There is an ever-growing demand from the working class to have an escape plan ready from the workloads and pressures on various criteria. The desire for a safe and healthy travel experience, as well as a reliable navigation device, guides these plans in the right direction. Where the urge must come from within, the field of navigating devices is competing endlessly to provide us with the best technology available so far. Two such devices are Google Maps and TomTom.
Google Maps vs TomTom
The main difference between Google Maps and TomTom is that Google Maps falls short in voice recognition. On the other hand, TomTom facilitates the user with a number of languages. Google Maps only facilitates about 59 voice options. On the other hand, TomTom surpasses Google Maps with more than 100 voice options in different languages. Both navigating devices are effective on their own, but there are some areas where they outperform one another.
Google Maps is a worldwide web-mapping program with various digital technologies accustomed to it. It facilitates routing and real-time traffic conditions, which helps the users select routes with less traffic and shorter time requirements. It also provides a bird’s-eye view of the place, with visible 2D figures of buildings, lanes, bridges, etc. This further makes it easier for users to track down destinations.
Far before Google Maps, TomTom was another mapping app that came into existence in the year 1991. TomTom has a cool feature of displaying the structures of buildings, monuments, bridges, and lanes in 3D figures, which makes the process fun as well as interesting while searching for and reaching the destination. Also, TomTom is only supported on Apple CarPlay.
Comparison Table Between Google Maps and TomTom
| Parameters of Comparison | Google Maps | TomTom |
| Voice navigation | Google Maps provides only 59 voice options. | TomTom provides more than 100 voice options in various languages. |
| Reporting | Google Maps does not display road closures. | TomTom displays road closures. |
| Options with transitions | Google Maps provides all transitory options. | TomTom lacks in providing transitory options in few other aspects. |
| Downloading navigation | Google Maps allows users to download many locations and small localities at a time. | TomTom asks users to download the whole world map on their first use. |
| Availability | Google Maps is available both for Android users and iOS users, i.e., on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. | TomTom is available only on Apple CarPlay. |
What is Google Maps?
Google Maps is a web-based navigation application launched in 2004. The basic function of the application is to provide users with appropriate directions to reach various destinations around the world. Google Maps provides users with around 59 voice-navigation options. Its reporting criteria are vivid and varied. It has a proper mobile speed camera, with authorities suggesting an appropriate and limited speed capacity. It enables users to report various car crashes or accidents that take place at any time and anywhere. Reporting is allowed in so many other fields, such as congestion, vehicles being disabled, objects on the road, and roadworks.
However, Google Maps also has its own shortcomings. Like any other application or device, it also leaves room for improvement. In the field of reporting itself, Google Maps is unable to provide users with the power to report road closures or prices of fuel in various cities, states, or even counties or nations. It also does not allow you to report a need for roadside assistance. In the field of providing transitory options, Google Maps is a wholesome package. It displays different speed limits and time requirements for various transportation modes, such as cars, bicycles, public buses, taxis, and even while walking.
What is TomTom?
TomTom was another web navigation application launched in 1991 with various exciting features for its time. TomTom surpasses Google Maps in providing more than 100 voice options in various languages. Although TomTom lacks in the reporting field compared to Google Maps, it is in no way less interested in providing such magnificent features. Just like Google Maps, TomTom also provides reporting features on congestion and roadworks. It does not have the feature of reporting crashes or accidents, objects on the road, disabled vehicles, etc. It has an add-on feature of displaying road closures ahead in the journey to reach one’s destination.
In providing users with transitory options, TomTom again falls behind Google Maps. When the user is riding on public transportation or taxi/share rides, TomTom is unable to share information on the speed limits and time required to cover a specific distance. It also does not support Android Auto, but only Apple CarPlay.
Main Differences Between Google Maps and TomTom
- Google Maps provides only about 59 voice options, whereas TomTom provides around 100 voice options in various languages.
- On reporting grounds, Google Maps does not display road closures. On the other hand, TomTom displays prominent road closures.
- Google Maps provides all sorts of transitory options, starting from riding a car, public transportation to walking. However, TomTom lacks the ability to provide transitory information when one is riding on public transportation or a taxi.
- Google Maps displays everything in 2D figures, whereas TomTom has this cool and interesting feature of displaying everything in 3D figures.
- Google Maps is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. On the other hand, TomTom can only function on Apple CarPlay.
Conclusion
The need for these navigating applications and devices is increasing with the increasing number of trips planned every year. Both Google Maps and TomTom are very beautifully built and have their own field of operation where they excel. TomTom was launched earlier, and so even with its lacking skills in comparison to Google Maps, it is still a great application for its own time. TomTom is still developing and, with its new features, will generate skills to compete well on an equal level with Google Maps, as said by many. Nevertheless, such competition is very useful in today’s world as it always keeps a zeal for improvement alive in both the brands of navigation.
References
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2057047319850192
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5945804/