TomTom for iPhone 1.3 Live

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”’Pricing: Free to current customers. UK maps £54.99; W. Europe £59.99; Europe £79.99. Live Services 59p per day/£37.99 per yr.”’

We wouldn’t usually rethink a smartphone sat-nav app for a mere software program dot launch. After all, the primary model of TomTom’s iPhone sat-nav system was good, nevertheless it didn’t fairly blow us away. Nevertheless, the 1.3 replace brings one thing very important to the iPhone: TomTom’s Live Services. These might not be the one cell data-powered sat-nav amenities available on the market anymore, however they nonetheless pack some highly effective capabilities.

The 1.3 replace is free to current TomTom for iPhone homeowners, however the Live Services it helps aren’t. The menu now comprises an entry particularly for HD Traffic, which merely presents the varied subscription choices obtainable. These vary in value from a single day’s service for 59p to an entire yr for £37.99, with one and three month choices in between. This is round half as a lot because the subscription value for TomTom’s standalone gadgets.

The iPhone model of HD Traffic makes use of the identical knowledge as TomTom’s standalone Live gadgets obtain, which anybody can preview on the corporate’s and have a read about in our {linkout:https://www.trustedreviews.com/car-tech/review/2009/06/01/TomTom-HD-Traffic/p1 TomTom HD Traffic review. So it’s not simply based mostly on TMC site visitors updates, but in addition makes use of the cell phone triangulation system TomTom has developed in partnership with Vodafone. In our expertise, this offers probably the most correct and reliable jam detection presently obtainable within the UK, though it now has some severe competitors in different European international locations from Navteq’s competing service, which hasn’t arrived within the UK but.

Although the final map interface of TomTom’s iPhone app resembles that of its standalone gadgets, the site visitors updates are applied a bit otherwise. By default, your solely indication that these are enabled is a bit glowing automobile icon within the prime proper hand nook of the display. However, you’ll be able to contact this to name up a extra acquainted sidebar illustrating site visitors within the subsequent portion of the journey. The formatting is barely totally different to the standalone gadgets, however the data supplied is analogous, exhibiting the period of the present jam.

When new incidents that can have an effect on your journey are reported, the app will robotically work out if there’s a faster route obtainable, then ask if you wish to take it through a pop-up on the prime of the display. Annoyingly, you will need to present finger enter to just accept the suggestion, which you shouldn’t actually do while driving. The TomTom iPhone app doesn’t present voice operation, in contrast to the GO x40 and x50 sequence Live gadgets. So you’ll be able to’t use a verbal command to just accept or reject the suggestion of a brand new route.

Although HD Traffic isn’t the one Live Service now obtainable with the iPhone, the subscription value is completely for this function. Since your iPhone will have already got its personal knowledge plan, the Google Local Search facility is supplied free of charge with the 1.3 replace. This has grow to be the near-universal choice for cell data-enabled sat-navs, offering a significantly expanded database of areas past the Points of Interest included with the software program itself. You can search close to your present location, inside an alternate metropolis, close to your Home location, or another vacation spot.

The stage of element for some Local Search entries is bigger than different implementations we’ve come throughout, nevertheless. Information contains not simply the cellphone quantity, however web site, opening hours, which cost varieties are accepted, an outline of the enterprise, and even an e-mail handle. All of those particulars could be copied and pasted into different iPhone functions, or you’ll be able to name the quantity, making this a genuinely helpful piece of smartphone integration.

Unfortunately, not one of the different parts of the Live companies equipped with TomTom’s standalone gadgets are included. The stay climate gained’t be missed, as there are umpteen free iPhone alternate options obtainable. But the dynamic Fuel Prices would have been very helpful. In TomTom’s different Live-enabled sat-navs, these add the present price to your chosen gasoline sort to the checklist of close by petrol stations, so you’ll be able to navigate to the most affordable pumps near you. It’s additionally shocking that TomTom hasn’t applied its Buddies system on the iPhone, which might absolutely be a perfect platform for such social sharing of location data.

Although the Live Services, particularly HD Traffic, are the large information with the 1.3 replace, they aren’t the one enhancements. Pinch to zoom is now supported, so you should utilize two fingers to residence in or out of the map. The show will now robotically change between day and evening mode, based mostly on native dawn and sundown instances, though you’ll be able to nonetheless override this manually if you need. The TomTom app already had built-in buttons for controlling your iPhone’s iPod performance, however now the music will fade when the software program is giving verbal instructions, returning to its authentic quantity afterwards. You can allegedly ship locations from different iPhone apps to your TomTom software program, too, however we couldn’t get this operate to work on ours.

The newest maps have additionally been included with the 1.3 model, which is definitely worth the app replace alone. It’s additionally value noting you could now purchase a wide selection of maps for the TomTom iPhone app, together with the US and Canada; Australia; New Zealand; South Africa; the Middle East; Malaysia and Singapore; even Brazil and Mexico.

”’Verdict”’

The addition of TomTom’s HD Traffic makes the corporate’s iPhone app probably the most completed smartphone sat-nav software program for the common traveller, and the decrease price of the service in comparison with TomTom’s standalone Live gadgets may probably be enticing too. However, our total conclusion stays just like our verdict on the primary model: it’s costly. The CoPilot iPhone app could be had for £26.99, and Navigon’s MobileNavigator is now all the way down to £29.49.

Whilst the TomTom iPhone app works even higher with the TomTom cradle, it provides one other £100 to the worth, making the general price greater than a standalone gadget. So TomTom could have one of the best iPhone sat-nav expertise, nevertheless it’s wanting more and more expensive, though you’ll be able to presently get the Western European model for £59.99, which is barely extra aggressive.

Link:
Available through the App Store in iTunes