A number of customers with TomTom sat-navs have been told that their devices will no longer receive map updates.<\/p>\n
“Your maps will become out-of-date and as such navigation will be less accurate,” the firm told customers.<\/p>\n
“It has become clear that some of our older generation navigation devices do not have sufficient resources to run the newest maps and software.”<\/p>\n
Some devices that were on sale in 2017 will stop being updated and the BBC has asked TomTom for comment.<\/p>\n
The firm has published a\u00a0list of affected models online.<\/p>\n
TomTom has said active subscriptions to map updates will continue until subscriptions run out, but customers will not be able to renew maps or receive new software updates.<\/p>\n
‘Lifetime updates’<\/strong><\/p>\n In an email to customers, the firm added: “We will continue to provide quick GPS fix updates so your device will continue to function as it does now.”<\/p>\n The BBC has spoken to one user who was only given her sat-nav at Christmas, though the model was first released in 2011.<\/p>\n Paula Hatcher’s partner bought her the Start 20 device because her previous sat-nav – the same model – had not come with lifetime maps.<\/p>\n “I haven’t even had the opportunity to update it even once, since the email I received this morning [advised] the withdrawal of lifetime maps,” she said.<\/p>\n Many of the affected sat-navs are still available online at a number of retailers.<\/p>\n Some product descriptions continue to state that maps on the devices will update multiple times a year “for the lifetime of your device”.<\/p>\n On its website, TomTom explains that “lifetime” means the “useful life” of a device: “ie: the period of time TomTom supports your device with updates, services, content or accessories. A device will have reached the end of its life when none of these are available any more.”<\/p>\n