Short Version
$219.94. The price says it all. The TomTom Car Kit is great; it works perfectly, and I loved using it. In fact, I wish I could keep the review unit that TomTom sent me. That said, would I ever spend 2 bills and change on it? Mayyyybe, but it’s unlikely. A standalone TomTom GPS unit can be as cheap as $100, which is half the price of the TomTom Car Kit ($119.95) + TomTom GPS App ($99.99) for the iPhone. Furthermore, it’s hard to justify buying both the hardware and the software when there are cheaper options for both (more on that later).
Of course, the product does serve multiple purposes as an in-car iPhone charger, Bluetooth speakerphone and GPS unit. All in all, I was fairly impressed with the device and think those that aren’t turned off by the price might consider its purchase. The convenience of an all-in-one device is compelling.
Hit the jump to read on…
Slightly Less Short Version
The TomTom Car Kit (as previously mentioned) was a blast to use. Super easy to install: I simply stuck the kit onto the dash, plugged the car charger into the cigarette lighter and popped in my iPhone. The first time around you have to pair the TomTom’s Bluetooth signal with your iPhone, but after that it automatically connects whenever you plug the iPhone into the kit. Then, I fired up the TomTom GPS application on my iPhone and it was just like any other TomTom GPS. You type in your destination and it provides turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions.
The directions were extremely accurate, and the TomTom kit corrected any problems with the iPhone GPS. On the iPhone, if I’m on a road parallel to another (e.g. driving on a highway and there’s a side-road right next to it), the GPS will go all over the place: one second I’ll be on the highway, the next I’ll be on the side-road. That problem was completely eliminated once I started using the TomTom kit. Moreover, the TomTom kit was quick to determine what direction I was going, which was another problem with the iPhone’s GPS system. Finally, I didn’t ever drop the signal of the GPS – I was pleasantly surprised that even if I was in a dead zone the GPS signal was rock-solid. Overall, the TomTom kit served extremely well as a GPS.
On top of the GPS features of the TomTom Car Kit, it was great as an all-in-one car kit for your iPhone. It charges your phone at a decent rate, so you’ll never run out of battery. The Bluetooth speakerphone is very valuable – it’s not quite as loud as I would have liked, but it’s way better than the iPhone’s abysmal speakers and provides a great hands-free calling option. The Car Kit’s suction cup sticks to the windshield extremely well, which is nice because you probably don’t want your precious iPhone to come crashing down while you’re driving along the highway.
Why the TomTom Car Kit Probably Isn’t Worth It
Ultimately, though, the fact that the kit worked is only part of the puzzle. The other major decision point for me was if I thought it was an overall good buy – and if I was satisfied with its value proposition vis-a-vis other options for navigating with your iPhone. Here are three reasons why I’m fairly uncertain as to whether I’d ever buy the TomTom GPS Kit for the iPhone:
First, Google Maps Navigation. When Google announced that their maps product for Android OS 2.0 was going to be completely free, and provide turn-by-turn voice-provided navigation to all, it spelled the end of for-pay GPS applications. It is only a matter of time before this comes out for the iPhone – absolutely free – and when it does, there would be no reason to buy the TomTom GPS application, or any others for that matter.
Second, the current Google Maps software is sometimes a better option than a TomTom-augmented iPhone solution. I don’t understand why GPS companies are so dumb. Google Maps has been out for years, yet search on the GPS devices still sucks. In fact, it’s so bad that I am sometimes too lazy to use the TomTom device because of all the buttons I have to press to enter my final location. There are three simple reasons. First, TomTom’s search is awful. It doesn’t have nearly as many cached locations as Google (“In-N-Out Burger” in Fremont, CA yielded zero results). Searching for categories (“grocery” or “restaurant”) is unusable. And I can’t do specific searches such as “chinese food” or “movie theater.” Second, I have to type in the address part-by-part. Instead of “43349 Pacific Commons Blvd., Fremont, CA” I have to type in “CA” >> “Fremont” >> “Pacific Commons Blvd” >> “43349″. Last but not least, I can’t cut and paste in an address. So if I use Google’s far superior search, I can’t simply cut and paste the address from Google into TomTom. Instead, I have to memorize the address and plug it in. Hands-down, Google Maps is easier to use for finding locations and directions than TomTom.
