TomTom Releases iPhone Navigation App 289
andylim writes "Today TomTom released its long-awaited iPhone app that allows you to use your iPhone 3G and 3GS as a GPS navigation device. Recombu.com tested it out on video this morning and concluded that it works well but if you receive a call while you're driving then the app does cut out — it will restart once you've finished the conversation. The app costs £60 for the UK & Ireland version, £80 for western Europe, £45 for Australia and £60 for the US and Canada."
What's the point? (Score:3, Insightful)
This differs from the built-in Google Maps... how?
There's no pitch here, just a claim that it adds a feature iPhones already had!
Re:What's the point? (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Voice navigation is not in Google Maps. Also, I think many (but perhaps not most) would argue that it has better algorithms for determining the route to take. It also doesn't rely on having an Internet connection, since you're downloading the entire map with TomTom, so it would work even out in the boonies.
Yes, all of this. Also, apparently the GPS chip inside the iPhone isn't "good enough" to do turn-by-turn navigation, so the cradle that TomTom sells has a chip inside it that is better suited. Now, this might be a big fat lie, since the app will work without the cradle albeit not as well if the marketing literature is to be believed.
Re:What's the point? (Score:4, Informative)
Given there are many more navigation apps in the App Store (MobileNavigator for one), I think the GPS chip in the iPhone is "good enough". It uses aGPS to get fast time to first fix (seconds, since the almanac can be transferred via AGPS faster than downloading it from the satellites).
No, the reason for the enhanced GPS cradle is twofold - firstly, the iPhone doesn't have advanced GPS features like WAAS support, and most importantly, you don't need an iPhone. The latter is important - for TomTom's app can work on the iPod Touch which lacks GPS. So now, if you don't have an iPhone (for whatever reason - hate AT&T, what have you), you can use your Touch in your car. Plus, the iPhone's speaker isn't that loud, so a nice loud speaker for directions, and if it supports voice command, the Touch needs a microphone.
TomTom's niche will be the millions of iPod Touches that were formerly cut out.
Re:What's the point? (Score:5, Informative)
The GPS component of Google Maps suffers pretty drastically compared to ye olde average GPS device:
1. No voice navigation;
2. No "OK, you're coming up on the turn, take the NEXT right turn";
3. No "Oops, you've missed it, OK, the next street is a one-way street, so go two blocks .. " (i.e. automatic route re-calculation);
4. No ability to specify preferences such as "I want to take that bridge, not this one" (maps.google.com lets you rejigger your route quite nicely, but not the app on the iPhone);
5. Doesn't help you at all if you need to control your iPod component right now (so the app isn't in the foreground);
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Can't you just click on the button twice while you are viewing google maps? I know it works on the iPod, but I dunno if it's the same on the iphone.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
XGPS is completely free (if you are willing to jailbreak) and covers most of the points above. There is a PC-side utility that lets you pull down Google map areas at a specified zoom level and send the created database directly to your iPhone. This has allowed me comfortable use of GPS features on my T-Mobile connected iPhone (without a data plan). The only internet connectivity needed is for route calculation / recalculation, but that too is partly negated by the fact that you can pre-query a route and
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:What's the point? (Score:4, Insightful)
1.) No turn-by-turn
2.) No voice routing
3.) Most important - No offline storage of maps.
If you dare go somewhere without cellphone service, you'll quickly find that the streets disappear in Google Maps... That's because it loads the map as needed over your cellphone data connection.
Re:What's the point? (Score:5, Informative)
The built-in Google Maps does automatically display the next direction when you reach a turn, it does not reroute when you go off course, and it does not do anything aloud- everything is displayed in small text.
I have been using the Google Maps in the iPhone for about a year, and it is definitely useful, but it's not a TomTom equivalent. It requires a navigator to be used effectively. Someone other than the driver needs to press the next button and read the directions aloud- otherwise it's like trying to text while driving.
Re: (Score:2)
- Turn by turn directions with voice guidance
- Built in maps, so you don't need data coverage to use it
- Automatic rerouting in case of wrong turns
Still too expensive, considering that a standalone unit can be bought for less than $100 with car kit included
Re: (Score:2)
Hopefully it has TomTom's maps built in and doesn't download all the map info on demand over the data connection - I didn't use my iPhone in France for navigation except in emergencies as the roaming data charges are pretty steep. Probably less than £80 though...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
This app behaves much more like a standalone GPS device that you can mount on your dashboard; it has preloaded maps, 3d perspective, voice prompts, offline use, etc.
