No Touch, iPhone 2G compatibility coming for TomTom kit
updated 03:50 pm EDT, Wed October 28, 2009
Possibility hinted at in earlier statement
The combination of the TomTom iPhone Car Kit and its corresponding navigation app will not be compatible with the iPod touch or original iPhone, officials from the company now say. The Kit's product page has for a time said that while it can hold all iPhones, the matching app is only compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Regardless, a spokesman at one point claimed that company had simply not made any "public announcements" regarding the possibility of support through a software update.
The Kit is an unusual car mount in including its own GPS receiver, meant to enhance the reliability of an iPhone's connection. Such technology could, in theory, be used to support turn-by-turn navigation on Apple handhelds without internal GPS systems. Two other companies, GeoLife and PosiMotion, have in fact promised similar support through an external router.
Killed their market
10/28, 04:23pm reply
This could've been a raison d'etre for this product. Otherwise, it's an expensive way to add a speaker and a GPS receiver to the iPhone 3G. Oops, it's already got those!
cmoney
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 2000
Wow
10/28, 04:40pm reply
When TomTom announced it was coming to the iPhone with the adaptor I was really excited about it. Ever since then it's become more and more of a disappointment, price, delays, price, and performance when compared to other offerings.
My guess is that instead of making the best product they could, they were more worried about preventing sale loss to their line of GPS units - certainly the TomTom never seemed to be a priority for them. And the pricing isn't exactly aggressive.
Now Google has a free turn-by-turn navigation offering for the Droid and if the rumors are true, Google and Apple are working to bring this to iPhone. Seems to me that TomTom missed it's window. I predict that turn-by-turn will only get better and better for mobile phones and offered for far less money than TomTom, Garmin, etc. At least Garmin seems to get it as they've entered the phone market (regardless of what you think of it) the see the writing on the wall. If TomTom does not wake up, they'll find themselves in the same boat as Palm.
slider
Mac Elite
Joined: Oct 1999