As if we didn’t wait long enough. Two months after TomTom (iTunes link) for the iPhone was first announced at WWDC 2009, they finally decided to release the app into the wild. We haven’t tried it yet, but we’ll probably spend some time with this sucker to make sure it’s worth its salt. At a whopping $99, it better be. Not only is this one of the most expensive GPS apps on the iPhone, it is also one of the largest: the US & Canada (iTunes link) version alone comes in at 1.21 GB. That’s fine by me, as I’ve been waiting for a solid full-featured GPS app for the iPhone for awhile. So far, I’ve not been satisfied.
Dropping a benjamin on the TomTom app doesn’t sound too bad, considering many of the GPS apps currently on the store charge a per-month subscription fee of $10. You’ll make back your money on the TomTom app in just 10 months. Furthermore, it’s TomTom, not your run-of-the-mill GPS company, and it comes complete with the IQ Routes feature, which uses historical travel data to determine the fastest route to your destination. Hopefully that will mean something, though my bet is that it still won’t be ready to replace your in-car navigation system or a standalone GPS device quite yet. Why? Because the iPhone’s native GPS just isn’t good enough; especially if you’re still stuck with an iPhone 3G (i.e. you don’t have a compass). This won’t be an issue for long: TomTom plans on releasing a hardware component later this summer, and it will enhance the GPS signal of your iPhone. I’d hold out for the accessory before taking any GPS app on the iPhone seriously. Specs after the jump.
Straight from TomTom:
Best routing and maps
* Navigation software including fast route planning and clear voice instructions
* Automatic re-routing if a turn is missed
* Route demo or map of route when trip planning
* Alternative route options if avoiding roadblocks, toll ways or looking for high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes along route
* Latest Tele Atlas maps of the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand
* 6 million Points of Interest includedEasy to use and personalize
* User interface fully optimized with iPhone.
* Multiple display options including landscape and portrait navigation view
* Night and day color mode for optimized screen visibility in varying light conditions
* User interface available in 18 languages2
* Change view settings (2D or 3D map display)
* Easy to download from iTunes App StoreComplete phone and map integration
* Multi-touch gestures such as tap, swipe, pinch and zoom to operate the application and zoom in and out of the map
* Navigation to contacts in address book
* Points-of-interest search and call capabilities from iPhone
Jesus that is expensive for an app. What apps do you guys like at the minute?
I like harbour master and problem halved.
I think 99 dollars is way too much for an iphone app.
$99 may be “too much” for just any iPhone app, but a GPS nav is not exactly the same thing as a video game.
For apps (specifically, games), here are some suggestions:
Cheap apps ($1-$3): iCombat, 3D Baseball Slugger, Pocket God
Full games ($6-$10): Rolando 2, Real Racing, Doom: Resurrection.
It’s too much for an iphone app. What happens if I want to change my phone?
Harbour master is the nutts and Problem Halved is a cool app.
Fair play to the binman from coventry.
Correction – you will not make your money back after 10 months, you will make it back after 20. You are essentially paying the $10 per month for the first 10 and then it is free after that.
Definitely a cool app and useful, but I agree that it’s way too expensive. I doubt it’s gonna get a lot of downloads.
Oh well, I guess it creates competition.. let’s hope so anyways.
way too expensive for what it does. Pass.
don’t even think about purchasing the app without the car kit, without it it’s totally useless.
nice work tomtom
I think their best strategy is to license good data sources and use this as their pricing leverage. They will soon find out that their pricing and data user collection strategies in Europe won’t work in the U.S.
@errr…
I am doing some work with TomTom on this app and can say not only is the app not useless without the kit, but it was designed to work independantly of it much like every other option out there for the iPhone. If this were not the case, TomTom would not have released the app separately. That said, the Car Kit does have a stronger GPS chip, speaker, and more to enhance use of the app.
In reference to a point made in the article about the file size:
By having the full map downloaded to your iphone, you avoid map issues when you loose your data connection like some competitors.
There is a bit more info and an FAQ just put up on TomTom’s site at iphone.tomtom.com