TomTom Upgrades iPhone App - Text to Speech, Lane Guidance
TomTom has upgraded its iPhone App with some good solid additions to the capabilities - it's a Free upgrade for current users. The new additions include advanced lane guidance, text to speech - it will say street names, and a Help Me button - to help you out when you are in trouble. Full list and the press release are below. All good news and all free upgrades - like that. It should show up in the App store in a dew days.
Users of TomTom's popular iPhone navigation application will soon be able to enjoy even more advanced features, with a free update ensuring users always have the best navigation experience.
This update*, which is being submitted to Apple for review today and will be awaiting their approval, will bring significant and advanced additional features that TomTom fans around the world have come to appreciate. These are:
- Advanced lane guidance giving drivers extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. For the first time this is in both landscape and portrait mode.
- Text-to-speech helping motorists to keep their eyes on the road by enabling street names and places to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions.
- "Help Me" providing direct access to emergency numbers and directions to the nearest emergency providers.
- Updated map and safety camera database**.
- Customizable audio warnings when approaching safety cameras or driving over the speed limit, increasing driver safety and saving money.
- iPod player control ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application.
"The TomTom app for iPhone is a priority for us and we are committed to both its long term development and everyday improvements," said Benoit Simeray, TomTom's senior vice president, On-board Mobile. "Current and future customers of our application for the iPhone can count on more great updates from TomTom for free."
iPhone Navigation Apps - Top Grossing Apps in the iTunes Store
Among the Top Grossing Apps at the iTunes store are games, utilities and three Navigations Apps for your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS.
#3 - Navigon for North America- They were a first mover and are not pretty high on the list coming in at $89. They continue to add features and are readying a subscription traffic feature for the software later this year.
#7 - Motion X GPS Drive - The low cost solution delivers a navigation solution that needs to be connected to pull down the map set. Other solutions include the maps in the download, while this solution pulls them down live over the air. Lose your connection and lose the ability to pull down new maps. Priced at $2.99 makes it pretty popular to be able to hit the 10 grossing applications
#33 - TomTom North America - This application offers a lot of capability but not all of the capabilities that one might find in a higher end unit. Very solid navigation from this App - Read my full review of the TomTom App that I posted earlier this week. Available for $99.
#90 - Co-Pilot Live - at $35 this is a pretty amazing price for the features - they are delivering monthly Highway map updates to you for this price. Quarterly updates to North America helps keep the rest of the roads up to date.
Not the first time TomTom has worked on an in dash infortainment unit, but this updated one comes with a lot of great TomTom features, including Bluetooth handsfree calling, Enhanced Positioning technology that helps the unit know where you are when it loses the satellite signal in a tunnel, TMC traffic technology, and the ability to play your favorite song off the radio or an iPod. The unit has a USB port to handle the iPod or other MP3 players; they also speak of an "Optional iPod support" for optimal handling of the iPod. Not sure if there is on screen support or not, but I'd be happy with it working on the USB cable for all iPods and iPhones.
The unit is available in Europe only right now for about 599 euros, or about $900. No word on US launch plans.
TomTom has released a minor update for the iPhone - it is free. The update mainly deals with left over from the first launch and not the awaited upgrade that blows out some functionality. Unfortunately, the entire 1.2GB update is needed. The TomTom iPhone ver 1.1 App includes:
Enhanced GPS Technology:
Shows your location on the map with greater precision
Follows your car more accurately while you drive
New Navigate to Contact Engine:
Handles many more address formats including abbreviations
Better supports US addresses
What a lot of people that I talk to are hoping for is the upgrade that includes:
Text to Speech - says road names
Lane Guidance - shows which lane you should be in when coming to a complex highway interchange
Optional traffic coverage - uses the connected nature of the iPhone to collect very detailed traffic news and offers back intelligent route offerings.
I expect these features to be offered sooner than later.
TomTom has a pair of new units that appear ready to take the stage as price fighters with US maps, and for the TomTom XL 325S version, added text to speech -it says road names. Last year, TomTom announced a special model; the TomTom ONE 125, a standard screen (3.5-inch) unit that had only US maps, and was the blow out model of Black Friday. It was the re-stage of the TomTom 130 (North American Maps) that would allow TomTom to price at blow out prices, without messing with their overall pricing strategy.
