Your Echelon Gym Equipment Is Now Useless Without a Subscription
Echelon has essentially rendered thousands of its home gym machines useless without an internet connection and a monthly subscription, in a move that highlights all the downsides of modern smart device ownership. The firmware update took away their offline workout capabilities, forcing users to pay a $39.99-per-month subscription just to use the equipment they already own.
What the Echelon Update Means for You
As with , Echelon always has a “smart connectivity” platform that includes video lessons for a subscription fee.
The news broke earlier this week on the blog of Roberto Viola , the developer of the popular QZ Fitness app that connects Echelon machines to third-party fitness platforms like Peloton , Strava , and Apple HealthKit . According to Viola, a firmware update fundamentally changed how Echelon devices work, effectively holding them hostage. Users are rightly outraged .
The new system works like this: When Echelon equipment is turned on, users must log in to Echelon’s servers before any features are available. The servers send back a temporary, rotating unlock key that grants access to the machine’s features. Without this communication with the server, the device is completely inoperable: no manual workouts, no Bluetooth connectivity, no basic workout metrics.
Subscription trap
This new server dependency conveniently redirects users to an Echelon subscription, which starts at $39.99 per month (the first month is free). So what was once a one-time purchase of fully functional hardware is now another source of useless subscriptions. And you know what I think of that . It certainly feels like a scam when features that were once included in the price are sold as ongoing services.
If you ask me, this update is a collision of two of the most annoying trends in modern technology: the unjustified internet dependency of basic equipment, and the gradual shift to subscriptions for features that should be available out of the box. I don’t need to connect my dishwasher to the cloud, you know? I believe that these “smart” features often make devices less reliable and more vulnerable to failure, since a simple network outage can render perfectly good equipment unusable.
Now, Echelon users can no longer exercise during internet outages, which is an essential part of home exercise equipment. Even more worryingly, if Echelon goes out of business or decides to stop supporting its servers, all updated exercise equipment will become useless, regardless of its physical condition.
Bottom line
Current Echelon users have limited options. You can pay a monthly subscription fee, try to avoid firmware updates (though this may become more difficult), or consider your equipment partially locked. New buyers should carefully consider whether they are willing to pay a regular subscription fee for basic features.
This situation also serves as a cautionary tale for all smart device buyers. Before buying any connected device, consumers should ask themselves: What happens if the company goes bankrupt? What happens if my internet goes down? What happens if the company decides to change its business model? Sometimes it’s more cost-effective to use “dumb” devices that can’t be turned off remotely.
Call me a Luddite, but I think a stationary bike should work even if you don’t have Wi-Fi. You know what the pilgrims said.