I've been using garmin's GMobileXT on my S60 phone for a while, which is pretty much an exact port of a low-end Garmin device, except it has data access and can use AGPS for faster locks. It's kind of nice for trips but 99%
Will there be an adroid version? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Anyway, TomTom hasn't announced anything for Android, to my knowledge.
Re: (Score:2)
Apple is selling unlocked iPhones in the US these days
[citation needed]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I don't know about the US, but in France and I suppose all over europe, they sell unlocked iphone since day 1. Mind you, a 32GB 3GS will cost 1200Euros, but they sell it!
Re: (Score:2)
Here ya go [buy.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Even if this was true, at&t and tmobile use different frequencies for UMTS in the US. You'll be able to do Edge on TMobile, but NOT 3G.
Re: (Score:2)
they offer a blackberry version as well as Garmin. for Android they are probably waiting for the user base to grow. and it depends on the phone. The iphone app clocks in at a whopping 1.2GB. you get all the maps locally to your phone. every iphone ever made has that much storage.
for every other device they have to figure out how many phones meet the requirements or what kind of workarounds they have to code to have it run on as many devices as possible. For the iphone it's a lot easier since every generatio
Re:Will there be an adroid version? (Score:4, Informative)
Rumour has it there might be, but in the meantime you can get CoPilot for Android (and iPhone) for about half the price of TomTom.
http://www.alk.eu.com/copilot/android
Re: (Score:2)
You can get Nokia/Ovi Maps navigation as a monthly or yearly subscription service. You won't be locked in unless you switch phones more than once a month :)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I think he means locked out of running his own apps. With Andriod, WinMo and the like you can run whatever you darn well feel like. Not just apps that Apple has approved.
You're kidding me. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Hmmm, you are missing the whole point of a 1.2 GB download (less if you don't want the entire Europe for example) which is that you don't have to download it everytime you go somewhere (even with some form of caching), even when you don't have a 3G/EDGE connection... You don't want to pay for it everytime either (not everybody has free & open wifi access points everywhere, especially in Europe).
Re:You're kidding me. (Score:4, Insightful)
I disagree - having map data in poor signal areas is valuable, and also international data roaming charges are pretty horrendous. I didn't use my iPhone for sat nav while in France the last two weeks for the latter reason.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
His point though is that unless you plan on being kidnapped anytime soon, you're probably going to know ahead of time which areas of the country you'll need GPS maps for and would be able to pre-load those for a trip. The sad fact of the matter is that I don't believe the iPhone offers any way to have "map packs" like a traditional GPS so it's an all-or-nothing type deal. I'll stick with a standalone GPS.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I dont understand the market for this or the co-pilot products for other smartphones. For the same money I get a stand-alone GPS and I dont have to worry about an ugly cumbersome adapter, draining battery, wear and tear on my phone, not being able to do calls and gps at the same time, etc. Heck, Id rather have a thief take my $99 GPS than my iphone, which must cost $500 or so off-contract.
A couple of years ago GPS devices hit the 99 dollar mark. Prior to that I could see an argument for the co-pilot
Re: (Score:2)
1.2 GB is nothing - upgrading from the 16 GB to 32 GB iPhone costs 100 dollars, so consider it a $7.50 tax. If you would never have any interest in upgrading, than 16 GB is probably more than ample space and it's not an issue anyway. Anyway, with Moore's Law in full effect, 1 GB will seem like nothing within two years.
Also, I don't see how 100 dollars is too much. People are currently willing to spend 80 dollars on a crappy, bulky unit without bluetooth (and last I checked, GPS unit sales are going strong).
Re:You're kidding me. (Score:5, Informative)
1) internet is not allways on. In fact, there are loads of places I drive where I have no signal at all, but want access to travel data, or need to get feedback from the GPS (like how to go around a wreck blocking the freeway). If WiFi and Cell signals were down, this would be impossible unless you "prepped" your entire journey in advance and downloaded all "near route" data. Doing that on a case by case basis would also place a MASSIVE burden on TomToms systems, which do NOT do that today.
2) ITS LIFETIME FREE MAP AND SOFTWARE UPDATES!!!, not $39-59 per year on the hardware devices to get new maps, and which can never really have their OS overhauled to add new features either.
