Huawei, the Chinese tech giant, will co-work with TomTom, the Dutch digital mapping company, to put navigation software on their devices, according to Reuters. A spokesperson from TomTom stated that the deal was closed “some time ago,” but due to corporate reasons, it was made public only last week.
TomTom will maintain its self-branded apps on Android and iOS, but they will be providing maps, traffic information, and navigation tools to Huawei. This is not the first time TomTom does such thing, as they have previously provided data for Apple Maps, who kept using TomTom services after overhauling the app as well.
The Map Kit
Some previous reports revealed that Huawei is working on a full-fledged mapping software known as the “Map Kit,” which is designed for app developers and can make use of data from Yandex, the Russian tech giant, alongside Huawei’s own “telecom base stations.”
The deal with TomTom might mean that Huawei has given up work on the map Kit (or perhaps they have postponed it for now).
Some say that the partnership with TomTom is, however, just a momentary solution.
Goodbye Google Maps
Unfortunately for Huawei (who has relied on Google Maps up until recently), the Trump administration placed sanctions on the company last year, thus limiting their connection with American tech companies like Google. The future of navigation apps on Huawei phones is unclear, as they have to switch to HarmonyOS, their own operating system.
