TomTom Releases iPhone Navigation App

andylim writes "Today TomTom released its long-awaited iPhone app that allows you to use your iPhone 3G and 3GS as a GPS navigation device. Recombu.com tested it out on video this morning and concluded that it works well but if you receive a call while you're driving then the app does cut out — it will restart once you've finished the conversation. The app costs £60 for the UK & Ireland version, £80 for western Europe, £45 for Australia and £60 for the US and Canada."

Comments

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

So here is the question I have for many of you who own iphones and such. If you pay for an app and your phone dies, or something, will that app be transferred to a replacement phone or do you need to re-purchase the app for the new phone?

The truth is, I don't know. But I can tell you this: I have an iPod Touch and an iPhone. I've purchased apps on the iPhone and have been able to use them on the iPod Touch, too. It would appear as though that it's all about the iTunes account you use on the device.

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[Anonymous Coward]

The apps you buy are tied to your account, not the iPhone/iPod Touch.

What's the point?

[Blakey Rat]

This differs from the built-in Google Maps... how?

There's no pitch here, just a claim that it adds a feature iPhones already had!

Re:What's the point?

[Anubis IV]

Voice navigation is not in Google Maps. Also, I think many (but perhaps not most) would argue that it has better algorithms for determining the route to take. It also doesn't rely on having an Internet connection, since you're downloading the entire map with TomTom, so it would work even out in the boonies.

Re:What's the point?

[CrankyFool]

The GPS component of Google Maps suffers pretty drastically compared to ye olde average GPS device:

1. No voice navigation;

2. No "OK, you're coming up on the turn, take the NEXT right turn";

3. No "Oops, you've missed it, OK, the next street is a one-way street, so go two blocks .. " (i.e. automatic route re-calculation);

4. No ability to specify preferences such as "I want to take that bridge, not this one" (maps.google.com lets you rejigger your route quite nicely, but not the app on the iPhone);

5. Doesn't help you at all if you need to control your iPod component right now (so the app isn't in the foreground);

Re:What's the point?

[Enuratique]

Voice navigation is not in Google Maps. Also, I think many (but perhaps not most) would argue that it has better algorithms for determining the route to take. It also doesn't rely on having an Internet connection, since you're downloading the entire map with TomTom, so it would work even out in the boonies.

Yes, all of this. Also, apparently the GPS chip inside the iPhone isn't "good enough" to do turn-by-turn navigation, so the cradle that TomTom sells has a chip inside it that is better suited. Now, this might be a big fat lie, since the app will work without the cradle albeit not as well if the marketing literature is to be believed.

Re:What's the point?

[ajdowntown]

Now you can have a robotic voice yell at you when you missed your turn! Like a nagging wife with you all the time in your car! Worth the money right there!

Re:What's the point?

[aardwolf64]

1.) No turn-by-turn
2.) No voice routing
3.) Most important - No offline storage of maps.

If you dare go somewhere without cellphone service, you'll quickly find that the streets disappear in Google Maps... That's because it loads the map as needed over your cellphone data connection.

Re:What's the point?

[Brandee07]

The built-in Google Maps does automatically display the next direction when you reach a turn, it does not reroute when you go off course, and it does not do anything aloud- everything is displayed in small text.

I have been using the Google Maps in the iPhone for about a year, and it is definitely useful, but it's not a TomTom equivalent. It requires a navigator to be used effectively. Someone other than the driver needs to press the next button and read the directions aloud- otherwise it's like trying to text while driving.

Re:What's the point?

[tlhIngan]

Yes, all of this. Also, apparently the GPS chip inside the iPhone isn't "good enough" to do turn-by-turn navigation, so the cradle that TomTom sells has a chip inside it that is better suited. Now, this might be a big fat lie, since the app will work without the cradle albeit not as well if the marketing literature is to be believed.

Given there are many more navigation apps in the App Store (MobileNavigator for one), I think the GPS chip in the iPhone is "good enough". It uses aGPS to get fast time to first fix (seconds, since the almanac can be transferred via AGPS faster than downloading it from the satellites).