The third reason I’m uncertain about the TomTom GPS Unit is that the price is way too high. If a GPS unit costs $80-$150 for both the hardware and the software bundled together, why the hell would I pay more than $200 for ONLY half the hardware and the software? Them’s crack prices. Seriously, it is ridiculous: my iPhone is far more powerful than any TomTom hardware is, and all I need on top of that is a speakerphone and an improved GPS signal.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve got cash to burn and like the convenience of the iPhone as a true all-in-one full-featured device, then go ahead and buy the TomTom Car Kit. It is great as a Bluetooth speakerphone and the GPS actually works (unlike the iPhone’s native GPS, which is shoddy). If you’re cash-conscious, however, I’d stay away. Be patient, wait until Google Maps Navigation comes out, and then buy a $30-50 speakerphone so you can talk in the car.
Agree, it’s a really nice device. I just got one, and it made the TomTom app, which is pretty good already, a solid competitor to a standalone GPS.
Completely agree that search could be better in the TomTom app. But I’ve gotten around it by searching for my destination in Google Maps, creating a contact, then pulling up the contact in TomTom. No copy/paste or address memorization required. Yeah, you end up having a bunch of extra contacts in your app, but I’ve created a group to keep track of them, so they’re easier to manage (and delete periodically). That said, it’s a kludgy workaround. My hope is that TomTom will improve the search/integration eventually.
I also agree that free Google navigation will be a game-changer. But on-board maps that don’t require a cell connection will always have some appeal. The last time I used a cell-based nav app was on an older WinMo device, and it worked, but the map refresh rate was pretty slow. I haven’t used any of the more recent cell-based nav apps, and I’d hope there has been some improvement. Even so, there’s security in knowing that I’m not dependent on cell service to get my navigation to work.
Great workaround. I’ll try it out, though honestly I hate having to workaround a product because the designers were short-sighted. TomTom (and Garmin for that matter) has had years to fix its search, but it still sucks.
Cell-based nav isn’t as bad as you think. I use Google Maps all the time on my iPhone and it simply caches the most recent image on your phone so you can pull it up (including a decent zoom and pan radius) even when you don’t have reception. I’m sure they’ve done something similar with Google Nav, or at least will do in the future.
Of course, if you’re going on a trip into the Mountains or something where you won’t have signal for awhile – I can see it being a problem. But in (sub)urban areas where you can access cell connection at least every 2-5 miles, cell-based navigation should be fine. Haven’t tried it yet, though, so I can’t say for sure.
Sorry to be picky, but the standalone unit would be half the price of this, not twice.
I have an ipod touch and hoped this would work out, but at that price, no way. I went for the Droid (love it!), ’nuff said. This option is simply priced out of the market, but I’m sure there will be enough folks with deep pockets that’ll buy it so they can show it off.
Thanks for the honest review. Let us not forget that even with buying the TomTom GPS car kit for $119.95 + the TomTom Software for $99.99 you still need to add on top of all that, the actual iPhone/iPod Touch device too. That boosts the price even higher than the standalone TomTom GPS unit at around $100.
The price for the hardware is outrageous, but the more people buy it, the less likely the price tag will decrease.
To look at it another way, this is like already having a TomTom Standalone unit without the software maps or mount, and having to pay way over the odds to actually use it as a full Sat Nav.
Surely, it won’t be long before the competitors out there release a similar mount with the same features, let’s hope with a FM Transmitter too, for a more realistis price and steal the market from right under TomTom’s greedy little noses.
I agree with almost everything here, but the cost of the iPhone should not be included. You wouldn’t buy an iPhone just because you need a navigation system, you buy it to be a phone, computer, whatever. 99% of your usage will probably be as a phone/SMS/app tool, so the purchase costs are for other reasons.
