By 
TomTom is delivering on its promise to bring an Android app featuring offline navigation to smartphones this month. TomTom Navigation is now available for select smartphones and brings all the features users of the iOS version of the app have been enjoying for some time now, including traffic info, radar camera warnings (country dependent), and eco routes.
There are two major drawbacks, however. The first is the $49.99 price tag, an introductory offer that saves you $10 off the normal price, and a limited number of currently supported handsets, of which the Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Nexus, and Galaxy Note 2 don’t make the cut. But if Google Maps hasn’t been cutting it for you (or if you do a lot of navigation in areas with poor cellular service), TomTom might be worth checking out.
Google Play Link: TomTom Navigation
[via Engadget]
Google Maps Navigation is great when on you’re able to connect to a cell tower. However, if you’re out of coverage or abroad (with expensive roaming charges), it becomes essentially useless as the offline functionality is so limited. However, why would you pay the stupid amount of money that TomTom is asking for when you can download Navmii for free? Granted, it’s not the best nav app in the world but I challenge anyone to find one that offers a decent standard of navigation, offline, for free that is better.
Well done TomTom, you’ve just reinforced the public perception of the death of traditional satnav companies… I hope the liquidators are gentle…
Offline maps with Google Maps works perfectly without a signal.
But it has to be done in advance and can only cache a limited amount.
How often do you find yourself suddenly out in the middle of nowhere without a signal completely unexpected? It’s not hard to download the maps in advance. If you really do end up out in the middle of nowhere unexpectedly you’re most likely better off with a stand alone GPS or a simple compass.
And you can actually cache quite a bit. I have 1/4 of the state of MO cached, as well as 1/4 of the state of IA, plus a number of islands in Southeast Alaska.
If you have stand alone gps then there would be no need to use google mapsin the first place. On every trip I’ve taken there has been multiple times that maps wouldn’t load while on the interstate or in towns, not just in bfe. If your out in the middle of nowhere you don’t expect signal, however when your in the middle of the city a nd have no signal, that is unexpected.
Yes, but that limited amount equates to roughly the entire Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex (for example). You know, about 630 square miles and a population base of about 6 million people. So if you have a little time to prepare (Took me about 15 minutes on a REALLY weak signal), you’re golden. Your gripe is minor.
No…Definitely don’t think it’s worth it.
they won’t sell enough to pay for that promo video
For the same price, you can get CoPilot Live which in my opinion is much better. Not to mention the price for TomTom is introductory!
I would buy a stand alone GPS before I wasted my money on this.
Just seems silly to have a premium price ($49.99) but only make it compatible with older/budget phone resolutions for your initial release. I mean that market segment isn’t exactly synonymous with spending loads of money on apps, let alone $49.99 for a single app…
In other news the promo video is pretty entertaining. :)
There’s a reason that TOM TOM is stuck in the early 00’s…. They’re dinosaurs (By technical standards) and really don’t have an effing clue. This just proves it.
Not compatible with resolutions above WVGA. Dear oh dear.
That way you can’t see that they are the same maps they sold to Apple. :P
Didn’t TomTom provide the data for Apple Maps?
Them and a lot of others — what Apple chose to do with that data (or chose not to do as the case may be) is entirely different. I can state that the Maps on their devices are generally very good. It’s not Google Maps so you will occasionally find areas that aren’t updated yet (e.g. new construction) but it’s very nice.
Promo is great, I really hope those are people that work for TomTom in the promo and not actors. Crazy price and crazy that they dont support the newest models of Android. They are taking the backwards approach of working backwards. Kudos for the effort TomTom.
how can s3. note2 and galaxy nexus not make the cut? Best ‘piece of a$$’ available in the android world !!
Nope, Google maps are FREE
why would this even be considered? seeing as google maps already gives you offline driving navigation if you save the map before navigating… check your google maps settings and options, you do have the ability to download maps also…
Offline in Google is severely limited. The regions it let’s you download are ridiculously small.
the offline google maps on my Galaxy Nexus let me download approx 77 mile x 77 mile square tile of maps covering several cities. the diagonal measurement is approximately 111 miles diagonal, this is a HUGE map, it was 75MB just to download it. and that’s just 1 tile…. what’s to say i dont download 2 tiles or 3? or more? its definitely a plus
Let me say it again. There is nothing that can compete with Google Maps (.) Haha
Thanks, I’ll just stick with Sygic.
Let’s introduce a redundant software and charge $50 for it!
Brilliant!
/s
Not even
Their devs clearly aren’t ready for Android.
google map and nav offer everything already….. didnt they do market research before offering it 50$?
No they don’t. The offline maps from Google is pitiful. You need to know in advance and can only download a few small areas. Something with full U.S. maps pre-installed is much more useful, since it will work in dead spots.
really? i can grab the area of massachusetts fine for offline uses. but my phone is always connected to 4g, getting it wont be a problem. i guess tomtom is aiming for a market segment without mobile data service.
