Yup, that's the way it's going. There won't be enough take up so they'll start putting features ("oh, you want golf, that'll be the $3.99/month golf subscription) and data like personal bests behind the paywall
I recently bought a Garmin to get rid of a $30 Whoop subscription and to get better battery than a smart watch with a Fitbit subscription. Garmin seems to give me everything I needed that the whoop does for only the cost of the watch.
It does mention all health data will be free still so for the time being I'm not opposed to them locking AI behind a paywall. I understand AI cost resources and is expemsive. I however, will not be using that shit. I think the default health insights are plenty for what i do. Granted I'm not a full on athlete like some Garmin users.
As long as they don't lock what's available now beyond a paywall I'm okay with this. But overall, I'm sick and tired of subscriptions in general.
I'm pretty sure they still are a defence contractor in the US, they also are generally the option for biking computers. There are competitors but Garmin has a chokehold on that sector, with other options just feeling worse.
So while their smart watches are more niche than Apple, Samsung etc, they still have found a solid niche in the smart tracking sector.
Not only that, but they make popular watches(forerunner, fenix, instinct) and outdoor devices like their inreach satellite communicator and gps handhelds. They also make automotive, marine, and aviation gear for navigation.