TomTom Making the Jump to Android This Summer

While Google and Apple have been stealing the mapping spotlight with rumors of a bitter feud that will see Apple kick Google to the curb with iOS 6, major navigation player TomTom, which was among one of the earliest GPS manufacturers to arrive on Apple’s iOS platform to deliver voice guided turn-by-turn driving instructions, will be porting its software to Google’s Android platform starting this summer.

In an interview with Pocket-lint, TomTom co-founder Peter-Frans Pauwels say that TomTom for Android is launching ‘soon.’ Hinting that summer is an important season for the company, Pauwels did not give specifics for the launch. The port will bring the major functions of the app that’s currently available on the iPhone, but with some minor differences so that the app would be optimized for the Android user experience.

On the Android platform, TomTom’s major competitors Navigon and Garmin are already doing well. There are also subscription-based services like TeleNav and free services like Google Maps with Navigation as well.

For those Android users who are planning summer road trips this year, hopefully TomTom will be able to deliver their app in time. With in-app purchases, you can also expect to see added-value extras and optional features that you can pay for to augment your navigation experience on Android, including traffic, map updates, and other features.