Yes, the iPhone incarnation of TomTom's GPS navigation system is a bit on the pricey side. But if you're a fan, you're used to paying a pretty penny for flashy tech. And this TomTom actually gets the job done.
TomTom car kit for iPhone The TomTom car kit for iPhone mounts firmly and easily to your car's windshield - or …
Thanks for the review. So, to get this to work with my car's Bluetooth system would involve first pairing the iPhone with the car kit, then pairing the car kit with the car? Is that even possible?
Why on earth didn't TomTom use the dock connector to link the iPhone to the car kit?
Just started using the built in Android/Google Maps navigation. Works flawless without extra hardware (only a standard window mount) or expensive software.
"The price differential..." should read "The price difference".
Differential is becoming an overused word for describing differences as mundane as prices or football score. Unless you're doing differential calculus then please stick to the word 'difference'. It's worked for hundreds of years.
Or, more to the point, the US prices? El Reg is a UK site - why not report the UK prices?
The £99 price tag looks pretty steep when compared to CoPilot, although given you get the holder included I suppose it's not too bad. Compared to the £26 cost of CoPilot on the Android, which gives all the same features and UK+Ireland maps, it looks horrendously expensive - and CoPilot is really very good from my experiences with it so far.
It'll be interesting to see how many people take this up, given that in the US Google's Driveabout turn-by-turn nav is freeeeee.
Does the mount force you to have the iPhone in widescreen? I've never understood why SatNavs have widescreen displays. Call me strange but, when driving, I'm usually more interested in the layout of the road AHEAD of me, rather than what's to either side. I can look out of the windows to see that.
Is that everyone seems to have forgotten how to read maps. I can't think of anyone I know that uses their sat-nav in 'map' mode, rather than that stupid tilted 3d view except myself and my father.
I've never had problems with the accuracy of the iPhone 3G's built-in GPS receiver when using Navigon (which allegedly works with the TomTom dock).
What I do like about the dock is that it integrates the line-out and charging into a single dock connector, so all you have to do to power an iPhone and link it to your stereo line-in is plop it in the dock.
It also looks much more secure than the Griffin WindowSeat I'm currently using - because of the way my windscreen slopes and the relative inflexibility of the arm joints, I have to have it at its maximum length, and it rattles around a lot.
So basically I'd be happier if I could get hold of a cheaper one of these without the GPS receiver built in, but as far as I'm aware nobody makes anything like this.
If you're an Apple customer you're used to paying over the odds for otherwise standard products anyway. I think the target cost here is probably quite a savvy decision by the manufacturers.
The software alone works pretty well provided you can hear the voice instructions. The speakers on the iphone itself are too weedy, but if you've already got an FM re-transmitter then you can listen to the iphone as an ipod and hear the voice instructions (the music volume is muted) all over the car radio. So it isn't killer expensive (less than a dedicated satnav) if you aleady have the other stuff anyway.
If only they could find some way of including Traffic info, as they do with their Go-Live range it would be worth haveing, as it is my current Tom Tom survives to get me lost an other day !
Terrible price, immediate fail on that for me, but I still have two questions...
1. Can it provide voice nav over bluetooth ?
2. Is it properly multitasking ? What happens if a call or txt comes in ? Can it continue to route for the duration of the call ? Does the app focus switch to a call, or does TomTom remain on top, and if the former can it still provide voice directions during a call ?
I've already got a good ipod holder in my car that plugs directly into the back of my radio and also charges it. I'd like to see the review done again withouit the external GPS. Oh and in Blighty.
Was interested to see what the writeup of the car kit was as I have had the app for 3 months and know what it does, but the car kit is new. So was a bit disappointed to see a review of the app in the US with a couple of lines about the car kit.
Does the onboard GPS actually improve the reception? Whats the audio quality like? That kind of thing. And UK based given that we are rarely in SF...
I'd be interested to see a comparison between this £60 piece of software and the free Google Navigator currently available with Android 2.0 in the US. One would imagine that TomTom won't be bringing this out for Android any time soon.
For once I feel sorry for iPhone owners, especially if they buy TomTom. They know nothing of customer loyalty and will quite happily charge you full price for software updates where as all the other companies I buy software from will offer you a discount for an upgrade (MS included), may seem trivial but when your paying £70+ for maps each time!
I don't have an iPhone but after a few years of being financially abused by TomTom I ditched them and went with CoPilot as version 8 of their software is definately worthy of what I'd paid for the TomTom product but thankully CoPilot don't charge that much and if you have a HTC phone with version 7 installed (which obviously comes for free) they will still let you have a discount when upgrading to version 8, happy days, even happier that I could take all my custom favourites and POIs with me as well.
