Exclusive: Garmin CEO Cliff Pemble talks Connect+ backlash, screenless wearables, and more
Behind the scenes of the brand's tricky start to 2025—and what's coming next
It’s fair to say that the first half of 2025 has been eventful for Garmin.
Following a significant watch outage in January, the company unveiled Connect+—a premium subscription tier for its companion app that sparked considerable debate among its loyal user base.
Last month, Garmin's Q1 2025 financial results showed revenue drops in some areas, yet its core wearables business, particularly advanced wearables and adventure watches, demonstrated growth.
While the numbers suggest positive momentum, questions linger about whether Garmin's recent decisions resonate with its dedicated customers—especially amid increasingly strong competition.
In an exclusive interview with PULSE at Garmin's headquarters in Olathe, Kansas, CEO Cliff Pemble directly addressed it all: the Connect+ concerns (making it clear the user feedback hadn't gone unnoticed), new health-focused hardware, alternative form factors, and the role AI will play in its future.
Addressing the Connect+ fallout
Despite the Forerunner 570/970 announcement being the main event during our time in Kansas, Garmin didn’t hesitate to address the backlash.
Before PULSE sat down with Pemble, we heard what Justin Lyons, the Senior Director of Garmin’s Fitness segment, had to say about Connect gaining a subscription tier.
“We’re going to continue to offer free features for Garmin Connect users—and, yes, we will add premium features for paid customers. We’re going to continue to invest in both,” said Lyons.
Lyons added that the teams developing free features for Connect are larger than those creating Connect+ features, and that the move hasn’t detracted from the team working on the free features.
It’s not a new approach, either. Garmin executives have consistently discussed balancing free access with premium paid features on the record in the past few years.
Lyons’ comments echo the philosophy Garmin’s VP of Fitness, Joe Schrick, shared with PULSE in September.
 | A guest post by
|