TomTom for iPhone Appears in New Zealand App Store

[natasha69]

A response from TomTom support -

Question:
I tested the application this morning, and the map it was following was outdated. Specifically, I was driving from highway X to Y, and the entire Y part was incorrect.

How do we get map updates for the iPhone? When will this be corrected, and how do we load it? Via iTunes, or via TomTom Home?

Answer:
Thank you for contacting TomTom Customer Support regarding the maps for the iPhone application. My name is Patrick. We are always happy to help.

Maps and updates will be available through iTunes. Currently there are no updates and the estimated release date for the first updated maps for this software is not yet available. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. We recommend taking the time to report any errors you find directly to our map provided, TeleAtlas, by following the link we have provided below.

http://www.teleatlas.com

Thank you for choosing TomTom for your navigation needs. If you have any further questions or comments, please email or call us at 866-486-6866 Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM until 7:00 PM EST or Saturday, 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM EST. Thanks again for writing. At TomTom we believe in showing you the way the easy way.

With Best Regards,

Patrick
TomTom Customer Support

 

[Fizzoid]

That's quite funny, as in the e-mail TomTom just sent me about the launch of the app, they claim this:

Detailed and up-to-date map

 

[jmpage2]

Well, it's common for ANY set of maps distributed for use with a GPS to be out of date.

However, it almost sounds like Tom Tom released maps that were available when they started development on their iPhone application almost two years ago!

It looks like Navigon acquired Navtec and that Tom Tom was working a move to acquire Teleatlas. TeleAtlas and Navteq are the two primary suppliers of mapping data in the world.

Garmin, who has some of the best mapping is on Navteq the last I checked.

 

[dopipod]

First impressions - lots to like. But there are a few frustrations - as others have mentioned maps need updating. I've lived on the same street for 17 years but according to it's maps my address doesn't exist.

Can we collectively work out whether the TomTom maps are "old" ie older than TomTom themselves use in their stand-alone devices but also their competitors. I'm in the UK but interested in worldwide comments if it reveals TomTom's policy on this

Personally, my money is burning a hole but I'm not finding the answers or positive comments I hoped for to encourage me to spend.
(here or on TT's website).
I don't understand why TT don't make a fanfare of this product, their website iphone page offers very little, the itunes page is ok but leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The result is I have trawled through 25 pages of comments here to find answers (thanks for telling me you're not going to buy it though) and all of the very decent comparison posts *THANK YOU, THANK YOU* seem to show no Navigon/TomTom winner, so what to buy??
A big thumbs-down for the Tom-Tom marketing campaign, I really wanted to be sold this.

The things I need(ed) to know before buying:
Size of Western Europe download (1.4G I think)
Can I select which countries to keep on my phone once bought? (no idea)
How does phone answering work in practice? (you can take call and still see map but no sound)
Ditto listening to music? (music stops during direction speech, then cuts back in)
Map updates, any guaranteed period for free updates? (no idea, expect to pay)
Are the maps even the best available now? (comments welcome)
News of the in-car device's release date and any discounts would be nice.
Country accurate details concerning speed limit/camera notifications (interested in Uk)

Since TomTom can't help me, can anyone here? *THANKS*

 

[VenusianSky]

While I agree that Google maps isn't close to an actual navigation system, I find it to work perfectly fine. I used it last year when I took a trip to the beach. I navigated while my buddy drove. I find it more convenient than a standard map... you know those big paper fold-out things that has roads and towns marked on it.

 

[severe]

While I agree that Google maps isn't close to an actual navigation system, I find it to work perfectly fine. I used it last year when I took a trip to the beach. I navigated while my buddy drove. I find it more convenient than a standard map... you know those big paper fold-out things that has roads and towns marked on it.

Agreed. In a pinch, the Maps app is excellent.

 

[jmpage2]

Can we collectively work out whether the TomTom maps are "old" ie older than TomTom themselves use in their stand-alone devices but also their competitors. I'm in the UK but interested in worldwide comments if it reveals TomTom's policy on this

Personally, my money is burning a hole but I'm not finding the answers or positive comments I hoped for to encourage me to spend.
(here or on TT's website).
I don't understand why TT don't make a fanfare of this product, their website iphone page offers very little, the itunes page is ok but leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The result is I have trawled through 25 pages of comments here to find answers (thanks for telling me you're not going to buy it though) and all of the very decent comparison posts *THANK YOU, THANK YOU* seem to show no Navigon/TomTom winner, so what to buy??
A big thumbs-down for the Tom-Tom marketing campaign, I really wanted to be sold this.

