TomTom goes free on Android with 75km monthly navigation

GPS navigators aren’t the “must have” device for every car owner anymore, not since mobile phones started taking over, but TomTom has a way of staying relevant: make its navigation app free.

This week, TomTom has released a navigation app called “Go Mobile” for Android owners that will bring them free GPS turn-by-turn satellite navigation if they’re looking, with real-time traffic included in the package, too.

The app, which is made for Android owners with at least Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” and a screen resolution of 800×480 should support the majority of devices out there, including all currently sold models, with virtually nothing released for the past year with either a lower Android version or resolution lower than the required setting, meaning any Android you’ve been able to buy for a year should run the app.

“The TomTom GO Mobile app for Android is made for drivers who want to experience the best of TomTom on their smartphone,” says Winnie Kwan, Senior Marketing Manager for TomTom in the Asia Pacific region.

“We entirely rethought our mobile solution so every driver has the chance to try navigation with TomTom Traffic. Now all Android owners can avoid the traffic jams and get to their destinations faster, every day.”

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While the app is free, consumers do need to know about the catch, and that’s the price of what “free” is for TomTom.

In this app, you’ll find you can navigate for up to 75 kilometres of distance before TomTom asks you to pay money, with an in-app purchase of $24.99 providing you with a year of unlimited map loading, and three years available for $56.99.

If you don’t travel very often and don’t need more than 75 kilometres of distance, you’ll find your 75kms are reset every month, meaning the free option should be more than suitable, though be aware that the free kilometres do not accumulate over time.

Also, existing TomTom app owners aren’t being shut out, not completely, anyway, with previous owners being offered a three year subscription to the new app for 99 cents.

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Anyone else keen to try the app will find it now on the Google Play store, with offline maps also provided for you to download ahead of time, ideal if you know you’re going somewhere and you don’t want to download using a mobile connection, such as overseas while on holiday.