The famous GPS brand TomTom recently released an app for Android a couple months ago and its welcoming wasn’t the most pleasant. The first version of the app was only compatible with devices that used WVGA (800 x 480) displays. This limited its availability to only a handful of popular devices.
Yesterday the app was finally updated to version 1.1, making it compatible with over 200 new devices that include the Samsung Galaxy S3, HTC One X, LG Optimus G and other Smartphone’s with a screen resolution between 800 x 480 pixels and 1280 x 800 pixels.
The U.S.A version is available for $37.99; other countries are available as well with different rates depending on currency. While I have no doubt that this app could successfully get you from A to B, I think it will be difficult for them to acquire customers. I’m personally a huge fan of the native Google Maps app and use it frequently with no issues. It would be difficult for me to switch to TomTom if it was free, let alone $37.99. That is not to say TomTom isn’t worth the money, I simply love Google Navigation. Especially with its recent Google Now update (Android 4.2) where it can calculate how long it will take you to get to your next appointment and notify you, so you can depart on time. These apps all work together, making TomTom look even more obsolete.
As you can see by this chart provided by the Google Play Store, the previous version had been downloaded 100-500 times in the last 30 days. It will be interesting to see the increase in downloads after this new update.
One thing that the app boasts is lifetime map updates to keep your car going in the right direction for the long haul. It also has a nice touch that Google Maps can’t fully replicate – offline use. Google Maps allows you to download only a small portion of an area to be used offline (Google Maps offline tutorial). With TomTom the entire map is downloaded to your SD card and available when you may not have service.
Let us know in the comments if you have used this app and how it compares to Google Maps!