Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

No TomTom Car Kit Compatibility for iPod Touch?

Google is timing this just right and TomTom is making it too easy for them.

I don't understand why TomTom is pricing themselves out of the market.
 
mrklaw said:
google GPS is only free on android 2.0 phones. Of which there are zero in the market right now.

and while GPS is handy, I'm not sure free GPS is going to have people throwing away their iphones in disgust. It *might* affect some peoples buying decisions when its time to buy a new phone, but there are already other reasons you might want an android phone over an iphone and the iphone is still doing very well
Click to expand...

You're right, there are no Android 2.0 phones out yet. Wait until next Friday then.

Here's how I see it. I can buy a $200 phone with GPS navi built in, or a $200 phone without it.
 
johny5 said:
you should stay away from the TomTom kit anyway. I bought one a week ago and thought that it was very poor. I do a lot of driving around the UK and have had experience with various sat nav units including great third party gps bluetooth devices and even with this car-kit the GPS signal was abysmal!
It certainly is not worth £100 and I took it back for a refund at apple.
Click to expand...

I'll bet the give away was when it said you were in Indianapolis. :eek:
 
carnacious said:
I can confirm that it does definitely work with a 1st gen iPhone. I never got round to selling my old one and have used it with the TomTom UK navigator software. It seems just as accurate as it does with my 3G iPhone.
Click to expand...
I too can confirm it does work on a 1st gen iPhone. I used it next to my iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS and they are all accurate.
 
In a press release TomTom said it would be iPod Touch compatible. Even on their website at http://www.tomtom.com/news/category.php?ID=4&NID=819&Language=1 under price and availability it says coming soon (dated Aug 17 2009)

Pricing and Availability
Apple will make continental and regional versions of the TomTom for iPhone application for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS users, available today on www.tomtom.com/tomtom-app.

• The TomTom app for iPhone including map of Western Europe is available for £79.99 GBP
• The TomTom app for iPhone with maps of UK & Ireland is available for £59.99 GBP
Compatibility with iPod touch and other iPhone models coming soon.

Requirements for use on the iPhone 3G or 3GS include phone installation of OS3.0 and installation of iTunes on the PC or Mac.
Click to expand...
 
On the phone right now with TomTom USA regarding the 1st Gen iPhone issue with the Tom Tom Car Kit versus the Tom Tom Car App for 1st Gen iPhones...

Tom Tom supervisor just told me that the TomTom Car Kit DOES NOT have a GPS chip inside of it. It only has a GPS enhancer, or antenna.

Said that the videos showing 1st Generation iPhones must be bouncing off cell phone towers to generate directions through the car kit.

That's what he said...
 
I watched both of the videos on MacRumors and couldn't make out what the iPhone was saying when it gave directions. Come to think of it, I couldn't make out what either of the narrators were saying as well.:rolleyes:
 
lllll said:
It doesn't matter now. Google GPS is going to kill TomTom and other GPS apps.
Click to expand...

sure.
Good luck relying on Google's Cloud and your provider cellular data network for your long trips.
Even if they include basic caching when you plan a route, there are so many situations (like a closed road that might force you to replan where you have low or no signal) that in the end will make you hate the application and go back with software that includes a complete offline map of your region/continent.
Google navigation will be a nice tool to have and play around with, but that's about it.
 
California said:
On the phone right now with TomTom USA regarding the 1st Gen iPhone issue with the Tom Tom Car Kit versus the Tom Tom Car App for 1st Gen iPhones...

Tom Tom supervisor just told me that the TomTom Car Kit DOES NOT have a GPS chip inside of it. It only has a GPS enhancer, or antenna.

Said that the videos showing 1st Generation iPhones must be bouncing off cell phone towers to generate directions through the car kit.

That's what he said...
Click to expand...

Which does not make any sense because the Danish 1st Gen Iphone plus Tom Tom Car Kit video shows the iPhone getting a GPS signal about half way through...

so...
Does the Tom Tom Car Kit have a GPS chip in it or not?


http://gps.about.com/b/2009/06/10/more-details-on-tomtom-for-iphone-mount-has-its-own-gps-chip.htm

So, is this cut away in the Tom Tom commercial actually a GPS chip or not?

SECOND CALL TO TOMTOM:

The iPhone Car Kit from TomTom has a GPS RECEIVER CHIP IN IT. BUT NOT A FULL GPS TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER.

This is why it works with the 1st Generation iPhone on GPS.

Again... the Tom Tom Car Kit Hardware has a built in GPS RECEIVER CHIP ONLY... not the full GPS transmitter and receiver chip.

