TomTom GO update makes it a better Google Maps alternative on Apple CarPlay

Can the navigation giant beat Apple and Google?

TomTom Google Maps Rival
(Image credit: TomTom)
Spencer Hart
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TomTom was, at one point, one of the biggest navigation companies in the world until Google Maps and Apple Maps entered the scene, but now the company is fighting back with big investments in its driving apps.

Recently both TomTom GO Navigation & Traffic app and AmiGO have both become solid alternatives to the offerings from Google and Apple, especially for those running Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Now, TomTom rolled out a new update for GO Navigation which brings additional features and refinements to the app on CarPlay.

The recently released updated, version 2.7, introduces a new route bar to CarPlay. This displays your ETA, length of time to drive to the destination from your current location, and any incidents on your route, in an easy to read, linear format.

Overall, this makes the navigation experience on CarPlay more straightforward and more similar to one of TomTom's traditional sat navs.

This update also powers the migration to the latest NDS maps, which TomTom explains will for monthly full-scope map updates.

This follows on from a tradition of TomTom bringing features to iOS and CarPlay, as TomTom GO Navigation was one of the first high-profile navigation app available on CarPlay, all the way back in June 2019. 

We've watched the app get better and better since then, such as adding support for the dashboard, as well as an update that allows the app to run side by side with phone calls and music apps.

These apps help it keep up with the heavyweights of Apple Maps and Google Maps, despite those apps being free rather than paid for, which TomTom Go Navigation is.

TomTom's free offering, AmiGO, on the other hand, is still lacking Apple CarPlay support, so it's clear that the company is focusing on its paid-for offering.

We can't wait to see what TomTom has up its sleeves next.

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Spencer Hart
Spencer Hart
Style and Travel Editor

As the Style and Travel Editor at T3, Spencer covers everything from clothes to cars and watches to hotels. Everything that's cool, stylish, and interesting, basically. He's been a part of T3 for over seven years, and in that time covered every industry event known to man, from CES and MWC to the Geneva Motorshow and Baselworld. When he's driving up and down the country in search of the greatest driving roads, he can be found messing around on an electric scooter, playing with luxury watches, or testing the latest fragrances.

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