Tom Tom’s iPhone Navigation App Drops Canada, Lowers Price to $50

Sunday, December 13, 2009

It looks like Canada is costing U.S. drivers plenty of extra money on iPhone turn-by-turn navigation apps. By dropping the Big White to the north, buyers of the Tom Tom U.S.A. (iTunes Link) navigation app can save 50% from the original Tom Tom U.S. and Canada app. That is a whopping $50 dollars savings.

Tom Tom’s iPhone app has been competing head to head against other great iPhone navigation apps such as Navigon’s MobileNavigator and Magellan RoadMate. Navigon’s MobileNavigator and Magellan Roadmate have even appeared in iTunes best selling and best rated app of 2009, respectively. But it looks Tom Tom is striking back with a price cut that strips off what most U.S. drivers deem unnecessary. And, it works. Tom Tom U.S.A. is already the second top grossing app at the time of this writing.

This is great news for those who have long wanted a turn-by-turn navigation app on their iPhone. The $50 price is a far better deal than its $100 North American version. The U.S.A. only version is slightly slimmer than the North American version, coming in at 1.18GB as compared to 1.30 GB for the original version. All functions are kept in tact. Turn by turn directions, lane guidance, 2D and 3D driving views, integration with contacts, and the ability to connect to Tom Tom’s car kit for GPS signal enhancements are all there. As with the North American version, Tom Tom USA will only work on the original iPhone and iPod Touch when attached to its GPS car kit.

Tom Tom’s decision to get rid of Canada bodes well for the future. It takes away the stuff that most navigation app buyers don’t need and allows buyers to save lots of money. Perhaps we will see the U.S.-only app for Navigon and Magellan’s navigation apps soon as well. But for now, a $50 navigation app from a renowned GPS navigator maker such as Tom Tom seems like a great deal. Keep in mind that this is a special holiday price that will last until December 28th. The pricing for Tom Tom U.S.A. after that date is currently unknown.

Tom Tom USA (iTunes Link): Currently $50 at the Apps Store