3) it includes tomtomIQ and realtime traffic. I know of no standalone GPS units anywhere near the price of this app, let alone 3 times it, that have live feed for that data, without also having to have a cell phone with bluetooth connect and a data plan and a tethering plan...
4) I have a 16GB 3GS, and I'm only using just over half the space... saccrificing 1.x GB is no big deal if it saves me $200 on a good standalone, or $400 on a real-time-enabled standalone.
5) I have it ALLWAYS with me, which I do not find is the case with a standalone GPS... Also real handy walking around city streets where a car based GPS is useless.
i agree the rumored $200 tomtom car dock sounds way overpriced, however, if it includes the app (potentially in the form of a $99 iTunes gift card), then that's reasonable. i was expecting a $129-149 price tag. I'm sure market feedback and lackluster sales will realize a lower price sooner rather than later on that item.
I also expect the app price WILL be reduced to $79, at least periodically on sale if not permanantly later on.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Ars Technica indicated that in their article about the release. As well, a prior press interview with a TomTom senior director stated tomtom was "leaning" towards the subscription free model, with lifetime app updates included.
Since the maps are integral to the app, part of the download, by updating the app, you are also updating the maps.
It is Apple's policy as well that "content" updates, through their 3.1 in-app purchase will be accepted, where new features and extended content are offered, but Apple wi
Re: (Score:2)
They're planning on releasing a gps/car kit so it can also be used with the iPod touch.
Which would explain the large file size (app + map data for North America). The size isn't even a slight surprise to me. It's definitely a lot more convenient than your phone downloading the same stuff over and over (yes they could do some kind of caching, but 1gb isn't much to complain about, seriously).
Because of upcoming release I was holding out on buying a small gps unit since I have an Ipod touch already. I'm glad I broke down and bought a small TomTom unit for ~$100 now that the pricing is out. If
receiving a call is the biggest complaint? (Score:3, Insightful)
but if you receive a call while you're driving then the app does cut out -- it will restart once you've finished the conversation
My Garmin, when connected to my phone (any phone, not just iPhone) via bluetooth does exactly the same thing. It supresses the nav prompts until you complete the call. I don't understand why this is a complaint? Especially for this particular situation since you're running this app on a PHONE whose primary purpose is to receive CALLS. Or have I missed something obvious?
No, because TFA actually says "For those of you wondering what happens when you get a call, the app turns off but restarts as soon as you finish the call, so it's not too bad."
Re: (Score:2)
but if you receive a call while you're driving then the app does cut out -- it will restart once you've finished the conversation
My Garmin, when connected to my phone (any phone, not just iPhone) via bluetooth does exactly the same thing. It supresses the nav prompts until you complete the call. I don't understand why this is a complaint? Especially for this particular situation since you're running this app on a PHONE whose primary purpose is to receive CALLS. Or have I missed something obvious?
No, because TFA actually says "For those of you wondering what happens when you get a call, the app turns off but restarts as soon as you finish the call, so it's not too bad."
I agree that it's not a big deal, but it's true that on several year old WinMo phones you can receive or make a call without leaving your navigation program. That can be occasionally useful.
Re: (Score:2)
Because you might actually want to know about the freeway exit you needed to take when someone called to ask when you were arriving.
You might like the volume off, I'm sure other people don't and yet more other people don't want the map to vanish.
Re: (Score:2)
...are you even supposed to be talking on your 'phone when driving?
Re: (Score:2)
My Garmin, when connected to my phone (any phone, not just iPhone) via bluetooth does exactly the same thing. It supresses the nav prompts until you complete the call. I don't understand why this is a complaint? Especially for this particular situation since you're running this app on a PHONE whose primary purpose is to receive CALLS. Or have I missed something obvious?
No, because TFA actually says "For those of you wondering what happens when you get a call, the app turns off but restarts as soon as you finish the call, so it's not too bad."
I have a factory-installed system in my 2006 GM car. I don't know the brand, but it's a 6CD in-dash stereo and DVD GPS nav and doesn't have bluetooth.
I have the OnStar prepaid plan for the rare instances when I need to make a call.
Anyway, if I'm driving with my GPS directions on the GPS will continue to speak while I'm on the phone. I *think* the screen only changes to the "phone" for the first 15 seconds of the call so I can see the number, then it returns to the GPS.
