Magellan Announces GPS Car Kit for iPhone and iPod Touch

Why so expensive... stand alone GPS cost less than that...

Who are the morons that buy this crap for $130?? You could buy a nice GPS unit that has a mount for less than this. This doesn't even include the cost of the software!! Even with the introductory price of $79.99 (which will go up to $99.99 according to the app page), that makes this whole thing cost $210!! Wake up people! You can get their top of the line Roadmate 1700 with a 7" screen for $215 on Amazon!! Or you can get their still nice 1412 with a bigger than iPhone 4.3" screen for $99!! Don't even say it's about convenience. People just don't know how to spend their money wisely. The ONLY way this makes any sort of sense is with iTunes app sharing. If everyone in a household had an iDevice and this software installed across the board from one purchase, then MAYBE.

Replaces GPS + iPhone mount/charger

macduke said:

The ONLY way this makes any sort of sense is with iTunes app sharing. If everyone in a household had an iDevice and this software installed across the board from one purchase, then MAYBE.

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I haven't tried it with this app, but I believe all of the apps we have bought have automagically installed themselves on all of our iDevices. If my wife tries to buy an app that I have purchased it will say that we have already purchased it, and download it for free.

The dock seems expensive at $130. To play devil's advocate, it does have a GPS receiver built in, along with speaker, microphone and charger. So it is more expensive to manufacture than a simple plastic mount. I suppose some people would say that this device replaces both the stand-alone GPS, and a mount/charger for the iPhone. In that way they can justify the price, by adding the prices of the two other devices. Also by running a nav on the iPhone, users can get better integration of phone, GPS and iPod audio.

I won't be buying this mount, we'll see if anyone else does.

rstansby said:

I haven't tried it with this app, but I believe all of the apps we have bought have automagically installed themselves on all of our iDevices. If my wife tries to buy an app that I have purchased it will say that we have already purchased it, and download it for free.

The dock seems expensive at $130. To play devil's advocate, it does have a GPS receiver built in, along with speaker, microphone and charger. So it is more expensive to manufacture than a simple plastic mount. I suppose some people would say that this device replaces both the stand-alone GPS, and a mount/charger for the iPhone. In that way they can justify the price, by adding the prices of the two other devices. Also by running a nav on the iPhone, users can get better integration of phone, GPS and iPod audio.

I won't be buying this mount, we'll see if anyone else does.

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+1 I won't be buying this mount either. What a crock!

$129? What are these people smoking and can I have some....

The margins on these must be very healthy.

At least it can mount an iPhone with a case...unlike the TomTom. That to me makes this more valuable. Not that I'd buy it at that price...

rstansby said:

I haven't tried it with this app, but I believe all of the apps we have bought have automagically installed themselves on all of our iDevices. If my wife tries to buy an app that I have purchased it will say that we have already purchased it, and download it for free.

The dock seems expensive at $130. To play devil's advocate, it does have a GPS receiver built in, along with speaker, microphone and charger. So it is more expensive to manufacture than a simple plastic mount. I suppose some people would say that this device replaces both the stand-alone GPS, and a mount/charger for the iPhone. In that way they can justify the price, by adding the prices of the two other devices. Also by running a nav on the iPhone, users can get better integration of phone, GPS and iPod audio.

I won't be buying this mount, we'll see if anyone else does.

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Charger $10 (CVS drugstore). BT Speakerphone $15 (Target - clearance). Mount $12 (internet search).

So, no won't be buying. In fact, I bought Motion X GPS Drive and it works great. No, it's not fancy, but the roads are live and up to date. If I need something better for cross country travel I'll buy it the day I need it. The MotionX has voice directions for $2.99/mo, and I can purchase that on a need to basis. Seems to work just fine sitting in my cupholder or on the seat next to me.

spazzcat said:

$129? What are these people smoking and can I have some....

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It should come with some for that price!

At least...

Still WAY too expensive. Yeah, I know the built in GPS will add to that but IMO it's not worth it.

At least it looks like it could expand to accommodate a case (we can only hope).

Seriously? Is there ANY technical reason why it would not work or be supported on the original iPhone?!

Good - TomTom needs some competition

Awesome to see TomTom get some competition.

My Story

• I spent $99 for the TomTom app.
• Bought TomTom car kit for $120 (found needed for app to work for big city driving)
• Worked well, except the car kit rotated when hitting bumps.
• Still in exchange hell with TomTom. Their customer service is terrible.
• ...and seems rotation defect is a wide spread problem.

Again, good to see TomTom get some competition.

So lets see, pay a premium over a dedicated GPS navigation device so that my iPhone can be the touch screen display?

These things even come with the GPS receiver. Last time I checked, the iPhone 3G and up include one.

