Here for example. Hard to know which reviews are knowledgeable.
Q: Does this have lifetime maps and traffic?
A: I think so. I believe it pulls the traffic info from my phone via bluetooth. As for "lifetime"...well, we've all seen these companies come and go with their promises. Nothing that uses the Internet seems to last more than a few years, despite claims to the contrary.
By Trumpet Player in Canada on February 29, 2020
Regardless of how knowledgeable the reviewer may be, he clearly is just ranting about the general "these companies" which may at some point charge for something (something that so far Garmin has not done.) So basicalty irrelevant.
As for what he mentions that it's pulling traffic from the phone, that might be correct since the
Garmin DriveSmart 55 has both options, it has built-in old type lower-quality traffic, and also has live traffic through the smartphone app if you have one connected.