This way works out fine for me, excep
iPhone value prop (Score:2)
Is probably having on-board maps. The built in app works great as long as you have a good network connection. Get in an area without 3G and the buiilt-in app gets pretty useless if you're moving.
Pricing (Score:2, Insightful)
Hmm.. I can pay $100 for the iPhone app, or for $59.99 I can get the whole unit. I'll stick with the actual TomTom.
Price Fail (Score:4, Insightful)
How is the GPS locator? (Score:2)
GPS on the Google Maps app is kind of sketchy in my neighborhood... often its range is not focused enough. And once in awhile, it thinks I am in the Grand Canyon, and I have to turn off the iPhone and turn it back on for it to fix itself.
It was rather humorous, watching myself drive around the Grand Canyon, because it did actually move in sync with my true GPS movements... just thousands of miles off. (I was in Maine.)
So... will TomTom think I'm somewhere else, when I'm not? Or should I wait for the li
Complaints (Score:3, Insightful)
There are many complaints here that I don't agree with:
With regard to the price and competing GPS apps: I have a TomTom GPS device that I bought a couple years ago. I paid about $200 and it has been worth every penny. If I didn't already have that device, I would buy the $99 iPhone app in a heartbeat. Yes, there are cheaper GPS apps, and I honestly don't know how most of them compare. I did buy a GPS app last week for $2 or $3. Considering the price I'd say it was good. But it doesn't compare to my TomTom at all; I deleted it. The Google Maps app is also nice, but it doesn't provide turn-by-turn directions while driving. TomTom is doing the smart thing and charging based on the value of the app.
With regard to the size of the app: I can understand the complaints. But (I think) the storage sizes on phones that will run this range between 8GB and 32GB. 1GB is a significant, but not huge, chunk of that. Phone storage sizes will only increase. I don't want to get lost because my phone can't reach the map server; storying 1GB of map data on the phone seems perfectly reasonable.
If you don't want it, don't need it, or can't justify the price, then don't buy it. But I think this will be a worthwhile app for many people.
Just use OpenStreetMap instead (Score:2, Informative)
Re:New phone - apps transfer? (Score:5, Informative)
So here is the question I have for many of you who own iphones and such. If you pay for an app and your phone dies, or something, will that app be transferred to a replacement phone or do you need to re-purchase the app for the new phone?
The truth is, I don't know. But I can tell you this: I have an iPod Touch and an iPhone. I've purchased apps on the iPhone and have been able to use them on the iPod Touch, too. It would appear as though that it's all about the iTunes account you use on the device.
Re:New phone - apps transfer? (Score:5, Informative)
Yes. Which means that if you and your wife both have iPhones and share an iTunes account, you should both have the app for the price of one.
Re: (Score:2)
There are even cheaper solutions involving jailbreaking and appulous...
Re: (Score:2)
Cheaper, but illegal.
Re:New phone - apps transfer? (Score:5, Informative)
There are even cheaper solutions involving jailbreaking and Cydia that are actually legal (xGPS).
Re:New phone - apps transfer? (Score:5, Informative)
The apps you buy are tied to your account, not the iPhone/iPod Touch.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Because the article used pounds (it was submitted at 10:59 UK time, when the USA is sleeping).
Anyway, don't most people know the very approximate value of $, € and £ in their own currency? They're the three most-traded currencies worldwide. xe.com [xe.com] if you don't, and they don't change enough for it to matter when reading a news story.
Re: (Score:2)
I would say (at least in the US) the answer is no.
Perhaps since Europe is all stacked together for the most part, you are used to seeing many different currencies, but, in the US, you rarely seen anything other than US money, and rarely ever deal with a
Re: (Score:3)
it was submitted at 10:59 UK time, when the USA is sleeping
The USA never sleeps. Not with Putin constantly peeking over at Alaska and illegals coming from the south trying to pick our lettuce and clean rich people's houses. That's why we're so tired all the time, and easily exhausted by trying to keep track of £ and € and such.
Heck, most of us can't even keep pounds and ounces straight, and those things hardly ever change.
Shh! Quiet! I think I just heard someone trying to help sick people. I gotta grab my gun...
Re: (Score:2)
Re:New phone - apps transfer? (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Having just replaced an iPhone that went swimming myself, I was pleasently surprised to know that if you let the MobileMe service run your life it will also restore the most important parts of your phone. To my pleasent surprise, as I was walking out of the apple store in a mall, entered my mobileme info and before I exited the mall my contacts and cals were all back, mail accounts configured and ready to sync.