The things I need(ed) to know before buying:
Size of Western Europe download (1.4G I think)
Can I select which countries to keep on my phone once bought? (no idea)
How does phone answering work in practice? (you can take call and still see map but no sound)
Ditto listening to music? (music stops during direction speech, then cuts back in)
Map updates, any guaranteed period for free updates? (no idea, expect to pay)
Are the maps even the best available now? (comments welcome)
News of the in-car device's release date and any discounts would be nice.
Country accurate details concerning speed limit/camera notifications (interested in Uk)

Since TomTom can't help me, can anyone here? *THANKS*

Well, Navigon just came out with a very big update to the software a few days ago that added a lot of new features. Additionally they have confirmed that they are working on a TTS service and that they are looking at the ability to offer some kind of Traffic capability to the Navigon service.

Navigon is $30 cheaper and has Navteq based maps which I've personally always found more accurate than the Teleatlas maps that Tom Tom is using.

It looks to me that the primary strength of Tom Tom is the routing capabilities. If you're the kind of person who likes to modify routes or look at multiple routes to a location then the Tom Tom might serve you better.

If you want something that has more accurate map data, lane insertion, lowering iPod volume while hearing navigation prompts (as opposed to the Tom Tom which pauses the music playback completely), as well as promise of some other features, and want to save $30 then get the Navigon app.

 

[ilp]

Google Maps is terribly fitted out to be used in any kind of actual navigation capability for things other than walking around in an unfamiliar city or finding a nearby restaurant or location while PARKED.

For grins I tried to use Google Maps at the same time I was using my Garmin navigation.

The differences are so obvious it's almost hysterically funny to hear people going on and on about how Google Maps is all they need for full blown navigation in their car.

1. Google Maps is SLOW. SLOW! Didn't hear that? Slow! Guess what? You need something FAST for turn by turn directions in a busy city with traffic rushing all around.

I follow a visual map of turns quite as easily as a sequence of turn-by-turn directions. In fact, many GPS applications I've used fall flat on displaying the upcoming set of turns well enough when it's a complicated intersection, or worse, when it's a set of turns. For a bunch of city turns, I find it easier to see a small cluster of turns all together instead each small turn step by step. In fact, this turn-by-turn mindset of GPS nav applications is limiting.

What do you mean by "slow" anyway? Slow to render maps? Slow to pan maps and load new sections? I find it quick enough in most areas that I drive in.

2. Google Maps has no turn by turn guidance. I'm pretty appalled that people are actually staring at the tiny screen of Google Maps when what they should actually be doing is DRIVING THEIR CAR.

It's worth the tradeoff, honestly.

Let me use childish language to summarize how I *feel* about most GPS navigation software. I think they all suck and TomTom sucks too, albeit less than others. I have a TomTom GPS unit ready to whip out wherever I go in my car. However, I often face a tradeoff: use TomTom or use iPhone w/ Google Maps. The fact that I choose Google Maps overwhelmingly over the TomTom is a testament to 1) how inadequate and hard to use I find TomTom GPS software, 2) that Google Maps is good enough despite many drawbacks for navigation.

I find TomTom to be slow to *DO* anything in it, other than actually follow a specific set of turn-by-turn directions. TomTom works great once you are keyed in and are in the middle of following a specific route. It's hard to improvise your route with TomTom. I find address entry annoyingly slow and forget about searching for POIs--it's next to useless. Quality of POIs is poor and the search interface is poor. Searching for gas stations along the route? It's not worth the hassle.

I use TomTom only on long trips, especially over areas with bad cellphone service, where it's worth the hassle to have a continuously-updating GPS map. And on those long trips, when I need to find a nearby POI, I often end up taking out the iPhone, looking up the destination and then setting TomTom to navigate to it.

I find it difficult to use TomTom to find a quick alternative way around the planned route. E.g. if you stuck on a slow street in traffic, with Google Maps, I can pull up the map, pan around, take a look. The 2D map is not easily pannable (at all) on my TomTom ONE unit--in fact, using the 2D map next to Google Maps makes that painfully obvious.

3. Google Maps has a terrible screen layout for navigation. See above.

It's just acceptable enough for most of my navigation needs, but yeah, it could definitely be better (market oppty).

4. Google Maps requires a very high quality connection to keep the map updated. I've driven though major metro areas with great 3G coverage and seen Google Maps lose signal, and take up to 2 minutes to reload portions of the map.

I've had good luck with my 3G coverage.

You Google Map fans can have it. A real application or a real GPS doesn't cost that much, for anyone other than a total nickel and dime pinching cheap skate anyways.

