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Product Review: TomTom GPS on the iPhone

Wes

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Sep 24, 2007
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Location
San Antonio, Texas
First Name
Wes
Last Name
Elliott
Well I received my iphone in December and have used the TomTom GPS on my iphone since January as a replacement for my TomTom one and TomTom Rider. Other than a few 160 mile day rides and commuting I have taken it to Big Bend from El Paso once and made a few trips on I-10 to San Antonio.

Attachment:
I attached the Iphone using a RAM Mount and cradle that cost $35. I modified it to mount in the center of my forks on the steering nut. I like it here better than on the sides by clutch or brake. (See Attached Photo) The mount holds well and I really like RAM mounts for their quality and modular design. If you buy a new phone or GPS, you just buy a new cradle and keep using the same set up.

Reliability:
The iphone has a built in GPS antenna and also uses wireless and cell signal to triangulate your position. So unlike other cell phone GPS apps, if you lose cell signal you won't lose GPS signal. Also the App will calculate your position based on speed so if you momentarily lose signal you would never know. So far I have only lost signal on a 2 mile stretch of I-10 outside of Van Horn for some unexplained reason. It happens every time for 2 miles exactly.

Maps:
The maps are more current than my previous GPS despite both being loaded with current maps. I live in a new house that google maps or yahoo doesn't recognize but the TomTom on the iphone does.

Ease of Use:
I use my head phones when I ride long distances and I can listen to and control my music from the TomTom App and the audio directions will temporarily override the music to make it easier to hear them. It also gives lane selection while on the freeway which makes it easy to exit when on a 6 lane spaghetti bowl type road. My only complaint is I can't use the touch screen when wearing winter gloves, but it works through my Scorpion summer gloves. You just press a little harder than you would if you were bare handed.

Cost:
There are several versions. I purchased the US only for $50. There is a North America for $100 if you want to explore Canada and Mexico.

Overall Impressions:
I really like the App. It has taken the place of me carrying a cell phone, ipod shuffle, and GPS on bike trips. Plus I have all the added Iphone benefits of email, weather, and calendar. I was very skeptical in the beginning but I have grown to love my iphone on and off the bike and the TomTom App is a great tool to have. I use it every time I ride now. I do sort of hate it during winter riding because CNN App pop-ups about breaking news will show up in front of the GPS map and I can't turn them off due to the winter gloves. But that is my only complaint so far.
 

Attachments

  • 2010-03-20 - Terlingua Trip.JPG
    2010-03-20 - Terlingua Trip.JPG
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  • 2010-03-20 - Terlingua Trip iphone.JPG
    2010-03-20 - Terlingua Trip iphone.JPG
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Thank you for the write up. This is exactly what I needed.

The only concern I have left... is the rain.
 
Thanks for the information. I've been looking at the app but didn't want to spend the cash without some additional information. I will look into this a little more now.
 
My only concern was that if something were to happen to it, then I would also lose my phone, gps, and tunes all while out on the road somewhere.... Is that a worst case scenario, sure, but I'm the type that always worries about things like that I guess....LOL
 
Grandelatte: As far as rain, my TomTom One wasn't water proof either so have always carried ziplock bags in one of my jacket pockets so when it rains the electronics and my wallet all goin bags till it stops.


DFW: Well now you only have to keep up with one thing though instead of three? I putting my old GPS on whatever dirtbike I get though, I'm scared to roll the iphone offroad.
 
Can you load itn's or just put in a destination?
 
It works exactly like a TomTom with itineray planning but you can't load them. You can do google searches through the app though.
 
So you can create itn's, just not load already made ones from a file? Can you export an itn?
 
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