Didn't have any of my apps, music or media, but the important stuff was already to go.
At that poi
Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)
At that point, you won't get the option to restore from backup however, which means you have to jump through hoops if you had apps with important data to restore. iTunes still seems to be the best way to restore a phone.
hmm, I've been pondering a mobileme subscription. what kind of hoops do you mean? do you just not get prompted to restore from backup after manually re-entering your mobileme account info on a "blank" phone? seems like you could force a restore from backup in iTunes regardless of what mobileme did, no?
There are some apps that (not sure why or what the difference is) will not restore their application data from a backup. It might be that the app wasn't written in a way to take advantage of the backup/r
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re:New phone - apps transfer? (Score:4, Informative)
you can download any app you bought for free on the same account as many times as you want. all the apps are downloaded as .ipa files into your profile in windows and you can even easily back them up yourself so you don't have to download them again.
i have 2 iphones. one for myself and one for my wife. i just put the ipa file on her computer, add to itunes library and next time it syncs she gets the app
Re: (Score:2)
Yes. I got my iPod Touch replaced from Apple. I took the replacement home, synced it with iTunes, and back were all my applications, even the paid ones.
Re: (Score:2)
Apps are purchased once per itunes account. On the phone on on your PC you can redownload them again as needed.
I regularly delete/redownload apps as well as reimage my phone as I use it for development/testing.
The only real problem is that I have yet to be able to find a list of all the apps I've bought, so I'm sure that I've deleted some apps that I don't remember wasting money on and will probably never see them again even though I own them.
Re: (Score:2)
Usually, apps are tied to your iTunes account and can be used on any iPhone linked to that iTunes account (so not only can you transfer them to a new phone, you can use them on more than one phone simultaneously.)
I recall seeing a notice somewhere in the user agreements, di
Re: (Score:2)
All the applications are synched with iTunes on your machine, and can be synched to any iPhone that is "bound" to that version of iTunes. You could buy the app and sync it to 15 iPhones, if you used 15 iPhones.
Note you can't sync it to someone else's iPhone -- that is, one that by default syncs to another library.
So no risk here if your personal iPhone dies.
Re: (Score:2)
The app isn't available in the US yet, for whatever reason. While you could go and run the exchange rate to get the price in USD, it's likely that they'll set a different price point for US customers. I'm gonna guess $100.
The timing on this is just lovely- I just picked up the Navigon turn-by-turn app yesterday for $70, since I got tired of waiting for TomTom. I haven't even had a chance to use it yet.
Re: (Score:2)
If the app isn't available in the USA store then where does the price converted to pound comes from?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
If the app isn't available in the USA store then where does the price converted to pound comes from?
England. Duh.
Re:Prices (Score:5, Informative)
It's up on the US app store now:
US & Can $99.99
Western Europe $139.33
Australia $79.99
New Zealand $94.99
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Prices (Score:4, Insightful)
The prices are in British Pounds, because the linked article is on a UK website. The author of the article is someone who is reporting the news to people in his country of origin. Congratulations on discovering that there's an entire world outside your country's borders!
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Yes...I'm an idiot (Score:2)
Ok. I was wrong. I honestly did not understand that there is a GPS chip of somsort in my iphone.
Re: (Score:2)
Wrong (Score:2)
Wrong... It uses cell tower-assisted GPS. This is most definitely GPS, and uses the GPS chip in the iPhone. It's not compatible with the original iPhone, because there is no GPS.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Huh. I didn't realize that the 3G/3GS still used triangulation for assistance. I've wondered why both Google Maps and xGPS (for jailbroken iPhones) can almost immediately determine my location, but Navigon and Sygic take almost a minute to do so. Perhaps the latter apps rely on GPS only.
Re: (Score:2)
GPS works by picking up multiple GPS satellites and then calculating an approximate location. It continually samples the incoming signals. The more satellites you can pick up at one time the better. Unfortunately if you are moving or under trees , tunnels or other cover then you will pick up fewer satellites and your accuracy will plummet. By the early 90's GPS navigation on vehicles was supplemented by inertial systems (motion) in order to improve accuracy at every given point. So the system would get a
Re: (Score:2)
Cell phone triangulation just adds to this data and improves your accuracy and availability.
That's not what it does.
