“Vietmap Discontinues Pre-paid Updates: Drivers Forced to Seek Alternatives”

Vietmap S2 has been discontinued. Photo by Vĩnh Phúc.

The official Vietmap website has announced that it will permanently discontinue updates for Vietmap S2 from April 22, focusing its resources on developing Vietmap LIVE instead. This decision has sparked mixed reactions from users, especially long-time customers of Vietmap S2.

A Range of Opposing Views

Vietmap S2 is one of the mapping applications that integrate alerts to support vehicle owners. Previously, Vietmap S2 was sold as a one-time package by the manufacturer, meaning customers only needed to pay once for lifetime use. The cost to purchase a Vietmap S2 license was VND 1.49 million.

With the LIVE version, customers have to subscribe and pay usage fees periodically every 12 months or according to the 2-year combo package. Currently, the registration price for Vietmap LIVE is VND 590,000 per year.

Sharing with Tri Thức – Znews, Mr. Văn Thanh from Ho Chi Minh City said that he had deliberated for a long time before deciding to purchase a mapping application for his family’s new car. In December 2023, they chose Vietmap S2. However, after just 4 months of installation, the application was discontinued.

“I just installed Vietmap S2 at the end of last year, and now, after less than 4 months, I received the news of its discontinuation. This feels like they are forcing us to switch to Vietmap LIVE,” added Mr. Thanh.

Customers faced difficulties when activating Vietmap LIVE. Photo: NVCC.

Along with the discontinuation of S2, Vietmap also announced a 3-year complimentary LIVE version for customers who already owned S2 and wanted to upgrade. To be eligible for this offer, users had to register for Vietmap LIVE using the same phone number they used to purchase S2.

However, car owners with multiple S2 accounts also faced challenges when upgrading. Mr. Hoàng Thắng from Hanoi mentioned that Vietmap’s policy only allowed one promotional package per phone number.

Mr. Thắng, who had 3 S2 accounts registered under the same contact information, would only be able to receive the complimentary upgrade for one of his accounts if he followed the new guidelines. The remaining two vehicles would not be eligible for the Vietmap LIVE upgrade.

A Plethora of Alternatives

On the other hand, some users argued that drivers have become too reliant on alerts from these applications. Mr. Minh Hoàng from Ho Chi Minh City shared that he primarily used the default map for navigation and rarely relied on the additional functions of the application.

“I’ve been using Vietmap for 2 years now, mainly for checking routes. The speed alerts aren’t perfect, so I don’t expect much from them. Regarding the update to LIVE, I think it’s understandable that they want to focus on developing one application, and it’s reasonable to increase the service price,” Mr. Hoàng shared with Tri Thức – Znews.

There are plenty of alternative mapping applications available in Vietnam that offer similar features. One of the most prominent options is Google Maps, which is user-friendly and widely used by the Vietnamese population. However, Google Maps lacks certain features in Vietnam, such as traffic sign alerts, speed limit controls, and speed camera warnings.

Vietnamese users have a variety of mapping applications to choose from. Photo: Vĩnh Phúc.

Other notable mentions include Navitel, Here, and Waze map, which also integrate traffic alerts. Navitel is a popular choice due to its affordable price of VND 790,000 for a lifetime account.

Waze map is highly regarded for its sensitivity in updating traffic sign information. In Vietnam, there is a community of nearly 6,000 members who actively contribute to reporting errors and ensuring the accuracy of the map. Waze users can customize their routes according to their preferences, such as avoiding toll roads, ferries, or highways. However, based on the experiences of some users, Waze’s calculation accuracy still needs improvement.

Previously, Huawei utilized the HERE WeGo navigation application on its devices but has recently switched to Pental Maps, a mapping application designed with a “metaverse” concept. Pental offers voice-guided navigation, projects directions onto the windshield, and creates 3D maps.

Lastly, with Vietmap LIVE, drivers will have to accept the new subscription-based model, where they pay periodic fees to access the latest updates, instead of the previous one-time purchase model.

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