Subj : Hot on the heels of Garmin's controversial subscription plan, Pol
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Thu Apr 10 2025 12:15:07

Hot on the heels of Garmin's controversial subscription plan, Polar's just 
unveiled its own

Date:
Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:59:14 +0000

Description:
The 'adaptive and personal' Fitness Program is a 'subscription-based 
addition' to the Polar ecosystem.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Polar 
launches Fitness Program, a 'subscription-based addition to the Polar 
ecosystem' It's an adaptive four-week training program costing 9.99 (around 
$11 / 8.50 / AU$18) The announcement comes following Garmin Connect+'s 
disastrous reception 

Polar, maker of some of the best running watches , has revealed its new 
Fitness Program addition to its Polar Flow app, a 'subscription-based 
addition to the Polar ecosystem' costing 9.99 (around $11 / 8.50 / AU$18) per 
month. 

For the price, you get access to a four-week customizable training program 
claimed to be adaptive, science-backed and based on the data collected from 
users' Polar accounts. 

Users get weekly and monthly rewards (although what these rewards consist of 
is unspecified) and is said to be 'an ideal add-on for those users whove 
asked for new, more adaptable ways to train'. 

In a press release, Polar said Polar Flow will remain free, and a 
subscription is not necessary to 'fully enjoy' Polar products or the Polar 
Flow service. 

Polar must be painfully conscious of the disastrous reception of Garmin's 
Connect+ initiative, a paid tier on top of its previously-free Connect app. 
We saw a ton of readers write in with their Garmin Connect+ complaints , 
fearing that future new Garmin features, which previously would have been 
free updates to users' expensive Garmin watches, would be paywalled. 

The language of the official press release we saw uses words such as 
'personalized' and 'adaptable', which usually means 'AI' in tech circles. 
Garmin's use of generative AI to create questionable insights has been 
getting a lot of stick on social media . (Image credit: Polar) 

However, there are some differences between Polar's approach to a premium 
tier and Garmin's: a Polar spokesperson reached out to me and confirmed AI is 
being used on some level to tailor the programs to individuals, but 
generative AI, responsible for placing Garmin's analytics into friendly 
sentences and paragraphs, is not being used. 

Polar's spokesperson also confirmed the company's stance on putting new 
features behind a paywall, stating: "the new Fitness Program does not affect 
the development of other Polar services in any way" and would continue to 
roll out new features to users of every tier. 

Fitness Program is available to Android users now in the EU, Norway, and in 
the UK. iOS expansion is expected later in the year. You might also like I've 
been an Apple Watch user for 10 years - here are 8 things Garmin still does 
better 11 insights that prove Garmin has no right to charge for its AI 
subscription feature Exclusive: Polar CEO Sander Werring interview



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/fitness-trackers/hot-on-the-heels-of-
garmins-controversial-subscription-plan-polars-just-unveiled-its-own


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