Filed under: Accessories, WWDC, iPhone
Turn by turn navigation coming with TomTom for iPhone
It's been a gap in the functionality of the GPS-enabled iPhone 3G for months, and one that was promised for the 3.0 software update (even though third parties have been trying to get it working for a while now): turn-by-turn navigation. Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel has been conclusively demonstrated not to be an oncoming train; it's the faint guiding glow from TomTom for iPhone, the first announced TBT navigation package for the 3.0 software (X-Road is already in the store for 2.1 devices).There's no cost information yet (Engadget speculates 'pricey' so as not to cannibalize TomTom's hardware business), and the launch date is only noted as after the June 17th 3.0 software availability, but it certainly looks cool: a software app combined with a custom bracket & charging cable, hands-free calling and 'enhanced GPS performance' included. For iPhone owners who don't yet have in-car GPS, this could be a fantastic offering, if the price is right.
Video of the TomTom solution in the second half of the post. I already own a TomTom ONE, and just ponied up the $79 for a year of map updates... probably should have waited.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Paul Mensah said 6:25PM on 6-08-2009
I am putting my garmin on craigslist to get this.
As of now i have a car with only one cigarette lighter...I share it with my iPhone, my Garmin GPS and my Sirius Radio and it gets annoying!! so when this TomTom app launches and the sirius app is released i can sell both :-) not to mention my car wont be cluttered with gadgets! one gadget for all!!!
am i first? no wayyy!!! there has to be bigger losers out there than I am ... lol
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Jon said 9:34PM on 6-08-2009
Apparently not!
jk
mario said 9:26PM on 6-09-2009
You can do all that now on the iphone if you want, but you have to jailbreak. I use the uSirius app for Sirius satellite and free X-GPS for voice turn by turn directions. X-GPS uses google to give you maps where ever you are without having to load them on the iphone. I think the menu's GUI could use a little work but overall it works well. The other neat thing is with the enable background.app it allows you to be on the phone talking through bluetooth and still getting directions from X-GPS.
hexualman said 7:32PM on 8-18-2009
I got the tomtom app today, great, but they don't offer the holder that they showed with the iphone, you would think if they are going to release the the app they would have the cradle also to purchase!
Larry said 6:29PM on 6-08-2009
I already have the built in map feature and I bought the GPS X App, not sure if I need this. Never been a fan of Turn By Turn Navigation. In my experience tends to be Turn By Get Distracted and Rear End the Guy in Front of You.
I may pick it up, though, just for the cradle and charger.
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jcg said 6:42PM on 6-08-2009
can't tell from the picture, but i hope that the cradle will accept a phone that is in a case rather than a "naked" phone. it looks like it won't take a thick case, but mine is pretty thin. maybe it will be ok ?
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Martin said 6:43PM on 6-08-2009
I was excited about this, but after considering that my current Garmin will work regardless of whether I have AT&T or not, I decided against it.
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Bloobie said 8:42PM on 6-13-2009
And so will this, so what's your point?
Ben said 6:46PM on 6-08-2009
I hope the cradle is large enough to accommodate iphones with cases. Does anybody not use a case? Hope tomtom thought this one through...
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bob said 6:49PM on 6-08-2009
no, cases are horrible
YodaMac said 11:22AM on 6-09-2009
No case here. Just too beautiful a design, and it slips in my pocket so nicely. :)
Didn't use a case on my 1st gen iPhone either. After a year on each, no real signs of abuse.
TexRob said 2:52PM on 6-09-2009
I have a week one iPhone 2g, no case, no scratches. Only dropped it once on carpet.
Darren said 6:54PM on 6-08-2009
Wait - how does that work? How do I download a cradle from the app store, or how do I install an app that 'came with' the cradle?
I'm cornfoozed...
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cedrikfd said 7:02PM on 6-08-2009
If you buy the cradle in store, they might just throw-in a redeemable code for the TomTom app on the App Store, which would make sense...
milkmage said 8:14PM on 6-08-2009
they'll probably include a gift certificate with the cradle. I got Batman on BluRay and it included a digital copy. i was trying to figure out how they DRM'd the digital copy (assuming it came on disk).. it didn't. They gave me a coupon for Itunes.
walkerjs said 7:12PM on 6-08-2009
I'm kind of torn on this kind of thing too. Much like the initial poster I also have a Garmin, a Sirius radio, and an FM transmitting cradle for my iPod fifth gen video (which can hold my iPhone 3g even if it won't charge from it.) I use a 'cigarette lighter power strip' kind of splitting thing along with another splitter so I can use three devices from one socket, but it's a mess of wires even if I tuck it under the dash.
Also the reason I have a Garmin is that the Tom Tom I bought initially gave me some effed up directions and got my wife hopelessly lost so I returned it for the Garmin, which has been brilliant.
Think I'll keep the Garmin and use the iPhone with Google Maps just because it looks cooler than the cartoonish (but quite useful) display on my Nüvi. I mean, satellite tracking right on my dash in real-time? Welcome to the Land....of.....Tomorrow!
Plus I like the British English female voice on my Garmin (I'm an American.) I call her Penelope, or Penny for short.
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Marc Schwartz said 9:18PM on 6-08-2009
There were rumors a while back that TeleNav would have something out for the iPhone when turn-by-turn apps would be possible. Their app for the Blackjack II, for example, is great and only costs $10 per month. Since it downloads new maps over the air for each new "trip", there are no periodic full map database updates that are required. You get traffic with it and other functionality that makes it reasonably competitive with stand alone GPS devices.
It would seem logical to me that a similar pricing option would be available for these apps on the iPhone via AT&T. I would expect TeleNav to release something RSN, whether their own or re-branded as the AT&T Navigator as they do now.
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Marc Schwartz said 10:37AM on 6-10-2009
As they say, timing is everything. This just came via Twitter:
http://blog.telenav.com/blog/2009/06/telenav-iphone-update/
noza said 7:19PM on 6-08-2009
I'm curious if the "Enhanced GPS Performance" means that the cradle has its own GPS antenna. The iPhone's cell-based AGPS doesn't work when you're out in the boonies with spotty coverage.
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milkmage said 8:24PM on 6-08-2009
according to the WIkipedia - AGPS is used when your GPS coverage is spotty (due to tree cover or tall buildings). sounds like you don't need AGPS if you're in the boonies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_Phone
In certain conditions, Conventional Standalone GPS has difficulty providing reliable positions in poor signal conditions. For example, when surrounded by tall buildings (resulting in multipath), or when the satellite signals are weakened when a GPS device is used indoors or under trees. Some newer receivers are better at handling these situations.
In addition, when first turned on in these conditions, some non-assisted GPS units may not be able to download the almanac and ephemeris information from the GPS satellites, rendering them unable to function until a clear signal can be received continuously for up to 40 seconds.
An A-GPS receiver can address these problems in several ways, using network elements such as either an assistance server or other data from a network. That assistance generally falls into two categories: a) information used to more quickly acquire satellites, or b) calculations done remotely:
I wonder if the cradle is for WAAS support?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Area_Augmentation_System
can any GPS nerds clue the rest of us in?