I think you're being unnecessarily harsh. I just don't see anywhere enough value in TomTom on the iPhone, especially given all the drawbacks.

I think, in general, for any GPS application, $100 is a really poor value for an iPhone app, given that my color LCD screen, storage medium and GPS receiver are already there and paid for.

However, $100 is particularly poor given the poor design of the application. Following a route as planned is the only thing TomTom is well designed for. The rest of the design is poor. Look at all the really hierarchical menus--I have to drill-down tons several levels to navigate places. The favorites are poorly done (on my TT One, I can't see the address that's saved for a favorite... wtf is that?) I can't easily improvise a route when trapped on a slow city street by using the 2D map. Navigating to POIs along the route is awkward (gas stations in my experience). POI search in general is awkward.

Oh, and am I gonna have to pay for map updates? I don't know, but if I do, yet another strike against a $100 app on the iPhone.

 

[IBradMac]

Last February I drove from SE Ohio to Carlsbad NM...I didn't look at a paper map once. All that was avail. at the time was Google Maps. It works just fine.

Google Maps is terribly fitted out to be used in any kind of actual navigation capability for things other than walking around in an unfamiliar city or finding a nearby restaurant or location while PARKED.

For grins I tried to use Google Maps at the same time I was using my Garmin navigation.

The differences are so obvious it's almost hysterically funny to hear people going on and on about how Google Maps is all they need for full blown navigation in their car.

1. Google Maps is SLOW. SLOW! Didn't hear that? Slow! Guess what? You need something FAST for turn by turn directions in a busy city with traffic rushing all around.

2. Google Maps has no turn by turn guidance. I'm pretty appalled that people are actually staring at the tiny screen of Google Maps when what they should actually be doing is DRIVING THEIR CAR.

3. Google Maps has a terrible screen layout for navigation. See above.

4. Google Maps requires a very high quality connection to keep the map updated. I've driven though major metro areas with great 3G coverage and seen Google Maps lose signal, and take up to 2 minutes to reload portions of the map.

You Google Map fans can have it. A real application or a real GPS doesn't cost that much, for anyone other than a total nickel and dime pinching cheap skate anyways.

 

[jmpage2]

Last February I drove from SE Ohio to Carlsbad NM...I didn't look at a paper map once. All that was avail. at the time was Google Maps. It works just fine.

That's great. I'm sure you enjoyed those long highway stretches with NO 3G coverage during which Google Maps didn't even load.

Is Google Maps better than a paper map? Maybe, assuming you have coverage at the time you need it for a turn, to look up a POI, etc.

Is Google Maps as good as even a $50 standalone GPS for actual turn by turn navigation? Hardly.

 

[tivoboy]

Well,

Garmin, who has some of the best mapping is on Navteq the last I checked.

I don't thnk navigon bought navtec I think Nokia did.

 

[mvl]

Can we collectively work out whether the TomTom maps are "old" ie older than TomTom themselves use in their stand-alone devices but also their competitors. I'm in the UK but interested in worldwide comments if it reveals TomTom's policy on this

The Tomtom app comes with Tomtom map version 830. That is the latest Tomtom map available, released in May 2009. Tomtom releases new maps every 3 months, so a new version should be released for standalone devices any day now. We'll see soon what Tomtom does about upgrades for the iPhone app.

Tomtom supplies Google's maps for most countries. You shouldn't see a road present on the latest Google map that isn't on a Tomtom map.

 

[natasha69]

The Tomtom app comes with Tomtom map version 830. That is the latest Tomtom map available, released in May 2009. Tomtom releases new maps every 3 months, so a new version should be released for standalone devices any day now. We'll see soon what Tomtom does about upgrades for the iPhone app.

Tomtom supplies Google's maps for most countries. You shouldn't see a road present on the latest Google map that isn't on a Tomtom map.

then there is a problem in how the tomtom reads gps. i wrote the support email referenced up above.

i looked at the google maps ap while i was driving, and also looked at the tomtom app. google maps had me dead square on the highway. tomtom had my car riding up a mountain about 400 yds right of the highway.

 

[mvl]

then there is a problem in how the tomtom reads gps. i wrote the support email referenced up above.

i looked at the google maps ap while i was driving, and also looked at the tomtom app. google maps had me dead square on the highway. tomtom had my car riding up a mountain about 400 yds right of the highway.

Most GPS turn-by-turn apps will snap you to the nearest road, within a certain tolerance. It's possible that the road is misplaced on the map (see the google website in satellite view and compare the drawn streets to the picture). If the road is misplaced, it may be within the tolerance of the google app, but outside the tolerance of the Tomtom app.

