If I remember correctly, since January 1 California allows GPS mounting within a 5-inch square area in the lower corner on the driver's side or a 7-inch square area in the lower corner on the passenger's side.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
TomTom and Navigon Bringing Turn-by-Turn GPS Car Navigation to iPhone
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If I remember correctly, since January 1 California allows GPS mounting within a 5-inch square area in the lower corner on the driver's side or a 7-inch square area in the lower corner on the passenger's side.
I think $29.99 for the App and $19.99 for the mount, TomTom will make a fortune out of us
If the crippled Slingplayer is going for $30 then you can bet your ass that Tom Tom is going to cost a helluva lot more.
This whole $30 and $50 pricing talk is a pipe dream.
Remember that these guys are in all likelihood looking to eventually replace their revenue stream from physical devices with software sales on devices like the iPhone.
$30 for an application when Apple takes 1/2 is not going to come even close to cutting it. They have to pay almost that much for the nav data anyways.
I would expect the navigation applications to be among the most expensive in the App store.
But I think you're kind of missing the point. I don't want another device. I want a device that can truly replace the seemingly hundreds of devices I have already.
The iPhone allowed people to not have to carry around an mp3 player, phone, PDA, and laptop. Now it will allow me to not have a separate device in my car for GPS navigation. I would be willing to pay about as much as an entry-level device for both the software and mounting accessory. I guess that would be around $100, give or take about $20.
Understood that you "don't want another device," but considering I bought a TomTom for myself (the entire physical device and all) for $70, imho, if the app itself is over $70 it's really not worth it for me and I imagine many others.
It won't be priced such that it steals sales of their physical units. They also won't want to create the impression that their software isn't worth much. I'll be amazed if it comes in under $99 and if it integrates with other apps people will snap it up.
I don't know how the OS works but might it be possible to pull up a contact and single-click to launch the GPS app and get directions to the location? What about from Safari?
I don't know how the OS works but might it be possible to pull up a contact and single-click to launch the GPS app and get directions to the location? What about from Safari?
Is that fact or speculation? I realise the 'enhanced GPS' is through the dock but is this purely a better GPS chip in that dock? If so why not make better reference to that in the specs.
All very vague at the moment.
Why do you think the mount provides even better GPS reception than just the iPhone receiver?
So will Tom Tom App work if I don't have cell service?
At this point, nobody knows, since we don't have full technical details.
If the application comes with a full database of maps that can be installed on the iPhone, then it will work as long as you have a GPS signal.
If the application follows the current TeleNav model, where maps are downloaded over the air as needed, then no.
Beyond the basic GPS/directions functioning, if the application supports things like traffic status, then there will need to be some means to get live data, which will likely require a live internet/data connection (ie 3G). Some of the standalone GPS units do with this an FM radio connection, so that might be a possibility here as well.
We'll all have to wait until more details emerge.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0024NL1GI?ie=UTF8&tag=cheaphighstre-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0024NL1GI
Seeing as the iPhone version will have IQ routes too, this would be the maps I'd get because I do use a Tom Tom abroad.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0024NL1G8?ie=UTF8&tag=cheaphighstre-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0024NL1G8
For UK only users, this would probably be the best choice. Seeing the price for that, I can see Tom Tom charging around £110 for the map and mount and £120 for the EU maps too
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
The decision whether to buy a navigation app only depends on the price. Today we´ve received a wonderful Navigon navigation system which works perfectly in your car. Nice speech-to-text recognition, Bluetooth paring with iPhone (managing calls and addresses) and many other stuff you could use. Having such a thing in your car is not a big deal and it you don´t have to worry about incoming calls, playing background music or using your iPhone for other things (Internet) etc.
So you have one device just for navigation and your iPhone for all your other needs.
If TomTom/navigon charges more than $90, I will rather turn to a solid stand-alone navigation system. They also do a quite good job. And come on folks, you´d only use this in your car. On foot, Google Maps will suffice.
So you have one device just for navigation and your iPhone for all your other needs.
If TomTom/navigon charges more than $90, I will rather turn to a solid stand-alone navigation system. They also do a quite good job. And come on folks, you´d only use this in your car. On foot, Google Maps will suffice.
Go watch the keynote video. The TomTom guy said exactly that. In fact, you simply rotate half the thing 180 degrees and it's in the appropriate orientation to mount on a dash instead of a window.
Why do you think the mount provides even better GPS reception than just the iPhone receiver?
Because the TomTom guy *SAID SO* in his keynote presentation.
If the dock enhances GPS, then how exactly do you think it's going to be done other than with a GPS chip inside? Pink taffy and LSD?
I have a Tom Tom right now but it's big and bulky. I refuse to leave it on my dash and am worried whenever I leave it in the car. This way I take it with me when I leave. The possible features that can be rolled out for a network connected GPS are incredible. I'll for example pay $20 a year to constant map updates. There is a big possible continued revenue stream for Tom Tom here.
Convenience is well worth $100.
What if someone calls?
My first impression was: AWESOME!
But... I thought about it...
Let's say you're in a place you have no idea where you're at.
Someone calls you, and it's important. You keep the call going.
You are now lost.
Sure we're making the best use of a single device, but if you have your music, and your internet, and your phone, and now your GPS... umm, good luck.
My first impression was: AWESOME!
But... I thought about it...
Let's say you're in a place you have no idea where you're at.
Someone calls you, and it's important. You keep the call going.
You are now lost.
Sure we're making the best use of a single device, but if you have your music, and your internet, and your phone, and now your GPS... umm, good luck.
ender has hit it on the head. People will buy this even if they have a standalone GPS simply for the convenience. A lot of people travel, use more than one car, etc. They will gladly pay $100 for this application to avoid having to lug yet another device with them when they go somewhere.
Down the road there might be enough competition that we see competent GPS applications for $49, etc, but certainly not in the 1st wave.
Why?
To make one thing clear: TomTom and other sat nav software has been available on other smartphone platforms like Windows Mobile and Palm for ages.
I bet the enhanced GPS performance comes from the fact that the phone is held high up, so it gets better reception (compared to having it sitting on the car seat next to you or in your pocket.
Right. Because those 3 feet are gonna make a difference, considering that the GPS satellites are orbiting Earth at an altitude of roughly 13,000 miles.
Enhanced GPS performance is another way of saying: The dock holds the phone up near the windshield where the phone's built in antenna can get better reception.