| TomTom's iPhone App finally breaks cover
Article by: Darren Griffin
Date: 17 Aug 2009
 We all knew it was coming but 'when?' was the $64million question. Spotted in the New Zealand iTunes App Store yesterday it seemed pretty clear that the launch had begun and at some time early this morning TomTom for iPhone finally materialised in the UK AppStore.
There isn't a lot to add really, the interface looks very similar to that which was used on the TomTom Mobile App that used to exist and it features multi-touch integration making full use of iPhone gestures for operation and map zoom etc.
Navigation to address book contacts is also included as well as IQ routing. But notable by its omission is any form of LIVE connected services. This is a phone, a phone with out of the box data bundles and connectivity so why the heck has the opportunity to bundle the LIVE service features been omitted?
The app is available with Australia, New Zealand, UK & Ireland, US & Canada and Western Europe maps. UK comes in at £54.99 and Western Europe £79.99 which is reasonable if not the steal that CoPilot is.
Still no word on the mount that was the USP of the TomTom offering.
 
 
| Comments
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 Posted by erne on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:18 am |
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Hi
As the Euro app is only £20 more than UK version I would like to get this
I have limited space on my phone
I have jailbroken the phone and my question is
Can i remove all the unused maps by removing them from the .ipa before uploading to the phone
Thanks
ern
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| Posted by Darren on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:20 am |
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I'd have thought that unlikely as the Western Europe map (at least on all other TomTom platforms) is a single contiguous map and so a single file.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by jheward on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:28 am |
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I know it is very early to ask this but I wondered if anyone who buys TomTom could comment on the following...
How good is the GPS fix? I bought Copilot and am not that impressed with its GPS performance - it seems to lose the signal quite regularly
How smooth is the map scrolling? Again, Copilot hasn't impressed me with the map movements been quite jerky and slow to update
Thanks for your help
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| Posted by ArthurFuxake on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:29 am |
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So, no custom POIs (unless jailbroken) and no live services on a device that is designed for live services !... they really have lost the plot and therefore won't be getting my cash.
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| Posted by erne on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:37 am |
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| Darren Wrote: | | I'd have thought that unlikely as the Western Europe map (at least on all other TomTom platforms) is a single contiguous map and so a single file. |
Thats a shame its one big file
So which to buy !
ern
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| Posted by mrplant on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:45 am |
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Typical tomtom launch....
advertise the cradle to death and say "coming summer 09".
Click here to recieve updates.
Never had an "update" from them yet.. and here it is suddenly in the app store.. Integrated launch with the mounts in the shops?? as if....
Still no word on that..
Features??
Voice recognition
Street name announcement
Lane guidance
Speed cameras or ability to add them...
Traffic updates
where are they?
Sorry I sold my 520 now....
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| Posted by Darren on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:49 am |
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The complete absence of any LIVE functionality on a connected device is pretty inexcusable.
Clearly TT don't want this to offer more functionality than their PND ranges.
But if you want our speedcam data it looks like the only way is to lobby TomTom. Complain loudly. There are no technical reasons why they can't allow the import of custom POIs either but they could even more easily start using PocketGPS Speedcam data and make a lot of people happy.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by mrplant on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:57 am |
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Here Here!!
I REALLY hope they listen but sometimes TOMTOM can be stubborn and stuck in their ways..
Its not good for TOMTOM and its certainly not good for Apple for people to jailbreak their phones just to add custom features..
Sadly this might be the route a lot of people are forced down unless they see sense and allow custom POI's and warnings.. ie. Speed Camera Database..
I think they need to remember how popular this is compared to their own version...
Lane guidance is a must have feature so I am not interested unless that is there - can anyone confirm it if is there?
Competition is great but surely they recognize they are going to have to come up with something special if they want to outsell the other GPS apps...
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| Posted by nashmills on Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:03 am |
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Does the app connect to Home for Mapshare updates etc.?
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| Posted by Seamaster on Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:04 am |
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I'm holding off until the price drops, as it inevitably will. TomTom isn't the only game in town for turn-by-turn, and I can't see them sustaining that over-ambitious price point for long. Just look at the scramble down in prices by the others since Copilot launched at a much more palatable (£25.99) price point.
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| Posted by alexberry on Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:16 am |
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2 questions spring to mind:
1) What about Mapshare? For me, a Garmin user, this is one of those USPs that keep me wondering whether I should switch to TomTom for my next PND.
2) How will pricing for the TomTom mount work? Will it be available as a mount alone, or will it be bundled with some sort of iTunes voucher which means that if you buy the app today off iTunes and decide to buy the mount later once release, you'll effectively buy the app twice!?
Alex.
Alex Berry,
Edinburgh, Scotland |
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