 

[IBradMac]

That's great. I'm sure you enjoyed those long highway stretches with NO 3G coverage during which Google Maps didn't even load.

Is Google Maps better than a paper map? Maybe, assuming you have coverage at the time you need it for a turn, to look up a POI, etc.

Is Google Maps as good as even a $50 standalone GPS for actual turn by turn navigation? Hardly.

On average I got about two bars EDGE service there and back....

Ya know, the funny thing is about 3G is without even looking, I knew when I was getting ready to go into a "big" city..3G would always pop up.

3G service is so predictable.

I've tried both the navigon and tomtom...I like them both equally given the amount of time I have had to use both of them. But for some reason I love to have the ability to look ahead at my route. Weird, I guess I'm just accustomed to Google Maps.

 

[natasha69]

Most GPS turn-by-turn apps will snap you to the nearest road, within a certain tolerance. It's possible that the road is misplaced on the map (see the google website in satellite view and compare the drawn streets to the picture). If the road is misplaced, it may be within the tolerance of the google app, but outside the tolerance of the Tomtom app.

all i know is that google's map and my location on the map was accurate, and tomtom's map looked accurate, but my location on it was not. if you're saying that the tomtom map = the google map, then someone needs to tweak some code and make tomtom a little more accurate with its placement logic.

i drive the road every week so i'll see if it was a fluke or not.

 

[jmpage2]

On average I got about two bars EDGE service there and back....

Ya know, the funny thing is about 3G is without even looking, I knew when I was getting ready to go into a "big" city..3G would always pop up.

3G service is so predictable.

I've tried both the navigon and tomtom...I like them both equally given the amount of time I have had to use both of them. But for some reason I love to have the ability to look ahead at my route. Weird, I guess I'm just accustomed to Google Maps.

The point I'm trying to make is that simply looking ahead on your route and knowing where you need to turn does not a full GPS make.

Need gas in the middle of Kansas? Looking for a good eatery while in the mountains of Colorado?

Google Maps isn't going to do squat for you in either situation because there's a good chance you don't have network service at the time. GPS application will ALWAYS have the POI database handy and can route you there with or without the network being up.

Maybe you are always in areas with coverage, I am not and I certainly don't want to rely on something that requires network coverage to figure out where I need to be. If I'm in a place where I am trying to find unfamiliar things there's a good chance that there is little or no coverage!

 

[skritz]

all i know is that google's map and my location on the map was accurate, and tomtom's map looked accurate, but my location on it was not. if you're saying that the tomtom map = the google map, then someone needs to tweak some code and make tomtom a little more accurate with its placement logic.

i drive the road every week so i'll see if it was a fluke or not.

If ther is more accuraccy out of google maps and less lag, it would be because google maps uses the gps and the data driven assisted gps features of the iPhone. From what I can tell using TT, and have gleend in regards to the TT app, is that it only uses the gps chip alone. NOT requiring any data usage at all.

I have only notice about a 20 metre lag a worst but the voice instructions seem to come at the right times when needed.

 

[whmurray]

Thanks Peter, much appreciated. I am in my house right now, will try it outside later...

My Holux never worked inside, rarely in a south facing window. My iPhone does reasonably well. On the other hand, my Holux rarely lost signal in the car while the iPhone does.

It also looks to me as though, if the GPS is on before I start TT, the connection is instantaneous. With the Holux, It might take 3-5 for it to find the satellite signals and time for the Treo to find the Holux on Bluetooth.

 

[whmurray]

Can you tell me where you found this "safety switch"

I own the Canadian/USA version and can't find that anywhere.

someone please explain

I am unable to find a switch for it. It is on by default on my system. Appears in the lower left. Actualspeed/postedlimit. Normally green, turns red when actual exceeds posted.

 

[whmurray]

I sent TomTom an email (I haven´t downloaded the app yet) to ask exactly this, as the use of that function is illegal in Germany (a country I have to visit often for business). They replied that the function can be turned off, for exactly that reason. Of course I haven´t had the opportunity yet to test this.

This feature is not sensing the radar or the camera. Rather it is reporting what is in the map. In order to comply with the law, there may not be any entries in the German maps. Someone else has reported that the feature does not work in US/Canada.

 

[jmpage2]

I found a couple of decent online reviews for both TomTom and for Navigon Mobile Navigator.

As Navigon has already said they will be doing TTS and Traffic in their next update, it was a no brainer for me to save the $30 and go with Navigon.