The TomTom XL 325 and XL 325S are a pair of wide screened units (4.3-inch) with US maps, MapShare, millions of Points of Interest, EasyPort mounting, easy and quick re-touring if you miss your turn, and for the "S" version Text to Speech. The units come with the "Latest Map Guarantee" which means that if they upgrade maps within 30-days of you getting your GPS, they will give you a free upgrade.
TomTom has announced the TomTom XL 335S, an affordable widescreen unit that offers some pretty nice higher end features at a very reasonable price. The newest TomTom comes with a 4.3-inch screen, and the "S" designator indicates the Text to Speech capabilities; two of the must-have features in my mind for regular GPS users.
The unit brings IQ Routes, TomTom's data based routing engine that delivers more accurate routing based on actual drive times collected from users, and Lane Guidance a graphical representation of highway interchanges that makes figuring out where to go and what lane to be in a lot easier.
The TomTom XL 335S will be listed at $239, and includes maps of US and Canada.
TomTom iPhone Mount Available in Europe - Is it Needed?
TomTom thought about the entire customer experience when they designed their iPhone mount, not just looking for something that held the iPhone, opting instead to add a supplemental GPS receiver, a speaker, an AUX out so you can play your iPhone through your stereo, and a charging capable interface so that your iPhone arrives with enough charge to use it for a phone when you get to where you are going.
The question I have is, do you need it? It went on sale today in Europe, and it's retail price is 99 GBP or about $150 which is a lot of money in addition to the $99 application. I have been using the iPhone App, and overall I will say that it is quite good; a full review is coming shortly, but I have been pretty happy with a regular cradle and a iPhone car charger.
The volume is sufficient, the GPS fix has been good, but I haven't pushed it in tough situations like an urban canyon, and I don't have an AUX in on my stereo so I can't play the iPhone through the stereo anyway. Look for my review soon, and I am sure the TomTom iPhone cradle is hitting the US soon too.
Those of you who have an iPhone navigation App, in particular the TomTom App, what do you think? Do you need the TomTom cradle?
TomTom has announced a new entry level unit called the TomTom Start. Geared towards simplicity, the new device has a single button for power, and a simplified menu for ease of use. Presumably the simplicity also reduces some cost too. The unit has a 3.5" screen, voice commands (not text to speech), and comes with an easy to use menu.
The simplified menu displays a two button user interface, 'Plan route' and 'Browse map', which is eerily similar to Garmin's interface.
While the unit is entry level, it is not totally stripped down as it comes with IQ Routes, TomTom's data based decision engine on estimating accurate travel times during different times of the day based on other user's own travel experiences that they collected over the years. The TomTom Start also comes with MapShare capabilities too; see a problem on the map, fix it and share it back for TomTom to change.
The unit will be available in Europe for about $149 list prices with changeable covers for about $20 too. The covers come in a full range of colors. No word on US availability.
TomTom has announced a new mid-range connected GPS - the TomTom XL 340S LIVE. This thing may sound like a mid-range, but the unit is packed with connected and regular features to keep most users well outfitted.
LIVE features include - high quality traffic updates, gas prices, weather, and google search capabilities. Its connectivity is being provided by AT&T; something that TomTom mentions in the Press Release and something that must play into the strategy somehow. Not sure if it distances itself from the existing models, or tries to position itself versus the Nuvifone that is working with AT&T. Interesting nonetheless.
The TomTom XL 340S LIVE also comes with IQ Routes for better trip duration accuracy, maps of North America, speaks road names, and advanced lane guidance.
The unit is list priced at $299, which is what the TomTom GO 740 LIVE is going for right now at Amazon. I am sure that once the TomTom XL 340S LIVE hits the street its price will come in line under its big brother. The GO 740 adds Bluetooth hands free among other features.
TomTom has announced the extra large screen TomTom XXL 530S and XXL 540S - two 5-inch screened wonders in the TomTom line. The units features a ton of TomTom features including MapsShare, IQ Routes to give you optimal routing on roads, full maps of North America, and an easy folding EasyPort mount that offers quick on, quick off mounting with easy storage. The "S" means that the units both feature Text to Speech - they say road names.