CoPilot you will have my money for a number of years if you keep that attitude, TomTom you can get stuffed.
Paris....errrrr..... ummm, cause she gets about a bit.
I have the application and mount for my iphone. The mount is of good design and holds the phone well. The idea always having the power and line out always connected is good but does not work in practice. I have to use the dedicated charge to reduce feed back but the cable bends downwards and get caught on my dashboard. To further reduce feedback I have had to purchase a rather expensive cable which has a huge great collar around the connector so only just fits in to the mount. I would not bother replacing the mount it is very overrated. I still get terrible feedback.
The application is a very cut-down version of navigator 7 and is missing a lot of functionality. Itunes are also refusing to issue a VAT receipt for my purchase. I have reported them to HMRC and await their comments. Itunes state that no itunes purchases can be used for business purposes. I think someone should tell that to their itunes website developers.
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TomTom iPhone Car Kit
Yes, the iPhone incarnation of TomTom's GPS navigation system is a bit on the pricey side. But if you're a fan, you're used to paying a pretty penny for flashy tech. And this TomTom actually gets the job done. TomTom car kit for iPhone The TomTom car kit for iPhone mounts firmly and easily to your car's windshield - or …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 15:10 GMT
TimBiller
Bluetooth pairing #
Thanks for the review. So, to get this to work with my car's Bluetooth system would involve first pairing the iPhone with the car kit, then pairing the car kit with the car? Is that even possible?
Why on earth didn't TomTom use the dock connector to link the iPhone to the car kit?
The potential for failure is high here.
Tim
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 15:10 GMT
Mick F
Android Alt #
Just started using the built in Android/Google Maps navigation. Works flawless without extra hardware (only a standard window mount) or expensive software.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 15:10 GMT
Anonymous Coward
You're not a mathematician... #
"The price differential..." should read "The price difference".
Differential is becoming an overused word for describing differences as mundane as prices or football score. Unless you're doing differential calculus then please stick to the word 'difference'. It's worked for hundreds of years.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 15:10 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Why review the US version? #
Or, more to the point, the US prices? El Reg is a UK site - why not report the UK prices?
The £99 price tag looks pretty steep when compared to CoPilot, although given you get the holder included I suppose it's not too bad. Compared to the £26 cost of CoPilot on the Android, which gives all the same features and UK+Ireland maps, it looks horrendously expensive - and CoPilot is really very good from my experiences with it so far.
It'll be interesting to see how many people take this up, given that in the US Google's Driveabout turn-by-turn nav is freeeeee.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 15:10 GMT
Bassey
Widescreen #
Does the mount force you to have the iPhone in widescreen? I've never understood why SatNavs have widescreen displays. Call me strange but, when driving, I'm usually more interested in the layout of the road AHEAD of me, rather than what's to either side. I can look out of the windows to see that.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 21:08 GMT
Anonymous Coward
I think the problem here #
Is that everyone seems to have forgotten how to read maps. I can't think of anyone I know that uses their sat-nav in 'map' mode, rather than that stupid tilted 3d view except myself and my father.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 15:11 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Lovely terminology #
Stickshift
On-ramp
quaint Americanisms of course
but defroster? How cold does it get in San Fran? even in icy Britain we only ever de-mist.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 15:11 GMT
Campbeltonian
Not sure I really need the GPS part... #
I've never had problems with the accuracy of the iPhone 3G's built-in GPS receiver when using Navigon (which allegedly works with the TomTom dock).
What I do like about the dock is that it integrates the line-out and charging into a single dock connector, so all you have to do to power an iPhone and link it to your stereo line-in is plop it in the dock.
It also looks much more secure than the Griffin WindowSeat I'm currently using - because of the way my windscreen slopes and the relative inflexibility of the arm joints, I have to have it at its maximum length, and it rattles around a lot.
So basically I'd be happier if I could get hold of a cheaper one of these without the GPS receiver built in, but as far as I'm aware nobody makes anything like this.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 16:15 GMT
Jimmy Floyd
Fair price #
If you're an Apple customer you're used to paying over the odds for otherwise standard products anyway. I think the target cost here is probably quite a savvy decision by the manufacturers.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 21:08 GMT
Bob Kentridge
You might not need the car kit #
The software alone works pretty well provided you can hear the voice instructions. The speakers on the iphone itself are too weedy, but if you've already got an FM re-transmitter then you can listen to the iphone as an ipod and hear the voice instructions (the music volume is muted) all over the car radio. So it isn't killer expensive (less than a dedicated satnav) if you aleady have the other stuff anyway.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 21:08 GMT
Hairy Neil
'Live' Technology #
If only they could find some way of including Traffic info, as they do with their Go-Live range it would be worth haveing, as it is my current Tom Tom survives to get me lost an other day !