So, yes, it works with the 1st Generation iPhone.

The TomTom software app for iPhone does NOT work with the first generation iPhones...
 
California said:
Which does not make any sense because the Danish 1st Gen Iphone plus Tom Tom Car Kit video shows the iPhone getting a GPS signal about half way through...

so...
Does the Tom Tom Car Kit have a GPS chip in it or not?


http://gps.about.com/b/2009/06/10/more-details-on-tomtom-for-iphone-mount-has-its-own-gps-chip.htm

So, is this cut away in the Tom Tom commercial actually a GPS chip or not?

SECOND CALL TO TOMTOM:

The iPhone Car Kit from TomTom has a GPS RECEIVER CHIP IN IT. BUT NOT A FULL GPS TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER.

This is why it works with the 1st Generation iPhone on GPS.

Again... the Tom Tom Car Kit Hardware has a built in GPS RECEIVER CHIP ONLY... not the full GPS transmitter and receiver chip.

So, yes, it works with the 1st Generation iPhone.

The TomTom software app for iPhone does NOT work with the first generation iPhones...
Click to expand...

It does.
If you want more tech details, it is a Sirf Star III chip, which overrides the internal iPhone GPS.
 
broly78 said:
It does.
If you want more tech details, it is a Sirf Star III chip, which overrides the internal iPhone GPS.
Click to expand...

Yes, second call to TomTom verified this. It has a GPS receive only chip, no transmitter chip.

3G and 3GS iPhones have the GPS receiver/transmitter chips.

TomTom Car Kit only has that receive only chip.
 
GPS TRANSMITTER ? Surly only the satellites and GPS Test installation (towers) have transmitters ?
 
ogee said:
GPS TRANSMITTER ? Surly only the satellites and GPS Test installation (towers) have transmitters ?
Click to expand...

Exactly! It damn well better not have a transmitter! Considering that the frequencies used for GPS are government-owned, I'd doubt consumer devices would have a transmitter in them.

This still doesn't explain why its not ipod compatible. Who gives a crap if its 1st gen compatible, as people with iPhones will upgrade. Those with ipod touches will not necessarily upgrade, and something like this will bring some "new life" to an obsolete touch
 
kryptonianjorel said:
Exactly! It damn well better not have a transmitter! Considering that the frequencies used for GPS are government-owned, I'd doubt consumer devices would have a transmitter in them.

This still doesn't explain why its not ipod compatible. Who gives a crap if its 1st gen compatible, as people with iPhones will upgrade. Those with ipod touches will not necessarily upgrade, and something like this will bring some "new life" to an obsolete touch
Click to expand...

Well, I give a crap that it is 1st Gen compatible...

Here is a clue... why don't you test the Touch on one?

Betcha it works. I'm just saying that I heard today that "certain third party accessories actually work on the TomTom car kit"
 
California said:
Well, I give a crap that it is 1st Gen compatible...

Here is a clue... why don't you test the Touch on one?

Betcha it works. I'm just saying that I heard today that "certain third party accessories actually work on the TomTom car kit"
Click to expand...

But 1st gen compatibility is not nearly as important as ipod touch compatible. A large majority of 1st gen users have now, or will soon, be upgrading to a 3GS. However, people with touches have no need to upgrade touches every 1 or 2, since the updates aren't worth it, nor are they subsidized.

I'd love to test the 2nd gen touch, wanna send me a tomtom car kit and the $100 app?
 
Though the price of this TT Kit is up there, I fail to see the benefit of this. If it has an integrated GPS chip in it and can be used with the 2G iPhone, then there is a possibility that it can be used with the iPod Touch as well.

All I want is the ability for Google Maps to export a Hi-Res image file to my iPod Touch for reference, with the ability to zoom in and out. Better then going to a paper map.

Do not require turn-by-turn, I roads I travel are fairly simple and having a GPS in the city does not work for my usage. Usually just walk. Though and image export would be beneficial.

In the near future most of the GPS makers will find themselves out of the market as one can buy a smartphone and update Google Navigation for free, which is not possible for standalone systems.

My Garmin will be returned soon, as it basically is an outdate iPod Touch and slow to render.
 
I'll spend my money on something more useful.

Gas. Toilet paper. Coffee.

Now for a third of the price... I'd find it useful enough.
 
On another note, just how fat is the guy i the first video??? He has totally fat hands. lol

He will be chuffed to bits to get POI's on his iphone for McDonalds and Pizzahut.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back