|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
TomTom sets out plans to beat fall in PND sales
Article by: Darren Griffin
Date: 22 Jan 2014
TomTom is taking steps to halt the fall in sales of dedicated personal navigation devices which have fallen victim to the popularity of smartphones and navigation app.
Starting with an advertising campaign on radio stations and via social media networks, the Dutch navigation company is hoping to turn around the continuing fall in PND sales but it's hard to see how this can be turned around now.
Fewer customers see the benefit in buying a dedicated device when their smartphone can provide the same functionality. Most smartphones come bundled with free navigation apps and both TomTom and Garmin have smartphone apps that replicate, and in many cases, better the user experience thanks to internet connectivity for services such as Google Search and Traffic.
TomTom are investing heavily in the fitness market, one of the few areas which is enjoying year on year growth, and they continue to focus on securing deals with car manufacturers to get TomTom solutions embedded into the dashboard.
| | |  |
| Comments
|
 Posted by marksfish on Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:34 pm |
 |
Perhaps if they were to listen to their users and return to the units some of the crippled functionality of previous models, it may help with the decline. No 3rd party POI's, no backup facility, no Google search, unreliable traffic, etc.
Garmin Drivesmart 51 LMT-D Europe |
|
| Posted by Wazza_G on Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:18 pm |
|
Poor quality mapping, poor battery life, poor traffic.
I dumped TomTom for Garmin and haven't regretted it for a moment.
The only downside I find is the odd way of getting POI's into the Garmin, but I can live with it.
Be alert.. This country needs more lerts. |
|
| Posted by IanS100 on Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:52 pm |
|
| News Team Wrote: | | ........ and both TomTom and Garmin have smartphone apps that replicate, and in many cases, better the user experience thanks to internet connectivity for services such as Google Search and Traffic. |
I've never used TomTom on iPhone so I can't comment on it, but I certainly wouldn't agree that TomTom Android gives a better user experience than a PND. I'd go as far as saying it's a big disappointment with HD Traffic being it's only saving grace and the only reason I don't delete it from my phone.
Galaxy Note 4 / TomTom GO : CamerAlert : CoPilot |
|
| Posted by aj2052 on Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:31 pm |
|
Having both TomTom and Sygic on my Android Smartphone tomtoms routing seems dire consequently thus always use Sygic but unfortunately still stuck with tomtoms teleatlas maps which still hold incorrect street names that I repeatedly reported over 3yrs ago. surely they must also be losing out on smartphone sales and have to agree that they should concentrate on functuality instead of throwing money on advertising.
Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8 |
|
| Posted by superref_63 on Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:40 am |
|
think the new 6000 device is poor
keeps losing traffic which was the reason I bought it
|
|
| Posted by xtraseller on Thu Jan 23, 2014 7:50 pm |
|
I have Navigon and TomTom on both IPhone 5s and an Android device (Samsung Galaxy Note) - plus a Garmin 3598D and TomTom 6000
Without doubt the smartphone apps provide an easy and seemingly low cost route in to GPS for the occasional user
For me however (3-5 trips per day, 50,000+ miles year) the fuss of the smartphone app and inconvenience of setting it up (compared to the snap-magnetic fixes of my two PNDs) make my Smartphone SatNav use nothing more than gadget fun for me - I could not do my job so easily without the PNDs
What they need is to stop focusing on price, but function - and bring real value features to these PNDs - built in Traffic (as TomTom), 8 Hour plus Battery (so no messy leads over dash - your phone could never compete with that), improved lane guidance (my Garmin has superb active lane guidance, it just isn't available on virtually any road currently - this dispite the same feature working on hundreds of roads on their Navigon PNDs and Smartphone Apps), and vastly improved directional guidance (visual / spoken) in terms of next and up coming manoeuvres
Custom POIs, Google / Bing Local Search, etc. should of course come as standard
That would encourage me and many people who would spend £150 - £400 on a device and updates to keep with the units
A radio ad may lead me to their website - where I would turn away because they are offering nothing new
TomTom Go Live 6100, 600
Garmin DriveLux 50, D-Smart 70, NuviCam, 3598, 2699, 2798
Mio Navman 695
Nexus 6p, Apple iPhone 6sPlus and Microsoft Lumia 950xl running TomTom, Garmin, CoPilot, Navigon, Sygic, Here Drive, Google, Waze, MS Maps |
|
| Posted by K13ehr on Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:18 am |
|
If Tom Tom were to drop it's prices to a sensible level where they can compete with the others, they would gain more sales in the smart phone app arenas, if they also actually did a proper map update every quarter as they say they do, it seems a waste of well designed and well known brand name to let it go slowly down hill, they seem to live in a place where Tom Tom will only get better, and take no account of the swift changes being made in technology every day.
©2014 How about a sat nav in a wrist watch, just basic, left, right, etc input by a stylus.© 2014
Send cheques to .......
|
|
| Posted by DennisN on Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:47 pm |
|
| marksfish Wrote: | | Perhaps if they were to listen to their users and return to the units some of the crippled functionality of previous models, it may help with the decline. No 3rd party POI's, no backup facility, no Google search, unreliable traffic, etc. |
Plus several hundred percent for this. Frankly, I rely so heavily on my satnav(s) that I don't think of the price - I'll happily pay the price for a decent functioning unit (which TT haven't built for some long time).
But I haven't successfully updated for some years now, because of the lost functions over the years. I actually run only three side by side (Renault/TomTom built in R-Link, GO550 Live and GO1005 Live) because I don't have enough windscreen to run the fourth (GO520) which together could meet all my wishes!!
Dennis
If it tastes good - it's fattening.
Two of them are obesiting!! |
|
| Posted by K13ehr on Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:59 pm |
|
That's why I stick with my one XL V4, it just works.
I just put my 710 on Ebay today, I have no idea why I bought it, it doesn't do anything my ones don't do.
|
|
| Posted by badgerdid1 on Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:05 pm |
|
I bought the tom tom start20 and soon sold it because of the removal of itineraries etc and bought an old 520 instead, i will not buy a new one now until im sure these things are available.
So i say its tomtoms own fault why i wont and maybe many more people looking at forums etc, wont buy a new unit.
|
|
| Posted by IanS100 on Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:29 pm |
|
| badgerdid1 Wrote: | | So i say its tomtoms own fault why i wont and maybe many more people looking at forums etc, wont buy a new unit. |
I hope to goodness they don't buy the smartphone app either because they'll be sadly disappointed if they do!
Galaxy Note 4 / TomTom GO : CamerAlert : CoPilot |
|
|
| Click here to view more comments... |
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
