Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

TomTom Launches Service Bundles With Select PNDs

Concord, Mass. – TomTom is following through on a

promise

it made at International
CES to bundle lifetime map updates and lifetime traffic service with a variety
of its portable navigation devices (PNDs).

 Amazon has begun promoting
five TomTom SKUs with one or both services included for the lifetime of the
device. A total of 13 different hardware/service bundles priced from $189 to
$319 are available from Amazon for preorder, with some bundles shipping to
consumers on April 26 and others shipping on May 17.

 Each service adds $30 to
the price of the comparable unbundled TomTom SKU, but the bundled prices
reflect a discount from the service prices when sold as options. Monthly
traffic updates from the FM-delivered RDS-TMC traffic service, for example,
normally cost $59.99/year. And the annual price of quarterly map updates
normally costs $39.80 and more, depending on the age of maps already in the
device and the maps included, TomTom said.

 TomTom promises that other
retailers will begin offering bundles sometime in April.

 With the launches, TomTom
is offering free lifetime traffic updates for the first time, although it’s not
the first PND maker to offer free lifetime traffic updates. PNDs with the
bundled traffic service are sold with RDS-TMC receiver and antenna built into
their cigarette-lighter adapter and power cord, respectively.

 TomTom’s unbundled
traffic-ready PNDs require the purchase of an add-on RDS-TMC receiver and
suction-cup-mounted antenna at $99, including a year of traffic service. When
the year is up, the annual subscription price is $59.99.

 Models bundled with one or
both services are the 335, 340, 540, 740 Live, 350 Live and 540 World Traveler.
With lifetime traffic service, the 335 costs $189 at Amazon and carries the
335T designation. With lifetime map updates, the 335 also costs $189 and
carries the 335M designation. With both lifetime traffic and maps, the 335
retails for $219 and carries the 335TM designation.

 Two models with
cellular-based TomTom Live services are also available with bundled RDS-TMC
service even though the Live services include traffic updates, a spokesman noted.
The bundle gives consumers the option of using the RDS-TMC traffic service in
case they don’t plan to renew their $9.99/month Live subscription, which
includes such services as Local Search powered by Google, fuel prices and
weather.

Featured

Close