TomTom iPhone Dock, anyone? (1 Viewer)

[DaveF]

Ok. I'm looking forward to your updated comments. The TomTom with its mount is still the only complete GPS iPhone solution, it seems to me.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

Originally Posted by DaveF
Ok. I'm looking forward to your updated comments. The TomTom with its mount is still the only complete GPS iPhone solution, it seems to me.

Magellan also sells one.

 

[DaveF]

Thanks, I'll take a look. I didn't know about that kit.

 

[DaveF]

Originally Posted by Sam Posten
What makes you think it doesn't fix the voltage? It looks like that insert has some jumpers in it, not that it's just changing the shape.

Looks like a piece of adhesive-backed plastic that sticks to the TomTom holder to help the iPhone sit right.
http://www.tomtom.com/page/iphone-4-adapter
 
I'm looking at an iPhone car adapter kit. If the iPhone 4s have different charging requirements, I'm concerned these older kits won't work right with my iPhone 4.

 

[Ted Todorov]

Still waiting for TomTom for the iPad (or other equivalent with built in maps).
 
Motion X is the only game in town that's iPad native and it has two huge problems -- no built in maps, and poor quality data. We were in New Mexico for the past week and twice it sent us to the wrong place on what were unambiguous destinations (once 55 miles in the wrong direction before we finally caught on). And AT&T has abysmal coverage in New Mexico, so that added to our woes.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

Version 1.5 of the software appeared overnight and I'm eager to try it out. Happy to read from the early reviews that some of the flaws (notably with the traffic service) have been resolved. The navigate to photo feature is pretty slick. I tried it with some pictures I took last week in the Bay Area and it set the destination location perfectly.

 

[DaveF]

How's the TomTom adapter working with the iPhone 4?

I've about given up on using my iPhone as a GPS solution, particularly now that I've installed an iPod adapter in my car. But I keep an eye on the solutions. It's getting time for a new GPS, and while a dedicated unit is probably the right choice, I keep hoping there's a viable iPhone solution for me.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

I never bought the TomTom dock. I have a Macally mCup that works just fine for mounting my iPhone in one of my cupholders. I think TomTom's dock solution isn't much more than marketing spin. A lot of states won't let you mount GPS or phones on a windshield legally anyhow. And the assisted GPS or whatever they want to call it doesn't really seem necessary, at least with an iPhone 4. I just spent ten days in California and a good portion of it was spent far from the range of AT&T's network. A lot of the time at Yosemite I was getting the No Service alert, yet the iPhone and TomTom software worked like a charm the entire trip, even in terrible weather.

 

[DaveF]

Thanks for the comments. That's a helpful perspective.

With my new iPod / iPhone car adapter, a dash mount might be a good solution. And the adapter powers the iPhone, so a GPS app won't kill the battery.

My wife has been playing with a free GPS app from MapQuest, and it seems to work pretty well using the phone's GPS chip. I assumed the GPS-assisted docks from TomTom and others would provide significant improvements to the phone's GPS performance, but I don't really know.

Maybe for the holidays I'll get the TomTom app as a gift. It seems like the best iPhone solution for map software (if you want the entire map database preinstalled).

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

I do like the integration for Google's Local Search, which supplements the built-in POI database nicely. And I can verify the problems that existed with the traffic service in the previous version have been resolved. Most reviews I've read seem to rate TomTom's traffic service as the best among the iPhone GPS app options. It's a little pricey at $20/year (I think Navigon charges $20 for lifetime service), but traffic is constantly being updated every three minutes and re-routes (if shorter travel times are available) are offered up instantaneously. Also, the newly updated software lets you zoom in and out of the 3-D view, which wasn't possible before.

 

[DaveF]

Traffic? What's traffic?



That might be worth paying for, for our vacation driving to places with traffic. But it's not a daily concern.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

My daily commute is by train, but when I go into the city or when I travel out of state in areas with unfamiliar traffic patterns, it's been very helpful.

 

[DaveF]

New question: does the TomTom app play nice with iPod functionality on the iPhone?
I did my first GPS multitasking test last night, using the free MapQuest app. I've got a new iPod stereo adapter for my car, which gives a direct audio connection and charges it: perfect for GPS use, no? The experience was tolerable, but not great, for two annoyances:

1) MQ was really wrong on some directions. And it completely lost my position and fell about 1/4 mile behind on directions at one point (Telling me to turn well after I'd already made the turn).

2) Erratically, after ducking the iPod volume to give navigation directions, it wouldn't restore the iPod volume. So randomly, my music volume would be reduced to 25% of what it was. And if I turned up the car stereo to compensate, Navigation directions were deafeningly loud. I'd have to start and stop the MQ navigation; unplug and plug the iPhone to get it back to normal.

Does TomTom do volume ducking correctly, reducing and then restoring music volume when giving voice directions? If so, I'm ready to buy it this weekend to play with it and use over Holiday driving.

 

[Sam Posten]

No idea. My car doesnt have stereo in, I refuse to use fm adaptors and my bluetooth will only do calls not stereo.
My tomtom adapter works great with the iPhone 4 and yeah it's just a little piece of rubber in the right spot. Only gripe is I have to remove the bumper to use it.
And the dock is not hype. In addition to cargong it also significantly improves accuracy.

 

[DaveF]

With my new adapter, I can't use the TomTom dock. (and driving without an iPod is madness, especially on vacations)
I'll have to do some searching to if if this volume ducking issue affects TomTom app. If not, it'll be worth the try even without its special adapter.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

I have no problems with iPod volume control when I'm using the TomTom app. Music fades out and in as expected.

 

[DaveF]

Thanks.

 

[SoundDoc]

My van has an AUX in as part of its system - yes, I said van, but I can't haul an electric wheel chair in a two-seater. Anyway, that appear to be too attractive to someone and so my Tom Tom was taken along with its base, charger and cables while I was in the hospital having back surgery. The Friday before Halloween, someone else threw a brick at my rear window, shattering it. Then while the van was in my parking garage someone else crawled in through the space that once held the window and removed the Tom Tom, it's base, its charger, and the charger I had for my old cell phone that I was getting ready to recycle.

My new phone has a GPS with turn-by-turn instructions, plays music, including in AAC and FLAC formats, and has Bluetooth connectivity as well (no, it's no it's not an iPhone, hence the FLAC support) and has an output that I can feed to my van's system. So, in spite of the fact that someone else thought that they would be better caretakers of my old system, I now have a better system with lower out-of-pocket expenses.

 

[DaveF]

Welcome to the forum, John!

This particular sub-section is pretty specific to Apple hardware and software. You'll find more discussion on Android, Windows, and other smartphones and devices and software in this section: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/list/76

Look forward to seeing you in further discussions

 

[DaveF]

I'm downloading the TomTom App. It's on sale for $50 (US & Canada), and I decided to splurge for the holiday travels, starting today. Thanks for all your comments. Fingers crossed it works well for my particular car and iPhone setup.