monitor to help stand out in a market full of like-for-like fitness trackers. Who gets these features? The soon-to-be-released update and watch form part of Samsung's goal of making clinical-level insights accessible at home. While the features will make an official debut with the arrival of the new Galaxy watch in July, it will be available on some older models. The compatibility for each device will depend on whether it has advanced LED sensory, which will be essential to power these premium functions. Therefore, more complex features, Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index, will be available only on any watch after and including Galaxy Watch Ultra, with the AI Running Coach available on the Galaxy Watch 7 or later. How much does it cost? It is not known how much this may cost. The Sun has approached Samsung for a comment.
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Garmin Connect+ Gets New Trails Feature, Its Best Idea Yet?
Garmin update visual Garmin Garmin has announced the first major expansion of Connect+, with what is probably one of its most useful features yet, Garmin Trails. Garmin's Connect already lets you create routes to send to compatible watches for offline navigation. Garmin Trails offers suggestions for routes, based on where you point the map view. And you need a paid subscription to use it fully. This is not dissimilar to what's on offer in other popular platforms, Komoot and AllTrails perhaps most notably. While Garmin's existing free-to-use route planning can already choose the hiking/running/cycling line based on the most popular roads and trails, Garmin Trails provides extra options. For example, you can choose routes based on there being waterfalls or forests. And you have greater control over the difficulty of the route, how long it's likely to take and the total ascent or descent. Or if it's dog friendly. It's a terrific idea for a new feature in theory, and once again it is of course a shame it's locked behind a paywall. However, DC Rainmaker has had an early preview of the platform, and his experience suggests Garmin Trails still needs plenty of work. He found many spots were bereft of routes, and that some of the ones he found make no logistical sense. Even in areas where there are some great bike routes. This highlights the strength of a long-extant platform like Komoot. It has gained a sense of richness over time, through user reviews, photos and comments on routes, which are also user-made. While Garmin Connect has an absolutely massive audience, it doesn't have this built-up content to fuel Garmin Trails. And judging by thematic bent of Connect+, it seems reasonable to assume the current routes are AI-derived using mapping and popularity information the platform already has access to. Garmin says the routes will be accompanied by the 'latest community reviews with photos and descriptions.' But you understandably are not going to get many of those on day one. One piece of good news is Garmin Trails isn't solely behind a Connect+ Paywall. It's also part of Outdoor Maps+, an older membership that costs $49.99 a year (to Connect+'s $69.99). Garmin Trails may be excellent one day, but you may need patience to get there. Garmin is also, as it has done in the past, trialling something else with the Venu series. Venu 3 owners will have the option of paying for access to features that would usually be restricted to the golf-focused Garmin Approach series, through a Garmin Golf membership. They include full CourseView course maps, and the PlaysLike stat, among other features. This moderates distance stats based on how the terrain changes the ball's behaviour. Garmin Golf costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. I'm not much of a golfer, but this Garmin Venu 3 seems like a pure positive move considering the Garmin Golf sub already existed. And since the launch of the Vivoactive 6, which is cheaper but has better features in some areas, the Garmin Venu 3 has been begging for a boost like this to stay relevant.
The Verge
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Some future Garmin features will be paywalled.
Some future Garmin features will be paywalled. Garmin's Connect Plus subscription raised fears of enshittification, and lo, the company confirmed in its Q1 earnings call that going forward 'certain [features] we will likely reserve for premium offerings.' This isn't surprising — this is, after all, how subscriptions tend to go. But it does sting given how vocal Garmin has been in the past about not having a paywall. That said, the conversation revolved around features, not data so hopefully raw data will remain free.
The Verge
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Verge
May 9, 2025 at 9:24 AM EDT
Some future Garmin features will be paywalled. Garmin's Connect Plus subscription raised fears of enshittification, and lo, the company confirmed in its Q1 earnings call that going forward 'certain [features] we will likely reserve for premium offerings.' This isn't surprising — this is, after all, how subscriptions tend to go. But it does sting given how vocal Garmin has been in the past about not having a paywall. That said, the conversation revolved around features, not data so hopefully raw data will remain free.