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 21:08 GMT
Simon Rowsby
I'll stick with #
My cheapo £50 ebuyer sat-nav patched to run tomtom.
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 21:08 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Urgh #
Terrible price, immediate fail on that for me, but I still have two questions...
1. Can it provide voice nav over bluetooth ?
2. Is it properly multitasking ? What happens if a call or txt comes in ? Can it continue to route for the duration of the call ? Does the app focus switch to a call, or does TomTom remain on top, and if the former can it still provide voice directions during a call ?
Posted Thursday 26th November 2009 21:08 GMT
Billz
No mention of Live Traffic #
I get live traffic information free on google maps - why not on TomTom?
Posted Friday 27th November 2009 08:45 GMT
Mikel
He's just resting #
The fact that Droid does turn-by-turn directions for free was just a scratch. He's not even hurt. He doesn't want to go on the cart.
Posted Friday 27th November 2009 08:54 GMT
Andrew Woodvine
External GPS receivers #
My iPhone's GPS has stopped working. If only the TomTom app would allow me to use my own external Bluetooth GPS receiver.
Posted Friday 27th November 2009 09:50 GMT
The BigYin
Oh course they are used... #
...to paying over-the-odds. They're Apple users!
(Sorry, someone had to say it)
Posted Friday 27th November 2009 10:33 GMT
samwisethecat
Repeat the trial without the external GPS #
I've already got a good ipod holder in my car that plugs directly into the back of my radio and also charges it. I'd like to see the review done again withouit the external GPS. Oh and in Blighty.
Posted Friday 27th November 2009 10:33 GMT
Anonymous Coward
You are Brent Sienna #
aicm5p
Posted Friday 27th November 2009 11:10 GMT
Chris Holt
Can we have a review of the car kit not the app #
Was interested to see what the writeup of the car kit was as I have had the app for 3 months and know what it does, but the car kit is new. So was a bit disappointed to see a review of the app in the US with a couple of lines about the car kit.
Does the onboard GPS actually improve the reception? Whats the audio quality like? That kind of thing. And UK based given that we are rarely in SF...
Posted Friday 27th November 2009 12:34 GMT
Ebeneser
Interesting how this pans out #
I'd be interested to see a comparison between this £60 piece of software and the free Google Navigator currently available with Android 2.0 in the US. One would imagine that TomTom won't be bringing this out for Android any time soon.
Posted Friday 27th November 2009 14:27 GMT
Rob
Rip-off #
For once I feel sorry for iPhone owners, especially if they buy TomTom. They know nothing of customer loyalty and will quite happily charge you full price for software updates where as all the other companies I buy software from will offer you a discount for an upgrade (MS included), may seem trivial but when your paying £70+ for maps each time!
I don't have an iPhone but after a few years of being financially abused by TomTom I ditched them and went with CoPilot as version 8 of their software is definately worthy of what I'd paid for the TomTom product but thankully CoPilot don't charge that much and if you have a HTC phone with version 7 installed (which obviously comes for free) they will still let you have a discount when upgrading to version 8, happy days, even happier that I could take all my custom favourites and POIs with me as well.
CoPilot you will have my money for a number of years if you keep that attitude, TomTom you can get stuffed.
Paris....errrrr..... ummm, cause she gets about a bit.
Posted Thursday 10th December 2009 14:53 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Tom tom applicaation and mount #
I have the application and mount for my iphone. The mount is of good design and holds the phone well. The idea always having the power and line out always connected is good but does not work in practice. I have to use the dedicated charge to reduce feed back but the cable bends downwards and get caught on my dashboard. To further reduce feedback I have had to purchase a rather expensive cable which has a huge great collar around the connector so only just fits in to the mount. I would not bother replacing the mount it is very overrated. I still get terrible feedback.
The application is a very cut-down version of navigator 7 and is missing a lot of functionality. Itunes are also refusing to issue a VAT receipt for my purchase. I have reported them to HMRC and await their comments. Itunes state that no itunes purchases can be used for business purposes. I think someone should tell that to their itunes website developers.
This topic is closed for new posts.