TomTom GO Mobile Launched for Android

While no one can deny that dedicated GPS devices are more reliable when it comes to directions and navigation, smartphones are just so convenient many consumers have a hard time justifying the additional expense on a separate device. Well, in order to stay on top of consumer trends, TomTom announced earlier this week that it was debuting a new mobile app for consumers to replace the old TomTom Navigation App.

This new app is called TomTom GO Mobile and like the old TomTom Navigation app, includes almost exactly the same features as you would find on a dedicated TomTom device including traffic, points of interest, offline maps, 3D imaging, quick searches and more. The app is free to download on Google Play but an iTunes version has not been released. The app is available in a range of countries.

There is, however, a downside. While the initial download of the app is free, the app only comes with about 50 miles (75 km) of free navigation per month. Once a user has mapped and driven the free miles, a subscription is required to continue to use the app. Consumers can purchase a one year subscription for about $20 or a three year subscription for $50. Existing customers of TomTom’s services can purchase a three year subscription for $0.50.

According to the release, the TomTom Go Mobile app can be used without a network connection, but some features like the search function will require a data connection which may cost users an additional charge. However, to avoid this users can simply shut off the data option on their devices and navigate without it.

Because of the release of the new app, the old TomTom Navigation App will be slowly phased out and support is expected to be discontinued on October 1, 2015. Users should be able to download the app from their “My Apps” screen on the Google Play Store, but additional updates will not be released after that date.

For more information visit TomTom’s website or check out this press release.