No, the reason for the enhanced GPS cradle is twofold - firstly, the iPhone doesn't have advanced GPS features like WAAS support, and most importantly, you don't need an iPhone. The latter is important - for TomTom's app can work on the iPod Touch which lacks GPS. So now, if you don't have an iPhone (for whatever reason - hate AT&T, what have you), you can use your Touch in your car. Plus, the iPhone's speaker isn't that loud, so a nice loud speaker for directions, and if it supports voice command, the Touch needs a microphone.

TomTom's niche will be the millions of iPod Touches that were formerly cut out.

Re:What's the point?

[thanasakis]

Can't you just click on the button twice while you are viewing google maps? I know it works on the iPod, but I dunno if it's the same on the iphone.

Re:What's the point?

[garbletext]

Thanks for your useful input. I'm glad that, knowing nothing about the question asked, you decided to answer anyway.

This app behaves much more like a standalone GPS device that you can mount on your dashboard; it has preloaded maps, 3d perspective, voice prompts, offline use, etc.

I've been using garmin's GMobileXT on my S60 phone for a while, which is pretty much an exact port of a low-end Garmin device, except it has data access and can use AGPS for faster locks. It's kind of nice for trips but 99% of the time I just need a quick answer, and the google maps application is more than acceptable (plus, it's been getting better and better lately: now it's got street view, latitude, layers, transit directions -- it already owns offline apps in all respects except voice prompts and the fact that you have to constantly press zero to recenter on your location.)

Re:What's the point?

[AllynM]

XGPS is completely free (if you are willing to jailbreak) and covers most of the points above. There is a PC-side utility that lets you pull down Google map areas at a specified zoom level and send the created database directly to your iPhone. This has allowed me comfortable use of GPS features on my T-Mobile connected iPhone (without a data plan). The only internet connectivity needed is for route calculation / recalculation, but that too is partly negated by the fact that you can pre-query a route and save it in an offline list. I just calculate my routes before I leave my wifi zone. To break it down for those unaware:
1. XGPS has voice nav. It's cheesy, but it's there.
2. XGPS gives you the heads up turn warnings, along with a distance to next turn counter on-screen.
3. XGPS will recaclculate routes on the fly as you miss turns, but this requires internet connectivity.
4. TOMTOM wins that one - only one destination per route. You would have to make multiple routes.
5. Many (if not most) people using their iPhone in a car have it connected through an iPod-aware head unit or an adapter with iPod controls, so song changes and such take place in the background anyway.

With that sort of competition out there, no semi-technical iPhone user is going to blow $99 on an app. Think about it - you can get *an iPhone* for that now. Even being a happy XGPS user, I have been waiting for TOMTOM to come out and was considering getting a copy myself, but $99? That's just crazy talk. It's just software. Drop it to $20 and they'd have my business (and likely the business of many others). At $99 it becomes a bragging rights app, and those who truly want bragging rights already have that with XGPS. Even the clunky standard Google-driven app on the iPhone is 'good enough' to avoid blowing $99 on something that mostly "duplicates functionality" already present.

Re:What's the point?

[mkramer]

The GPS receiver in both the 3G and 3GS does indeed work stand-alone. The assist servers merely provide faster time-to-fix by providing the data you mention.

Without a cell connection, both models will still eventually locate a satellite and obtain the almanac like any normal GPS device.

Re:What's the point?

[Daas]

Calls in the US : 1$/min
Calls to Canada : 2$/min
Data : 10 cents per kB


This is why.

Will there be an adroid version?

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

I am not going to get vendor locked in to iPhone. Will there be a Android version available from Tom Tom or one of its competitors?

Re:Will there be an adroid version?

[webreaper]

Rumour has it there might be, but in the meantime you can get CoPilot for Android (and iPhone) for about half the price of TomTom.

http://www.alk.eu.com/copilot/android

Re:Will there be an adroid version?

[GweeDo]

I think he means locked out of running his own apps. With Andriod, WinMo and the like you can run whatever you darn well feel like. Not just apps that Apple has approved.

