It’s fair to say that we’ve been watching TomTom’s iPhone PND app more than its standalone navigators recently, but that doesn’t mean the company’s own development team have given up. TomTom have just announced their latest two models, the XXL 540S and XXL 530S, complete with wide-aspect 5-inch touchscreen, mapping for US and Canada, and the company’s own IQ Routes intelligent guidance system.
It’s been about 10 days now since we last spoke about TomTom’s upcoming iPhone Car Kit, but it’s getting a bit exciting now, with the device slipping through the FCC inspection with a passing grade. And although we knew there wasn’t a ton of information to be had the first time around, we’re still pretty excited by what the FCC filing has laid out for us. Right up front, we’ve got the TomTom Car Kit showing off its own GPS chipset. And if that wasn’t enough, it also comes along with Bluetooth, for some good old hands free communication.
TomTom’s PND app for the iPhone 3G and 3GS may already be splitting opinion among early reviewers, but we’re yet to see how the company’s dedicated car-kit fares. Even if you pick one up and find you’re less than enamored with the TomTom app, the company has confirmed to Mac4Ever that not only does the mount have an integrated GPS receiver but that it is compatible with other PND apps. They’ve also revealed that the iPod touch will work in the car-kit just like the iPhone 3G and 3GS.
The first early reviews of TomTom’s navigation app for the iPhone 3G and 3GS are filtering through, and we can’t help but think the software sounds a little half-baked. Over at Shift Solutions, reviewer Mathew’s early conclusion tips the disappointed theme for the whole piece – “if this software is as good as Tom Tom gets, I don’t know why anyone would buy a Tom Tom GPS” – before going on to critique the quality of the mapping data and the app’s sometimes bizarre directions.
Video demo after the cut
The TomTom app for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS has gone on sale [iTunes link] through the App Store, with versions for the US and Canada, UK and Ireland, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand all available to download. Prices range from around $74 for the Australian mapping to $132 for the Western Europe setup; that doesn’t include the nifty in-car dock which has a separate GPS receiver and hands-free kit integrated.
From one iPhone PND app to another: details of TomTom’s upcoming iPhone cradle and its pricing have emerged, courtesy of a premature listing on Handtec’s site. The accessory – first announced back at Apple’s WWDC in June – includes not only a windscreen mount but a charger, amplified speakers, hands-free kit and separate GPS dongle.
Well this is pretty cool, if I do say so myself. If you get tired of the same old electronic-tinged voice providing you with instructions on your GPS, then you’ll be pleased to hear TomTom has added one certain famous cartoon dad to their offerings.
That’s right. Now, Homer Simpson can provide you with directions to your next destination. He says fun things like, “Whoo-hoo, you have reached your destination.” Other staples include, “At the end of the road, turn left, then take the motorway, hee-hee-hee.”
So, voice skins aren’t a new thing, I know, but personally, Homer beats everything else out there by a long-shot. Though, I’d imagine listening to “D’oh!” a million times during a cross country trip could become quite irritating. You can get the new Homer voice skin now for $13.
Apple’s WWDC 2009 keynote was certainly packed full of announcements, as you’ll know if you followed along with our liveblog yesterday. As is usually the case, Apple have now made the whole thing available to stream, so if you’re curious about the TomTom iPhone OS 3.0 demo, new MacBook Pro range or want all the details on the iPhone 3G S, head over to watch the full 2hr video.
Of all the software brought out to demonstrate the developing capabilities of Apple iPhone OS 3.0, the most interesting has to be TomTom’s turn-by-turn navigation app. Both a software app and an accompanying car kit were announced, complete with Points Of Interest (POIs) and both 2D and 3D mapping.
Video demo after the cut
Well, it looks like Tom Tom just might be producing an iPhone GPS application in the near future. And though nothing is set in stone–not by a long-shot–a new job listing for an iPhone app developer does seem to have TomTom written all over it.
SlashGear Japan