The pricing of this product makes no sense.
I really like the idea of this device, but that price ruins it for me. I still having a local map option on my phones for when I’m out of a service area but as soon as google pushes out map caching its all over. Tomtom should partner with google and make a standalone device with a hybrid map system. I know alot of people who would buy that instantly.
+1 (me included)
Mine works great except in downtown areas. I was in downtown Chicago and it went crazy…same thing happened in downtown Dallas and Denver. Is this typical behavior for GPS units?
Great review for the TomTo,. Thanks for all the information.
I presume that TomTom is pricing this thing so high is to reduce cannibalization of its other products, because I cannot figure out their pricing strategy at all.
I’m not sure I’ll ever accept a mobile phone to be my navigation system. My cars’ factory installed units have huge screens, which allow you to more quickly see direction, so that you keep your eyes on the road more. I have a Garmin on my motorcycle, and it’s just built to be on a motorcycle (big giant letters that respond to gloved hands, waterproof, and XM radio.
Like cameras on cell phones, which have cheap lenses, cheap sensors, and terrible shutter and ISO speeds, a navigation system on the iPhone is a compromise and can’t replace standalone systems. I’ll take a quick picture with my iPhone. I’ll take a detailed photograph with my Nikon. If I’m walking around London, I can use the free Maps app to figure out where I am. When I want to drive from point A to point B in a rural area, I want a real Nav system.
I bought CoPilot Live for the iPhone over the weekend for a mere $19.99.
I have used GPS for years and have owned virtually every major band sold. This has cost me in the thousands of dollars. CoPilot Live is a perfect addition to the iPhone for an occasional use app. It compares favorably with stand alone PND of the last few years.
It has text to speech if you choose Frank as the voice. You can drop the iPhone in your pocket with the screen off and listen to the directions over the iPhone speaker with the volume turned up.
I do not place any GPS for casual use in the car or truck anymore because so many urban thieves will smash the window to grab it. If you leave a dock in plain view they will still smash the window to see if it is under your seat or in the glove compartment.
I am against funding the drug habits of this scum so the iPhone GPS app without a dock is the perfect solution for the few times I need it. I always have it in my pocket for instant use.
To freak someone out start CoPilot Live, plot a route, start review in demo mode and drop it in your pocket and walk around a store. ;>)
I’ve found my way around the world the analogue way (using road maps) and learned more about my surroundings than any satnav will ever tell me. That said, I love my iPhone – it’s already my main music player, and I can now write and record music with it. Plus all the other stuff it does. If the iPhone execution of nav was flawless and cost-effective I’d be tempted, not because I need a satnav, but simply because I love having one device do as many things as poss. But at this money, no way. The cradle, which is meant to be left in full view in the car, is more valuable than many stand-alone devices. An open invitation, no?
Nice review. Does anyone know if the kit can reliably handle an iphone in a thin case? From pictures, mechanism doesn’t look adjustable, but maybe it “stretches” a bit.
Yes, the kit can handle a thin case very nicely I might add. Haven’t tried a silicone sleeve case, but the holding mechanism of the kit seems to give quite a bit and holds very securely!
The review title says car kit for the iphone and ipod touch, can you verify that this does in fact work with the iPod Touch, specifically the 3rd gen (64G)? I have been reading that there is a different kit available for the ipod touch due to some difference that I haven’t been able to figure out. As a touch user, I will require that the app work without a data connection as this hardware/software combo does.
My old tom tom is dead (submerged, my fault) and it would be nice to carry less stuff (eg; devices, chargers, cords etc.) as I travel so this has its appeal.
Where the Fu*K do you buy these units….
From what I can tell the kits are only available in the UK. If you go to TomTom’s website, dial in UK, you will see them available, same with Apple’s site. Can’t seem to find them ANYWHERE in the US! Very frustrating!!!
I bought mine at an Apple store in Palm Beach, FL
I recieved mine as a Xmas gift :o) which I’m told was purchased at a Chicago suburban Apple store too.