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[horatio]

I've had to get my iPhone replaced twice. Neither time did I have any issues transferring my purchased items. The store (Apple or AT&T) will not transfer any settings, contacts, music, apps etc for you. However, iTunes (OS X, I assume Windows version will behave the same) recognizes this is a phone it hasn't seen and asks you if you want to restore this new phone from the last backup.

You're kidding me.

[fahrvergnugen]

Wow, this is a crap deal. How disappointing. Why is the app is 1.2GB in size, when the iPhone is designed as an always-on device? A $30 1GB app with paid map downloads on demand, instead of storing the entire USA on the phone at once, would make much more sense. I agree that streaming maps (such as the google maps app) are useless if you're in the sticks with no coverage or Edge-only coverage, but giving up over 1/8th or 1/16th of my total storage for maps I won't use 99% of the time is a terrible compromise. if I could install map packs based on my travel plans, that would make much more sense. And $100 for the USA, when I can buy a standalone TomTom 125 for $80? Unless the $100 app has feature parity with the $400 standalone units, the only conclusion I can come to is that they are trying to incentivise people away from using the iPhone app, and toward buying a dedicated GPS unit instead. I can think of no other excuse. Bad form, guys. I hope someone sees the market opportunity and steals your cake.

Re:You're kidding me.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm, you are missing the whole point of a 1.2 GB download (less if you don't want the entire Europe for example) which is that you don't have to download it everytime you go somewhere (even with some form of caching), even when you don't have a 3G/EDGE connection... You don't want to pay for it everytime either (not everybody has free & open wifi access points everywhere, especially in Europe).

Re:You're kidding me.

[PhilHibbs]

I disagree - having map data in poor signal areas is valuable, and also international data roaming charges are pretty horrendous. I didn't use my iPhone for sat nav while in France the last two weeks for the latter reason.

Re:You're kidding me.

[Professor_UNIX]

His point though is that unless you plan on being kidnapped anytime soon, you're probably going to know ahead of time which areas of the country you'll need GPS maps for and would be able to pre-load those for a trip. The sad fact of the matter is that I don't believe the iPhone offers any way to have "map packs" like a traditional GPS so it's an all-or-nothing type deal. I'll stick with a standalone GPS.

Re:You're kidding me.

[erple2]

If only there was some sort of small, removable storage media that you could plug into portable devices like the iPhone. I wonder when they're going to invent something like that... Then I wouldn't need to worry about this application eating up 1/8 of the total storage on the iPhone.

Re:You're kidding me.

[Sandbags]

1) internet is not allways on. In fact, there are loads of places I drive where I have no signal at all, but want access to travel data, or need to get feedback from the GPS (like how to go around a wreck blocking the freeway). If WiFi and Cell signals were down, this would be impossible unless you "prepped" your entire journey in advance and downloaded all "near route" data. Doing that on a case by case basis would also place a MASSIVE burden on TomToms systems, which do NOT do that today.
2) ITS LIFETIME FREE MAP AND SOFTWARE UPDATES!!!, not $39-59 per year on the hardware devices to get new maps, and which can never really have their OS overhauled to add new features either.
3) it includes tomtomIQ and realtime traffic. I know of no standalone GPS units anywhere near the price of this app, let alone 3 times it, that have live feed for that data, without also having to have a cell phone with bluetooth connect and a data plan and a tethering plan...
4) I have a 16GB 3GS, and I'm only using just over half the space... saccrificing 1.x GB is no big deal if it saves me $200 on a good standalone, or $400 on a real-time-enabled standalone.
5) I have it ALLWAYS with me, which I do not find is the case with a standalone GPS... Also real handy walking around city streets where a car based GPS is useless.

i agree the rumored $200 tomtom car dock sounds way overpriced, however, if it includes the app (potentially in the form of a $99 iTunes gift card), then that's reasonable. i was expecting a $129-149 price tag. I'm sure market feedback and lackluster sales will realize a lower price sooner rather than later on that item.

I also expect the app price WILL be reduced to $79, at least periodically on sale if not permanantly later on.

Re:You're kidding me.

[Sandbags]

Ars Technica indicated that in their article about the release. As well, a prior press interview with a TomTom senior director stated tomtom was "leaning" towards the subscription free model, with lifetime app updates included.

Since the maps are integral to the app, part of the download, by updating the app, you are also updating the maps.

It is Apple's policy as well that "content" updates, through their 3.1 in-app purchase will be accepted, where new features and extended content are offered, but Apple will not permit appendments or fixes to existing content to be charged that way (which a map update is simply a data patch in most ways you can look at it). Adding additional countries would certainly be accepted for in-app purchase charges, but not content "fixes". Also, version changes (1.0 to 2.0) rarely come at anything but free for existing app owners. Even in cases where apps were free but add funded, and they moved to a purchase model, existing free app opwners get to update to the paid app for free unless the devs convince Apple it;s truly a new revolutionary revision justifying it as now a new application. They can;'t just release TomTom 2.0 as a whole new app and charge another $99 for it if it's not radically different from TomTom 1.0, and there's no in-app support for upgrading code at a fee, only content.

There's really only one way TomTom can go with this, and that seems consistent with Ars's article.

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[AnotherShep]

Yeah, it just shows up on the new phone. All you need to do is sync it to the computer with the apps on it.

receiving a call is the biggest complaint?

[horatio]

but if you receive a call while you're driving then the app does cut out -- it will restart once you've finished the conversation

My Garmin, when connected to my phone (any phone, not just iPhone) via bluetooth does exactly the same thing. It supresses the nav prompts until you complete the call. I don't understand why this is a complaint? Especially for this particular situation since you're running this app on a PHONE whose primary purpose is to receive CALLS. Or have I missed something obvious?

No, because TFA actually says "For those of you wondering what happens when you get a call, the app turns off but restarts as soon as you finish the call, so it's not too bad."

Re:!GPS

[twoshortplanks]

I think you're confused. A iPhone 3G / iPhone 3GS certainly does have GPS signal receiving hardware in it. It was, along with the new look and 3G, the main differences between the iPhone "Classic" and the new model.

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[SydShamino]

Yes. Which means that if you and your wife both have iPhones and share an iTunes account, you should both have the app for the price of one.

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[alen]

you can download any app you bought for free on the same account as many times as you want. all the apps are downloaded as .ipa files into your profile in windows and you can even easily back them up yourself so you don't have to download them again.

i have 2 iphones. one for myself and one for my wife. i just put the ipa file on her computer, add to itunes library and next time it syncs she gets the app

Re:Prices

[Brandee07]

It's up on the US app store now:

US & Can $99.99
Western Europe $139.33
Australia $79.99
New Zealand $94.99

Re:Prices

[Anonymous Coward]

If the app isn't available in the USA store then where does the price converted to pound comes from?

England. Duh.

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[$RANDOMLUSER]

This being /. perhaps the units of currency should be quatloos or bars of gold-pressed latinum.

Re:Prices

[chrisbtoo]

Why are all the prices in British Pounds? Did they just annex all those countries overnight or is the author of the article a lazy bastard?

The prices are in British Pounds, because the linked article is on a UK website. The author of the article is someone who is reporting the news to people in his country of origin. Congratulations on discovering that there's an entire world outside your country's borders!

Pricing

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm.. I can pay $100 for the iPhone app, or for $59.99 I can get the whole unit. I'll stick with the actual TomTom.

Price Fail

[njfuzzy]

TomTom missed the boat on this app. You can buy a new TomTom device for $99. Why would I pay the same to add software to a device that I already paid for? I would have bought this if it came out at $50 for the software, or $99 for the software plus the hardware accessory kit. At $99 for the software alone, I will pass.

Re:Expensive, but saves on devices

[Pieroxy]

since that also prohibits developing turn by turn voice navigation applications

This is a thing of the past. Plenty of applications do turn by turn navigation nowadays. I believe it is now possible since OS3.0.

Complaints

[jbrayton]

There are many complaints here that I don't agree with:

With regard to the price and competing GPS apps: I have a TomTom GPS device that I bought a couple years ago. I paid about $200 and it has been worth every penny. If I didn't already have that device, I would buy the $99 iPhone app in a heartbeat. Yes, there are cheaper GPS apps, and I honestly don't know how most of them compare. I did buy a GPS app last week for $2 or $3. Considering the price I'd say it was good. But it doesn't compare to my TomTom at all; I deleted it. The Google Maps app is also nice, but it doesn't provide turn-by-turn directions while driving. TomTom is doing the smart thing and charging based on the value of the app.

With regard to the size of the app: I can understand the complaints. But (I think) the storage sizes on phones that will run this range between 8GB and 32GB. 1GB is a significant, but not huge, chunk of that. Phone storage sizes will only increase. I don't want to get lost because my phone can't reach the map server; storying 1GB of map data on the phone seems perfectly reasonable.

If you don't want it, don't need it, or can't justify the price, then don't buy it. But I think this will be a worthwhile app for many people.

Re:Typical.....

[BitZtream]

AT&T has the same service for the iPhone, and just like your blackberry you pay for it monthly for the privledge of being able to call someone to give you the directions.

As someone who develops for blackberrys, winmobile and iphones, and having an iPod touch, 2 iPhones and several blackberry's including a couple of storms laying in my desk. The blackberry's appeal still blows my mind, you can dislike the iphone, for many man reasons that I understand, but Blackberrys have all pretty much sucked ass compared to their competition. Use a decent WinMobile device if you don't like the iPhone but for fucks sake wake up and realize your blackberry is a pile of crap with a UI designed by someone who must have never had to actually use the phone in the real world, or at best has never used another phone in their life.

Just use OpenStreetMap instead

[firefishy]

OpenStreetMap is the Open Source data provider to a number of free/cheap iPhone applications. http://www.roadee.net/ being one of the more popular iPhone routing apps. OpenStreetMap.org is the wikipedia of maps.

Re:Typical.....

[babyrat]

Apple users will pay double for an app with functionality that we've had on our Blackberries for years.

That may or may not be the case in general, however in this particular instance, $99 to buy the App seems significantly cheaper than $9.99/month that the TeleNav app on your blackberry costs. Well they do offer a discount - $99/yr or $249 for a 4 year plan.

I can't believe those blackberry users will pay $10 /month for a GPS App that I can buy on my iPhone for only $100.

Re:Prices

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

No, it wouldn't. It would be much better to include the local figures. Apple typically doesn't just set its prices according to exchange rates, it sets them what it thinks would be best from a marketing and business perspective. With it being in the non local currencies we as readers are left pondering if that's what the price would be in pounds after a conversion from the actual price they will charge in local currencies, if they will take that figure and convert it to local currencies, or if that's the numeric value of the price with the wrong symbol attached. The correct thing to do is to provide both figures to allow both an easy comparison, while also an understanding into the actual price.

Re:Typical.....

[luddite47]

Some corrections for you: The first iphone had no GPS. (Correct). The second added GPS. And the third added a compass/magnetometer.

And more importantly: TeleNav is a monthly fee. The tomtom app is an app - so you pay once and you get it. Not sure how you end up with 'double.' Looks like it's about 10bucks per month. (http://www.telenav.com/products/tn/pricing.html)
So you'll be paying double after about 1 year of use! (And, in spite of paying more, you won't be that hipster you long to be.)

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[rgviza]

There are even cheaper solutions involving jailbreaking and Cydia that are actually legal (xGPS).

Re:New phone - apps transfer?

[node 3]

it was submitted at 10:59 UK time, when the USA is sleeping

The USA never sleeps. Not with Putin constantly peeking over at Alaska and illegals coming from the south trying to pick our lettuce and clean rich people's houses. That's why we're so tired all the time, and easily exhausted by trying to keep track of £ and € and such.

Heck, most of us can't even keep pounds and ounces straight, and those things hardly ever change.

Shh! Quiet! I think I just heard someone trying to help sick people. I gotta grab my gun...

Re:Prices

[bobdown2001]

Hmmm as a TomTom owner I can't help but feel a little ripped off. The price of the iPhone app including maps is considerably less than the cost of upgrading to the newest maps on the TomTom itself.