Filed under: iPhone
TomTom: Nav system "runs on the iPhone already"
Reuters is reporting that TomTom, manufacturers of portable, consumer GPS devices, have got their service up and running for the iPhone. "Our navigation system runs on the iPhone already," said a TomTom spokesman this week.At first glance, this seems like another vendor announcing that their product will be available for the iPhone, but it's much more. When it debuted last year, I said that it's really a computer that happens to make phone calls. That's only become more evident since. During Monday's keynote, Steve Jobs noted that 98% of iPhone owners are using it for mobile browsing and 80% are using 10 or more features.
I use mine for email, the web (especially Twitter) and as an iPod far more often than I do to make phone calls. In fact, it has replaced my 8GB nano which sits neglected on my desk. It serves as a handy stand-in for my MacBook Pro when I want to read and reply to mail, check RSS feeds, post to Twitter and so on.
Now it can run TomTom software, so there's three devices it has replaced. Who knows what other incredible applications await us on July 11th. It may sound like the ramblings of a star-struck fanboy to say that the iPhone will significantly change people's perception of what a portable device can do, but it's also entirely accurate.
[Via Ars Technica]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mike said 8:19AM on 6-11-2008
good. now all the idiots whining about apple not packing in a useful GPS app can wipe their tears and work on their next rant because they didn't think "oh yeah, there's an app store coming..."
on the side of the app itself... pretty cool that people who use and know TomTom can get it on a phone now.
thanks TUAW!
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jason said 8:59AM on 6-11-2008
You have been able to get Tom Tom on a mobile for a long time now
Colin said 8:39AM on 6-11-2008
Well, over at BB Gadgets they've discovered that Apple won't allow any third-party apps which have live route making features. So...who's right?
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Tony said 8:41AM on 6-11-2008
Why would they restrict such a thing?
Not a lot of point in GPS if you can't use it for planning routes.
Pablo said 9:00AM on 6-11-2008
I am Pablo from Spain: I have a iPhone and I would like to know if I will be able to use TomTom on my current iPhone (I dont wanna change to a 3G iPhone, not yet).
Thanks in advance
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J said 9:07AM on 6-11-2008
Umm, I think you'd be better off asking TomTom about that, TUAW is a blog, not a software company!
Pablo said 9:11AM on 6-11-2008
I know TUAW is a blog, I was just asking.....
Kelmon said 9:18AM on 6-11-2008
I don't see any reason why not with the exception of the following: the current iPhone does not contain a GPS chip so the TomTom software, assuming it can use it, would need to determine your position based on the local cell phone towers and any public WiFi hotspots. Based on this, I sure wouldn't expect this to deliver a reliable means of navigation, particularly in locations with streets packed in closely. If you're wanting to use your iPhone for "real" navigation (as I will be, when the 3G version is available) then an upgrade will be the way to go.
Maxwell Ash said 9:18AM on 6-11-2008
The current iPhone doesn't have GPS, so probably not.
J said 9:26AM on 6-11-2008
Your (and my) current iPhone doesn't have GPS, but the maps application allows you to generate a route from A to B. TomTom may produce an application that does this as well, but it's already there - so why bother?
Without some hardware hackery to allow a GPS attachment, you're unlikely to get any better than that (notwithstanding the rough calculation of current location based on wifi or cell sites).
Does that answer your question?
Galley said 9:11AM on 6-11-2008
Let's hope they can bring it in for around $40. The big question is, how much memory will the maps require?
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J said 9:42AM on 6-11-2008
They'll probably provide maps OTA, as the google map application does currently. The only problem with this is the cost of connection, especially when roaming - which is pretty much the main time this would be useful for me :(
Mobilehavoc said 9:30AM on 6-11-2008
TomTom and Garmin Mobile currently cost around $150 on other mobile devices (since they've been available for some time). Doubt it'll be cheaper on iPhone. Also keep in mind it can't run in the background so good luck if you happen to get a phone call in the middle of driving somewhere...GPS won't work until you end the call. Or even if you get an email and want to check email, look up address, etc. Lameo
tsx said 11:23AM on 6-11-2008
I've got tomtom on my Symbian phone and detailed maps are between 300M and 2Gig depending on the area you want covered (from 1 country to 1 continent). It's definitely not over the air, which is better given I'm often using abroad.
+ contrary to what was said, you can have it running it the background (to answer phone calls, ...)
There are also a lot of tomtom features enabled by data connectivity : detailed live traffic info (cell phone density), buddies on map, ...
Matt said 9:28AM on 6-11-2008
As I said on the Boing Boing post, the SDK agreement forbids 'real time route guidance'.
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totoro said 9:41AM on 6-11-2008
I get the feeling that some of the SDK's current "restrictions" aren't going to apply to companies who have reached a licensing or other agreement with Apple, similar to the whole restriction about using the dock connector, etc.
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vandy1997 said 11:01AM on 6-11-2008
During the keynote, they demonstrated apps that detect where you are located (loopt and the AP app) - I think that they called it location-based service or something to that extent, so it seems as if a GPS app will do the same. Since Apple is allowing these apps since these people were allowed to present them on stage, it will have to allow a GPS app that is just checking your location continuously. Otherwise, all of these other apps are violating the SDK agreement. I am sure that Apple wants everybody to use Google Maps, but it may want to permit competition due to the fact that Google can decide to create a better maps product for Android (and it seems to have done so with a streets view) and not update other platforms, leaving Apple with an outdated app and no laternatives for users.
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Tim said 11:22AM on 6-11-2008
As an "idiot" who whined about this (as mike puts it), I will STILL be an "idiot" and whine about it. I shouldn't have to pay $150 to make the iPhone do what it should do in the first place. If Apple is going to put in GPS, then Apple should not sell a crippled brain-damaged barely-usable version of it.
The cynical part of me thinks this is Apple's plan... give a unbelievably junky version of GPS so they can collect licensing fees later. I'm starting to think the worst thing the community ever did was insist Apple release an API. Now they have an incentive not to make the built-in software as good as possible -- they can collect more money on the back-end by up-selling people the non-crippled software later.
This, combined with the $200 discount that's really a price increase, combined with the lukewarm 3G that's not much faster than EDGE, really disappoints me. I'm happy with my first generation iPhone and will be staying with it until Apple gives me a reason to upgrade.
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Jerry said 11:48AM on 6-11-2008
I think you're confusing navigation with GPS. GPS is a chip that tells you your coordinates. Navigation is knowing what roads would get you from your current coordinates to some other set of coordinates. All that map data (not to mention keeping it current) costs money.
So just because an iPhone has a GPS chip does not imply that it will be able to do any kind of navigation. If you think you're entitled to navigation, that's a flaw with your expectations.
totoro said 12:00PM on 6-11-2008
"I shouldn't have to pay $150 to make the iPhone do what it should do in the first place."
I don't even know what that means. Apple is charging $199 for the new iPhone with a GPS chip..AND TONS OF OTHER FEATURES. TomTom sells standalone GPS units with mapping for $100 to $500, that JUST DO GPS/Mapping.
So basically you want Apple to provide you, based on your whining, a complete GPS/mapping solution for $199, in addition to all the other features it has. Because, thats what Apple SHOULD do. Christ.
The GPS Apple is providing isn't braindead. Its going to be invaluable for location based services. It may not be perfect for car-navigation, which is why 3rd parties like TomTom are preparing other solutions.