*Updated 3-03-2010*
The App Store is cluttered with iPhone GPS apps, and sorting through them is a daunting task. This guide is designed to cut through the clutter, gather all relevant info in one place, and aid you in making the best choice. We also take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of iPhone GPS vs personal navigation devices, and examine the new elephant in the room, Google Maps Navigation.
The TomTom iPhone car kit, which we’ve talked about before, has landed in the Apple online store at the hefty price of $120. While it’s not in stock yet, this gives the chance for people to pre-order if they want.
The kit is designed to attach your iPhone to the car’s windshield and comes with an extra GPS unit built into the kit itself. TomTom claims using the hardware with your iPhone provides a more steady and accurate GPS reading.
The kit doesn’t include the cost of the TomTom iPhone app, which is an extra $99 (iTunes link). What will be interesting to see is if the GPS unit in the kit will work with other, perhaps less expensive GPS apps (ie, provide an enhanced GPS connection to something like MotionX GPS Drive).
When I heard the $99 price tag of the TomTom iPhone app (iTunes link), my jaw dropped. Especially in light of a standalone TomTom GPS unit going for as low $70 on Amazon. That said, there are some benefits to carrying around a single device instead of two. Plus, the TomTom app can be transferred onto future versions of the iPhone as well. If your TomTom breaks out of warranty…you’re out of luck and have to pay up again.
Our poll question:
Loading ...TomTom has announced a turn-by-turn navigation app for the iPhone along with a special car kit that “offers secure docking, enhanced GPS performance, clear voice instructions and hands-free calling, while charging your iPhone at the same time.”
The app will include TomTom’s maps, IQ Routes planning technology that calculates optimal routes at specific times of day, voice navigation, and other features.
Pricing for the app and the car kit have not yet been announced, with the official website stating both will arrive “later this summer.”
Links: