TomTom Car Kit Strands iPod Touch Users

When TomTom officially debuted their turn-by-turn iPhone car navigation app back on August 16, the sun shined a whole lot brighter for iPhone and iPod touch users. Almost three months later, the wildly anticipated TomTom car kit which functions as a vital companion to the iPhone app, is finally available online through the Apple Store. But the device arrived with some unpleasant software limitations that many never saw coming.

It turns out that TomTom's $120 Car Kit will only work with iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS devices. Leaving original iPhone and iPod touch users stranded on the long dark highway of disappointment. The company's optional car dock utilizes a mounted antenna boasting enhanced GPS performance. It also charges your iPhone, provides an amplified speaker for turn-by-turn instructions using the $99 dollar GPS app and it lets you dial hands-free. 

"The dock provides an enhanced GPS chip that continually tracks your location. The most noticeable difference will be in downtown areas with large buildings and reduced GPS resolution. The dock will provide a far more accurate result" Source - Apple.com

The company's product page warns potential buyers that "The Car Kit dock is compatible with all iPhone models, but the Car Kit app only works with iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G. That's the unfortunate news for now, although some reports indicate that TomTom will eventually update their app to enable compatibility for iPod touch users. Which translated means, don't hold your breath.

While getting my hands on this level of iPhone navigation really stimulates my geeky parts, it will come with a $220 price tag for both the app and car kit companion. I'm still not convinced that's a price I'm willing to pay for what's in the box. Which is one TomTom Car Kit, an adhesive disk and documentation according to Apple. Like many of you, I will wait it out on the sidelines until more accurate user reviews start pouring in.

Comments

[Glenn]

I agree with Doug. The early iPhones and iPod Touch were never intended to support navigation. But I think you should get your money's worth from it at least by buying a ipod car kit so you can hardwire that work of art loaded with all the thousands of songs to your factory car stereo. The best place I've found one is at www.mypodcarkit.com. I installed one for my neice before she left for college last year and I still get texts telling me how awesome having her ipod in her car is.

[car dvd gps]

I own a TomTom One (bought in 2007) and I never experienced a similar situation. Yes, it takes some time to recalculate a new direction especially in narrow streets but it recover within a minute or two at the worse.

[divisas forex]

hello great info thanks .

[spiny norman]

So apart from not the app not supporting the touch or most iphones, the mount doesn't even include a suction cup or vent mount I can use in a rental? And the two together cost more than a GPS? Thanks, but no thanks.

@doug: read, please. The mount includes a GPS receiver.

[Gino]

@Doug,

The point of the article was to point out that because the car kit has its own GPS built-in there is no reason why the car kit combined with the app should not work with 1G iPhones and iPod Touches.

[twitter.com/sixthland]

I'm trying the TomTom car kit out with Co-Pilot UK and my 3GS. So far it seems to be working fine (although it's hard to say whether I've got enhanced GPS - I don't know if that depends on the TomTom App). The handsfree is good, I get in-car charging and it's the sexiest car mount I could find. I was happy to pay the price for the extra features (over a dumb mount) because of course, Co-Pilot is much cheaper.

[Doug]

A ridiculous notion. Given that the ipod and 1G iPhones do not have GPS built in, this article makes absolutely no sense to ding the company for not supporting devices without GPS.

However I do agree that the solution is price for such a simple kit.