Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store
TomTom delivers promised iPhone update
TUAW told you it was coming, and it has arrived. TomTom has updated its U.S. GPS navigation app [US$99.99, iTunes link] and added text-to-speech, advanced lane guidance, and a 'help me' feature for use in emergencies.TomTom has been a little late to the text-to-speech party, with most competitors already offering this important function. Magellan has now jumped into the game with a very nice nav app as well, and at an introductory price that undercuts the TomTom app by twenty bucks.
All of the major navigation apps for the iPhone are quickly approaching feature parity. At this point, your main decision is whether you want the data streamed to your phone (as the AT&T app does), or have maps and data built into the app (like TomTom, Navigon, Magellan and some others).
Looming over whatever decision you make is trying to figure out if Apple will ever allow the Google turn-by-turn navigation app into the app store. It's going to be free, and Google says it wants the app to be on the iPhone. Of course things haven't been going swimmingly between Google and Apple of late (Google Voice, Android competition), so it's just a guess as to how that will all turn out.
If you need a navigation app in order to get to Grandma's house for the holidays, it's probably a good time to buy one. However, If you're willing to wait for the possibility of Google's free turn-by-turn nav app making it to the iPhone, you might be rewarded for your patience.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
dagamer43 said 5:39PM on 11-19-2009
A free app like Google Maps Navigation would instantly kill that section of the App Store. It's the only reason why Apple hasn't approved it yet. It's not in their financial interest to do so because of the 30% cut they get on every app sold.
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Archion said 8:48PM on 11-19-2009
Will you gTards give it a rest, not everyone has full time cell service on road trips, even if the app caches the routes, how about if I want to leave the cached area while on the road, and cell signal is weak or non-existant as it often is on AT&T, can the precious google app handle that... umm nope. I will be the little blue dot floating accross the grid...
Kelmon said 3:32AM on 11-20-2009
Oh, will you give it a rest with the conspiracy theory nonsense. Apple clearly has no issue with free applications on the App Store that compete with paid versions, and Google Navigator is not going to kill the market for other products. I am certainly not the only one who will not trust my navigation data to the cloud - I want the maps on my device and will accept nothing less.
Mystic said 5:52PM on 11-19-2009
@dagamer43: (Since I can't reply to anyone because it does something funky in Safari when I do).
Why does that have anything to do with it? You know that all of the companies take a cut on app sale, including the 30% that Google takes on the Android Market.
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dagamer43 said 8:44PM on 11-19-2009
You can't take 30% off of free (which is what Google wants to price Google Maps Navigation at)
John Williams said 5:54PM on 11-19-2009
Yeah @dagamer43, that has nothing to do with it. Google hasn't even released a Navigation app for iPhone yet. And if Apple were worried about getting paid, they wouldn't allow the thousands of free apps that are already available in the store.
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Robert said 6:47PM on 11-19-2009
I updated the TomTom app this morning. the text to speech is not there.
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MattH said 7:49PM on 11-19-2009
Yea. Not working for me either :(
Eddie said 9:01PM on 11-19-2009
It only works with the default voice.....
charles said 3:47PM on 11-20-2009
I am working with TomTom on this, and for those having trouble getting the TTS, here is the reason and solution:
When you update, the app will remember your previously selected voice setting. In order for TTS to work, will need to go into your settings and select the computer voice.
Chris Stevens said 7:09PM on 11-19-2009
I's till pay for the TomTom app even if the google one was free. I just trust TomTom and the app works so well compared to what I expected I'm very happy with it.
It's a real shame they don't offer a world-wide maps deal on TomTom though, to buy them all separately is just too expensive.
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Flanders said 10:58PM on 11-19-2009
I've been playing with this upgrade since yesterday.
The text-to-voice instructions are great; however, I've only found that it works with 1 voice. (Samamtha, the one with 'computer' listed after it.) The update description says that the text-to-voice works with 5 languages, but again, I've only had success with the one, quite specific voice. I would have liked to choose a default voice and just have street names translated with the computer voice, but this doesn't seem to be the case.
