TomTom has informed a number of customers their sat-nav devices will no longer receive map updates.
The change applies to buyers of 66 older models, who were promised ‘lifetime maps’ when they purchased the in-car navigation tool.
Once active subscriptions have expired, the models won’t become completely obsolete, but owners won’t receive the most current information.
“Your maps will become out-of-date and as such navigation will be less accurate,” TomTom told customers in an email (via BBC).
“It has become clear that some of our older generation navigation devices do not have sufficient resources to run the newest maps and software.”
The company explains the size of a European map has grown by 5GB (from 1.6GB to 6.5GB) since 2015. This means older devices don’t have the ability to store much more in terms of new updates.
The list of affected devices can be viewed here.
What does ‘lifetime’ mean?
The Dutch company also tried to clarify (or redefine) its promise of a lifetime guarantee of new maps.
“Lifetime means the useful life of the device, i.e. the period of time TomTom supports your device with updates, services, content or accessories,” it wrote.
“A device will have reached the end of its life when none of these are available any more.”
Oh, is that so TomTom? Rather than offering customers a pathway to easy upgrades, TomTom simply suggested drivers buy a new one.
“This may be the perfect opportunity to discover what our new range of navigation products has to offer you,” the firm told customers.
With the expansion of Android Auto and Apple Car play and the ever-growing use of smartphones as GPS devices, one wonders if any of these customers will bother.
Is your TomTom among the affected devices? Will you be buying another one from the firm? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