I don't need this as a daily solution, it is for times I am in a different vehicle, or rental car, etc. In my company car (which I drive most of the time) I have a top of the line Garmin unit.

Just thought I'd share my thoughts on this and direction I ultimately took. I had been considering the Navigon solution due to price, but simply could not make the jump until TomTom materialized with their offer.

Another considering factor for me is that Navigon uses Navteq maps where as TomTom uses Teleatlas. In my experience for the areas I drive most frequently the Navteq map data is more precise.

 

[forty2j]

I find it difficult to use TomTom to find a quick alternative way around the planned route. E.g. if you stuck on a slow street in traffic, with Google Maps, I can pull up the map, pan around, take a look. The 2D map is not easily pannable (at all) on my TomTom ONE unit--in fact, using the 2D map next to Google Maps makes that painfully obvious.

I guess you never found TomTom's one-touch "Plan Alternate Route" button. It's quite handy, really..

When you're on the road, you should be looking at the car in front of you, not panning around a map on a 3.5" screen to see if there are any turns you could take.

My own experience with Google Maps while driving: it's difficult to tell where I am and where I'm headed (in part because I can't look at the screen for more than a second or two at a time), and in the places where knowing the turns matters most (urban areas with tall buildings) I tend to lose signal and be completely lost. I'll have to drive out to a flatter area, park in a Diner or something, look at the map, memorize it, and continue on, hoping that I don't have to repeat that.

 

[mvl]

As Navigon has already said they will be doing TTS and Traffic in their next update, it was a no brainer for me to save the $30 and go with Navigon.

My guess is that Tomtom is walking a fine line, making sure that they offer the best iPhone features, while making sure the app is worse that the lowest-end Tomtom standalone device so it doesn't take away from standalone sales.

Tomtom can easily add lane guidance, traffic, and voices. The way I've seen Tomtom build their applications, I'd bet lane guidance and traffic are already in the app, and disabled by hidden menus.

My bet is that once a competitor offers one of these features, Tomtom will soon follow. I'd certainly expect a Lane Guidance feature soon, especially if it keeps getting mentioned as a big con in the Tomtom vs. Navigon reviews.

Similar thought regarding voices. Others have already added custom non-TTS voices to the app on a jailbroken iPhone, I suspect TTS voice capability is also an easy add for Tomtom.

But be aware that all of these take tons of horsepower to run. The existing app already appears to run the iPhone hot and with lags as-is. On Tomtom's standalone devices, the auto-adjusting traffic and TTS really slow down the device, an alternative theory is that they were removed from the iPhone for due to performance issues with the hardware.

 

[jmpage2]

My guess is that Tomtom is walking a fine line, making sure that they offer the best iPhone features, while making sure the app is worse that the lowest-end Tomtom standalone device so it doesn't take away from standalone sales.

Tomtom can easily add lane guidance, traffic, and voices. The way I've seen Tomtom build their applications, I'd bet lane guidance and traffic are already in the app, and disabled by hidden menus.

My bet is that once a competitor offers one of these features, Tomtom will soon follow. I'd certainly expect a Lane Guidance feature soon, especially if it keeps getting mentioned as a big con in the Tomtom vs. Navigon reviews.

Similar thought regarding voices. Others have already added custom non-TTS voices to the app on a jailbroken iPhone, I suspect TTS voice capability is also an easy add for Tomtom.

But be aware that all of these take tons of horsepower to run. The existing app already appears to run the iPhone hot and with lags as-is. On Tomtoms standalone devices, the auto-adjusting traffic and TTS really slow down the device, an alternative theory is that they were removed from the iPhone for due to performance issues with the hardware.

They are walking a fine line because as you point out they don't want to sabotage their existing hardware sales that earn them better margins (at least on the higher end devices that the iPhone would compete with if it had all of the good features).

However I will disagree with you on the 3GS not having enough horsepower for this. The processor in the iPhone 3G is already going to be as good or better than what a standalone TomTom has. The 3GS is probably a better and faster CPU than any portable navigation currently has and it should have no problem handling background tasks like telephone and music player along with running the navigation with every bell and whistle imaginable.

The Navigon has already seen one update in just over a month, with promises of additional features such as TTS by "summer's end". I believe them and like the $30 savings so I purchased Navigon.

Tom Tom will get there too, it will just likely take longer and I am nervous about the precedent they are setting with them unable to release an application that at least matches Navigon on the feature side.

Long term I think that all GPS makers will use smart phones as their primary means of delivery, with large screen dedicated GPS becoming an increasingly niche product for people that rely on GPS for professional reasons, etc.