True, it's not the first app offering turn-by-turn driving instructions for the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS -- but it is from TomTom, an industry heavy-weight that is finally delivering on years of
rumor and
speculation. After starting with New Zealand a few hours ago, the iTunes App Store is now populated with region specific TomTom apps for NZ ($95), Australia ($80), US and Canada ($100), and Western Europe ($140). If that sounds expensive... it is; dedicated TomTom navigators start at $120. In other words, this isn't one of those knee-jerk 99 cent App Store purchases. Naturally, that price does not include the announced
TomTom iPhone car kit (rumored to cost
£113.85 (about $194) with bundled mapping software) that mounts and charges your iPhone 3G or 3GS while enhancing its GPS performance, speaker, and microphone. Our advice: wait for the reviews before dedicating your non multi-tasking iPhone to the dashboard for navigation duties.
Update:
Recombu took the software for a spin and seem duly impressed by their ability to navigate streets with an iPhone taped to the dash (not a joke). They say that when a call comes in, the TomTom app "turns off but restarts as soon as you finish the call." See the video overview after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Read [Warning: iTunes link]
posted Aug 17th 2009 1:34AM
expensive shit
I think the car dock is the only one worth getting if you are going to bother with GPS on the iPhone. Even on a 3G and 3GS I've tried Navigon, iGo, Sygic.
Reception is terrible, lots of lost connections, does not maintain solid lock while on the move, and so on. It seems to be a function of hardware design/limitation and not software. Basically IMO the iPhone is lousy compared to other PDAs/Smartphones when it comes to built in GPS reception for turn by turn nav purposes. Taking a static fix for Google Maps etc seems to be fine. But wow the reception is overall weak and lock is easily broken. Seen this on multiple handsets.
I say this because a lot of people who think these apps so far (Sygic, Navigon) work "Great" with a few niggles have yet to actually use let's say Tomtom, iGo or Garmin Mobile XT on Windows Mobile handsets from the last year or two to see the difference in robustness - you can actually use it as a real turn by turn GPS without worrying about lock breaking easily.
Nav on the iPhone is a fragile proposition, IMO only fixable by using an actual solid GPS solution because the iPhone does not incorporate one good enough for "good enough" turn by turn nav to bring it up to a level of similar experience compared to what you get on Windows Mobile for standalone GPS. Hell even Telenav on Palm Pre and Windows Mobile rocks compared to the spotty experience on iPhone caused by the reception limitations of the built in GPS.
Therefore, spring for the car mount instead since Tomtom was wise enough to build a GPS into it (they dont do this for any other platform, which is a dead giveaway they know very well the iPhone GPS is not solid, in addition to trying to reach 2G customers as well of course), seems like that will give you a solid nav experience on iPhone.
Nice cradle!
This App, for me, works great. I have GPS reception in my house. I have used it twice already this morning and it was flawless. Far better than I had expected. No down sides as of yet. I will post if I experience any!
for app without kit to hold the iPhone? Oh please...
Wow! I've been doing that since June 6th PLUS streaming online music all for free.
Glad everyone can do it now.
Are they going to make us pay for a map update next year or is this a one-time fee?
Way too expensive and an absolute no-go that the app exits when getting a phone call!! Can't believe that TomTom wants their name on such crap!
and then you have to buy a new phone because your battery died.