The TomTom XXL-540S adds Advanced Lane Guidance - which is a little graphic that pops up when approaching a complex intersection (mainly on highways) that shows you what lane to be in. The unit adds Mexican maps, and includes a black finish.
TomTom Announces OpenLR Initiative - Open Source Location Reference Technology
TomTom has announced a new open source program that shrewdly puts them in the middle of the map and location based universe should the technology be widely adapted. As in all open source moves, you give and you get; enabling a wide array of capabilities based on a technology specification that you control, enable and eventually profit from. No it doesn't mean free maps, but instead the technology platform that they live upon so that location based data uses the same Location Referencing technology.
The technology allows "enables reliable data exchange and cross-referencing using digital maps of different vendors and versions", according to TomTom. Could be a big, bold program if key stakeholders jump on; clearly TomTom and TeleAtlas are there.
TomTom announced the launch of the TomTom GO 550, 750 and 950 models that bring connected services to the entire line of GO units, further defining the future of the standalone GPS from TomTom. So, either everyone will want and buy high end devices that have connected services, making a step-change in the product line and future of Personal Navigation Devices, or TomTom just made their GO series structurally more expensive due to the inclusion of the cellular hardware and the associated trial of connected services. The eternal dreamer, I hope that people find the connected services compelling enough to drive adoption of the expanded capabilities.
The units are generally available with all kinds of gadgets and widgets that the top of the line would typically come with including Advanced Lane Guidance (images of which lane you need to be in - shown above), IQ Routes (calibrated expected speeds for better accuracy on arrival times), HD Traffic, Bluetooth Handsfree, and voice commands.
This is a European announcement, and I would expect a follow-up announcement about US pricing and availability. The GO 550 is a regional unit for a single Euro country, the GO 750 has Pan-Euro coverage and the GO 950 has European and North American coverage for maps as well as enhanced positioning technology that includes the ability to detect your location while you are in tunnels through an onboard accelerometer (Originally launched as EPT on the GO 920).
I expect that the US versions would have the appropriate maps - the GO 750 with North American maps and the GO 950 with North American and Euro maps. These should be available in time for the holiday buying season on both sides of the Atlantic.
TomTom has released their iPhone application for North America, and from the description, the capabilities seem to cover the basics: IQ Routes - offers some historical perspective on what routes are faster given historical speeds (not just posted speed limits), call your Point of Interest from the phone, navigate to contact's addresses, and coverage for North America (Canada, US and Puerto Rico). Priced at $99, no word right now on the drivers kit that offers a mount with a speaker and a charger.
The TomTom GO 740 LIVE marks the first entry to the US market of a connected service by TomTom, one of the top names in personal navigation devices, making a strong step into the next generation of devices with its access to better traffic alerts, Google Search, gas prices and more. At the base, the TomTom 740 is a fully functional navigation unit offering a top of the line approach to TomTom's version of features, **lane assist, Bluetooth handsfree capability, Help Me!, MapShare, and IQ Routes - a way of learning about travel times based on other people's read world experience.
With a strong base, the TomTom GO 740 LIVE adds on a nice set of features allowing the connected device to help make your commute easier, a search for a destination more straightforward and and overall more informed traveler when you decide to use the connected features as part of your planning process. The ability doesn't come free through, as the connected plan essentially has you paying about $10 per month for the connected services. Don't want to pay the fees? The GO 740 LIVE becomes a regular old GPS, that still allows you to navigate to an on-board set of POI's, with a strong feature set and solid navigation. If you are not in the market for the LIVE connected capabilities, look elsewhere, as there are cheaper ways even within the TomTom line to get a full complement of features without paying for the LIVE capabilities that TomTom includes. As I came into the testing of the TomTom GO 740 LIVE for this review, key in my mind were the question son how well do the connected features work, how are they integrated into the regular GPS navigation capabilities and the bottom line or is it all worth the extra $10 a month for the subscription.
TomTom Upgrades iPhone App - Text to Speech, Lane Guidance
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