Lane guidance is correct and a great enhancement. Now when you get the "Ahead, keep right" command, you see which lanes continue along your route.
Maps & POIs are updated and include many new ones in my area.
TomTom finally recognizes all of my contacts.
The TomTom car kit was also delivered yesterday, so I played with that too. This little thing is great! I was expecting some little crappy speaker, but the one on the device is quite large and of very high quality. The whole circular disk of the suction cup is the speaker size.
Phone calls were handled great over Bluetooth and was of a standard speakerphone quality. Only downside, is since it's a Bluetooth connection, I would have liked the ability for the car kit to allow phone calls if the phone wasn't in the cradle, but this so far hasn't worked for me. The phone has to be physically in the cradle for the speakerphone to work.
Car kit charging & audio out worked as planned and flawlessly! I really like having the cables stay with the car when you take the iPhone out.
My big problem with this upgrade is one problem that was present from day 1. Once you select a point to navigate to, if you go into options to "Avoid a certain segment along your route" (i.e. the local freeway which is closed for another month,) if you deviate AT ALL from that route (go around a parking lot, make a wrong turn, etc.) the new "recalculated" route will NOT honor your original "Avoid" inputs.
Other than that, this update is overall a GREAT enhancement to the original release, which in my view, was just a port from their Palm Pilot version.
Highly recommended, but waiting for the next!
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Flanders said 11:06PM on 11-19-2009
Other things I forgot,
Pinch to zoom now works.
The interface has an update when you touch the bottom section where the instructions are, now you are given a little window with the volume slider, but also now a lips button which will repeat the directions and also a music button which brings up a little iPod Play/Pause, rewind, forward quick menu.
Kelmon said 3:36AM on 11-20-2009
Thanks for the mini-review!
Herchu said 7:40AM on 11-20-2009
Thanks for the review. One question though, can you use BT instead of the speaker?
Say I have a BT Parrot connected to the car stereo, does the BT allow you send the turn-by-turn instructions through the car speakers?
Flanders said 3:30PM on 11-20-2009
I'm not sure what a BT Parrot is, sorry. If it is a Bluetooth device, then just pair your iPhone with that instead of the car kit. iPod songs & directions will play through the line out plug. If nothing is plugged into the line out jack, then the car kit speaker takes it.
TomTom seems to work great with almost any audio out option. I have been successful with the following configurations:
- Simple mini-jack to cassette tape adapter. = Audio plays and fades out for directions. Phone calls transmitted through the car stereo, but the person you talk to complains of feedback since the iPhone mic picks up feedback from the car's speakers.
- Car Kit. = Audio to car stereo via same mini-jack to cassette tape adapter plugged into the line out jack of the car kit. iPod songs then transmitted over car stereo, TomTom directions fade music and the directions come through the car stereo. Phone calls make car stereo mute and the phone call is routed via the car kit's speakerphone with no feedback.
- Microsoft Sync (new Ford USB connection) = Wow. couldn't ask for anything better. Music & directions via car stereo, phone calls via car stereo's Bluetooth connection.
- Bluetooth Audio Car Stereo = Again, wow. Everything streamed via Bluetooth to the car's own audio system.
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Brad said 12:09PM on 11-26-2009
Does anyone know if it's possible to have separate volume settings for the voice navigation and music? I can't seem to figure out how to do that.
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lexdiggy said 11:31PM on 12-07-2009
So Flanders what you are saying in regards to Built-in BT technology, is that my 2010 Toyota Camary will have no problem playing the tomtom app directions through the built in Toyota Bluetooh audio system like I already have with my iPhone? Currently if i'm listening to the radio and a call comes in the radio will fade out and the phone will answer upon my command on the sterring wheel and automatically go back to the radio when I end the conversation. The directions will work simmilar to that without me having to do anything?
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chimaytriple said 11:05AM on 12-13-2009
I just used the Tom Tom on my iPhone, attached to audio jack and USB charger around town. The lack of calling out streets and saying, "take a left on Main Street" is missing, instead it just says, "Take a Right or take a left." This is confusing when there's multiple streets on the right etc.
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