I just can't believe anybody would buy one of these. I definitely want my iPhone to be the single gadget I carry, and this is definitely *NOT* the way to make that happen.

It seems that all we really need is a good nav app from the app store that includes a solid set of map data for your geo areas of interest. Personally I never use any of the other stuff my Garmin does anyway; I've found it to be wrong too frequently on non-address searches.

spazzcat said:

$129? What are these people smoking and can I have some....

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Just saw a nice Garmin on sale today for $119.00. 129 just for the mount is a joke

hmm... pass...

receive as a belated gift for Xmas ... thanks Santa!

PRICE= FAIL
NO IPOD TOUCH 1st GEN= DOUBLE FAIL

bretm said:

Charger $10 (CVS drugstore). BT Speakerphone $15 (Target - clearance). Mount $12 (internet search).

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the overall price is high, completely agree ... your price comparison made me laugh

to duplicate the features w/ comparable quality ...

mount w/ dedicated power charger and aux out = $35 - $50 on Amazon

quality BT speakerphone = $50 - $100 on Amazon

enhanced GPS chip = $?? ... PRICELESS

... it ends up being a good deal!

If you want an enhanced GPS for your iPhone, you have two options: the TomTom car kit and the Magellan car kit.

Those who are comparing these kits to non-GPS-enhanced holders and BT devices have a valid point if you don't care about the enhanced GPS capability. But in urban environments, that makes a significant difference in the performance of nav apps.

Those who are comparing these kits to standalone GPS units are leaving out some points of comparison: Will your standalone GPS pick an address from your contacts list to navigate to? Will it mute the music that is playing when it speaks directions? Will it **** when you are on the phone? The integration of the GPS nav function with the iPhone has value that you give up when buying a standalone GPS.

These devices have a place in the realm of iPhone accessories. They may not fit your needs, but that doesn't mean anyone buying them is an idiot -- they just have different needs.

JonB3Z said:

Those who are comparing these kits to standalone GPS units are leaving out some points of comparison: Will your standalone GPS pick an address from your contacts list to navigate to? Will it mute the music that is playing when it speaks directions? Will it **** when you are on the phone? The integration of the GPS nav function with the iPhone has value that you give up when buying a standalone GPS.

These devices have a place in the realm of iPhone accessories. They may not fit your needs, but that doesn't mean anyone buying them is an idiot -- they just have different needs.

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Not to mention a lot of the cheaper GPS's lack features such as lane guidance, traffic, TTS, IQ Routes and may other features that Magellan, Navigon and TomTom include.

You start adding these features in and you get a handheld that's $200+; those cheap refurbs usually don't include the latest maps - something you'll have to purchase for $60+.

irun5k said:

These things even come with the GPS receiver. Last time I checked, the iPhone 3G and up include one.

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iPhone has assisted GPS (AGPS). AGPS cannot locate where you are, it relies on an external server to triangulate your position. AGPS uses less power than GPS as it doesn't have to process your position on the device. Cell towers are also used as a beacon.

GPS on the other hand, will find your location, and is more accurate and runs in real time, however it takes 30 seconds to a minute to find your position.

Loose phone reception or have network problems with AGPS, and you're lost.

SimonTheSoundMa said:

iPhone has assisted GPS (AGPS). AGPS cannot locate where you are, it relies on an external server to triangulate your position. Basically, AGPS uses less power than GPS as it doesn't have to process your position on the device.

GPS on the other hand, will find your location, and is more accurate and runs in real time.

Loose phone reception or have network problems with AGPS, and you're lost.

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Huh? The last 2 generations of the iPhone have had real GPS chip. Not the greatest, but it works fine in most cases. And yes, it does triangulate too, but that's just for faster cold starts.

SimonTheSoundMa said:

iPhone has assisted GPS (AGPS). AGPS cannot locate where you are, it relies on an external server to triangulate your position. AGPS uses less power than GPS as it doesn't have to process your position on the device. Cell towers are also used as a beacon.

GPS on the other hand, will find your location, and is more accurate and runs in real time, however it takes 30 seconds to a minute to find your position.

Loose phone reception or have network problems with AGPS, and you're lost.

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You're confused with your own lingo. While the iPhone does indeed have an AGPS chip, the assisted part is only to receive a faster satellite lock. Once the GPS chip locks on to a few satellites its behaves like a normal GPS chip.

If there are no cell towers to assist the chip, then it reverts to the longer searching method to a acquire a lock. The iPhone's GPS will work without a cell tower.

I wish I could get a GPS receiver for my iPod touch for $50, and then buy whatever GPS software I want. These prices are out of the roof. A GPS chip costs less than $10 to produce, I'll bet.