Every satellite transmits at exactly 1 MHz, but you receive it at a frequency that depends on your exact position, the exact time and the exact position of the satellite due to the doppler effect. When you turn the GPS on, it doesn't have a clue where it is because it doesn't receive any satellites, so the first thing it has to do is to scan the whole frequency band until it finds some satellites. That takes time.
With cell phone triangulation, the GPS knows a rough position and
Re: (Score:2)
But... it is GPS...
Re: (Score:2)
It's funny, just the other day on Slashdot I saw people claiming that the average person doesn't care [slashdot.org] about the lack of multi-tasking.
Re: (Score:2)
And you are capable of
Re: (Score:2)
Not really. This is how an application must behave in order to get approved for the Apple Store.
Moreover, we can assume that Tom Tom are not beholden to the regular Apple agreement, since that also prohibits developing turn by turn voice navigation applications.
It's foolish to make assumptions about the behaviour of the OS from the terms of Apple's agreement, especially when Tom Tom are clearly a special case.
Plenty of applications available through Cydia can background.
ObComment: yes, way too expensive. I'
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
since that also prohibits developing turn by turn voice navigation applications
This is a thing of the past. Plenty of applications do turn by turn navigation nowadays. I believe it is now possible since OS3.0.
Re: (Score:2)
As for the price... I am a little surprised by the hefty price tag TomTom put on its iPhone product, but it has little to do with shiny Apple logos. I paid 50 euro for the equally
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Fair enough... in Europe we are somewhat luckier. The official iPhone provider in the Netherlands is T-mobile, not a bad provider, but if I want a different one I can buy an iPhone in Belgium or Italy, where simlocking is forbidden by law. Mine came from a Dutch store that imported the phones from one of those countries, and I can stick any sim-card in there to make it work. The provider I selected even sponsored part of the phone
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
AT&T has the same service for the iPhone, and just like your blackberry you pay for it monthly for the privledge of being able to call someone to give you the directions.
As someone who develops for blackberrys, winmobile and iphones, and having an iPod touch, 2 iPhones and several blackberry's including a couple of storms laying in my desk. The blackberry's appeal still blows my mind, you can dislike the iphone, for many man reasons that I understand, but Blackberrys have all pretty much sucked ass com
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, only the first iPhone didn't have GPS. The 3G has GPS but no magnetometer(compass) and the 3GS has both.
You can't even compare the BB Storm to the iPhone. I've used both and the UI on the Storm is a joke, plus you get the LCD warp when you press in the screen.
Re: (Score:2)
Your post is full of anger, but not a lot of fact. The original iPhone did not have GPS, but the two most recent generations have. And you seem to be under the impression that Apple have something to do with this app, when in fact there have been GPS apps for the iPhone since the opening of the app store, most of them cheaper than this one.
What I really don't understand about your post is that you seem to think that people who buy the iPhone are idiots or are misinformed. Just as I recognise that the iPhone
Re: (Score:2)
I have zero problems with the iPhone, I used to own one. What I have a problem with, are typical apple product users. I am sure that the Tom-Tom folks did their market research, and discovered that your typical Apple buyer is not very price sensitive. This is why you get the outrageous pricing for most things Apple, when the rest of the smartphone market would NEVER charge $100 for this app.
Apple, through its naive, too-cool-for-school user base, has allowed to ov
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Apple users will pay double for an app with functionality that we've had on our Blackberries for years.
That may or may not be the case in general, however in this particular instance, $99 to buy the App seems significantly cheaper than $9.99/month that the TeleNav app on your blackberry costs. Well they do offer a discount - $99/yr or $249 for a 4 year plan.
I can't believe those blackberry users will pay $10 /month for a GPS App that I can buy on my iPhone for only $100.
Re: (Score:2)
Of course there are other iPhone GPS apps out there. How many of them are on the front page of hundreds of web sites this morning? Why is this announcement getting so much airplay?
Fuck you.
Re: (Score:2)
If the software can depend entirely on the car kit's attached GPS (which it should be able to), there's no reason it wouldn't work with the Touch. There's no hardware or software difference when it comes to communicating over the dock connector.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
There's two issues with subscription GPS - the bigger one being a dependancy on cellular service. If you're in a dead zone, and lost, the last thing you want is the GPS app you're paying $10/mo. for not to work. The other is, after 10 months, the TomTom app has paid for itself in comparison. (This is also true of getting a standard GPS nav for your car. I find having TomTom on my phone to be much more convenient, though.)