Google maps isn’t the paragon of navigation, but I don’t think anything is. It all depends on what your needs are. Some of the things Google doesn’t offer are: road avoidance, routing type (i.e. fastest, shortest, etc.), vehicle type (affects routing for larger vehicles), custom POI databases, red light camera alerts, etc. That said, I prefer using Google maps to CoPilot because of it’s integration into the system and its accurate, detailed mapping. But when I need some of the features I references above, Google maps doesn’t cut it, and I go with CoPilot instead. For standard passenger vehicles and/or casual use Google maps is fine, but it’s not all anyone could ever need.
Uhhh,why would Tom Tom even try to attempt this? Google Maps/Navigation is better than any other GPS company by a long shot. If Google can display what the speed limit is in the street you’re currently driving on, it’ll be the best.
“This app is incompatible with your Oi Samsung GT-I9300.” WTF??
Two drawbacks?
Do you even know there are other countries? ;-)
And honestly, if you think $49 is expensive you must be living in cardboard box. Don’t even start with the free online alternatives crap. That’s comparing pears and … well bananas. :-D
Basse
This app is incompatible with your Oi Samsung GT-I9300.???
From the people who brought you Apple Maps, Android users can now also enjoy inferior mapping software for the low low price of $50. See what all those apple users have been standing in line for, but only to users of inferior outdated android phones. Because at Tom Tom we believe that selling our software at a ridiculous price is proof that our software is better, everyone knows a $50 product is better than a free product. You too can feel rich by buying our product.
Not compatible with the S3? REALLY? And for an outrageous price. I’d buy a paper map before I purchase or reccommend this POS! Go back to the Apple Appstore TomTom, you’re not welcome here. Anyone who doesn’t like or can’t use Google maps (for free mind you) shouldn’t be driving to begin with. :)
Facken morons…. I swear…..
so let me get this straight S3 Gnex and Note, which are 3 of the android top dogs are at least on my book are not supported? lol this wont sell well. if you wanna make a big splash on android how about starting by supporting the top android phone?
HA! $50 for a navigation app? No thanks! Keep selling that sh*t to iPhone users. They’re the ones that need it!
Only a complete fool would be caught dead purchasing this BS.
Hey people, whoever wonders what it’s like to have an iPhone, buy this app! They provided maps data to Apple! So you’ll get a taste of the Maps, and you’ll get accustomed to the higher prices @ iOS!
BTW, what a stupid commercial…..
such a fail. Tom Tom was a failure on iPhone, so much they gave my buddy a full refund and let him keep the app after he complained how awful it was while they charged 50 bucks. I am sure its no different for Android. 50 bucks what a Crock of $H!t.
Google maps rocks and is free. If I want a true GPS I would get a standalone one for not much more than 50 bucks and it would be Garmin, not TomTom.
Fail.
lmao…
Compatible with my Fascinates, but not my Galaxy Nexus.
Gotta love the fragment-it-for-no-reason-at-all BS they got goin’ on there. Any dev that pulls this crap should be booted from the market until they fix their sh’t.
There’s no excuse for that crap unless it’s a GPU/NDK issue.
So, it’s compatible with my ancient (and GPS-worthless) Samsung Galaxy S, but incompatible with my HTC Amaze 4G? *clap*clap* well done, TomTom.
Holy crap! I’ve been saving my $25 credit for this, but at $50 – no, thank you. And on top of that, it’s incompatible with any of my devices. If they made it only for pre2010 phones, then they should’ve given it for free. What a slap in the face of Android community, just like saying – you’re cheap skates anyways, why bother… If it was compatible with one of my devices, I’d spend $50 and refunded just to leave 1 star rating.
$50 for a navigation service, of which is inferior to what is free on every android device?
Why? Literally, the only leg-up this has over Google Maps, is it doesn’t require an internet connection to function. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think with Maps, you can make any areas you want available offline with caching the area…(still won’t allow turn-by-turn though)
F off Tom Tom
Having used TomTom phone software in the past (on my olde Windows smartphone) I can say that the ONLY think they did well was live traffic re-routing. I was heading to work in Long Island from New Jersey, and the standard route would have made me an hour late. TomTom traffic rerouting got me there 5 minutes early. That alone made it worth it.
If Google or even Waze could get THAT level of accuracy with re-routing, I’d be happy where I am. TomTom even got me around local messes enroute, where Google and Waze only look at the entire trip as a whole when looking for ways to cut time off the trip.
You Americans are f*cking morons. Do you know there are other countries out there, where your beloved Google Maps Navigation sucks cock because of shitty outdated map data?
Also, 50$ is about the price of one year of map updates for a stand-alone GPS device. Buying this app, you get free lifetime updates of one of the most accurate maps I’ve seen. How often do you even use navigation to think that this is expensive?
I don’t care if Google maps in third world countries are out dated I’m not dumb enough to live where you live.