TomTom has adapted its well-known navigation app for Android, though a number of devices will still be left short while compatibility issues are worked out. Meanwhile, you can enjoy a video of people doing the robot in honour of the Android app launch.
TomTom’s Android apps were first previewed at IFA 2012 in Berlin, Germany, last month and the full range is now available to download on Google Play, but not all smartphone owners will be able to benefit from the release. The new apps are incompatible with screen resolutions beyond 800 x 480 or 854 x 480, which rules out the likes of the HTC One X, and Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, and Galaxy S III. These users may not have to wait too long to join in the robot party, though, as TomTom says support for higher resolutions will be rolled out eventually.
The apps are currently available for smartphones with the correct resolution running Android 2.2 or higher, and users that can avail of them now will be happy to know that they’re selling at discounted introductory prices – something worth dancing about?
Beware of copycats, and storage space
The Verge reports that TomTom has warned users to be wary of copycat apps trying to piggyback on its Android launch. Official TomTom apps will always list TomTom International BV as the developer.
There is a range of apps available for different regions, some wide ranging (North America, southeast Asia), others more specific (Poland, Brazil, UK and Ireland). Depending on which maps you require, users will have to give up a large portion of their phone’s memory, ranging from 255MB for Poland to 3.4GB for all of Europe. Though it means sacrificing storage space, downloading the maps for offline use means users don’t have to rely on a data connection to find their way around – particularly useful when you take roaming charges into account. These maps will also be updated on a quarterly basis for free.
The apps also come with TomTom’s standard navigation features like IQ Routes, HD Traffic updates, speed camera locations, turn-by-turn guidance and spoken street names.
