TomTom Offers Major Text-to-Speech Update for iPhone App

[Michael Essany]

TomTom is taking on Text-to-Speech with their popular iPhone application. And despite wide gaps between those who like and dislike the app, that chasm will likely be bridged (just a wee bit) by the new update that adds a staple of full-blown GPS technology to their app.

As you would imagine, the free update, which been submitted to Apple and is currently awaiting approval, enables your app to announce everything from street names to points of interest, two developments that instantly - by mere virtue of their inclusion - make the TomTom app incredibly more attractive.

According to coverage from the New York Times:

The $100 app has received its share of bad comments and has the worst rating compared to two of its competitors, the $35 CoPilot Live and the $90 MobileNavigator. The current TomTom version averages just 2.5 stars, and has more one-star than five-star reviews. Both CoPilot and MobileNavigator have been offering text-to-speech for several weeks.

Interestingly enough, the app update doesn't exclusively contend with text-to-speech. TomTom is also now allowing for in-app iPod player control, a development that will probably prevent many traffic accidents and lost lives in the coming years.

Further adding to the lure of the app and its update is the inclusion of a "safety camera database update." Sort of like the "Spark Notes" of driving, the update lets you remember the important points of your travels. By "important points" I mean wherever safety cameras are mounted to capture you speeding or driving recklessly. By avoiding such behavior in the presence of cameras, TomTom is thinking that such "good behavior" will eventually be practiced at all times by drivers not just when the tape is rolling.

Other features that TomTom will add with this version include advanced lane guidance in both landscape and portrait mode, direct access to emergency numbers, a database update to its map and safety camera database update

Image via TomTom

[unclebnz]

This app is way over priced

[nrowensby]

I have tried both TomTom and Navigon, I gave up text-to-speech because of how much more reliable TomTom was on my phone. This is great news, now I get all the features of Navigon with the reliability of TomTom!

[sobeniceguy2]

I been using Navigon and like it better than Tom Tom I look forward to the update to compare again.

[chloe3305]

Cant wait til the release of the update.

[StealthBravo]

Navigon FTW!

[adp]

So you post this article about an update to an over-priced, unreliable app, but ignore the fact that a traffic update was released 3 days ago by Navigon? Talk about bias.

[rwin84]

Xgps!

[pacmac]

Over priced... Navigon is better..but the best is google it's free..let's pray and hope that google nav will come to iPhones even thoe that apple is looking to get there own maps..let's wait.

[FoneWeasel]

Now I just wanna see a review of the TomTom iPhone cradle showing that it works with the iPhone 2G and I'm sold.

[tudtran]

Lower the price too that may get them another star.

[southfrisco]

Navigon FTW!

I agree. Navigon is a little clunky to navigate when inputting addresses but when real time traffic is added it will be hard to beat.

[Zehlek]

Tomtom's maps are not up to date. Navigon's is. For one tomtom is still missing streets from places that were made 10 years ago and have POI's of business' of former companies. Navigon is totally up to date

[rhekt]

im not really getting any convincing evidence either way with any of these maps apps

[badass1469]

I've tried all the mobile navigation apps there is and out of all of them I loved the Tomtom. I could care less if it didn't tell me the name of the street I was on, or what the name of the street it was that needed a left or a right. If i really needed to know what street I was going to have to turn on I could simply look at my iPhone... it's just a bunch of lazy jack asses that are to fat to turn their no neck head and simply take a quick glance at the phone which takes less then half a second.

The only con of the long list of Pros. of this app, was the some what steep price.

[dcguy]

Tomtom's maps are not up to date. Navigon's is. For one tomtom is still missing streets from places that were made 10 years ago and have POI's of business' of former companies. Navigon is totally up to date

I'm currently working with TomTom and the iPhone app actually uses the latest Tele Atlas map of the United States. The IQ Routes function also provides faster routes to your destination up to 35% of the time.

[mickish1953]

I have tried three of the navigation apps here in the UK, tomtom, navigon and co pilot, navigon is by far the best, the tomtom car kit is the dog's b******s though

[tudtran]

I upgraded TomTom. I shouldn't brought it in the first place.

[cj061]

I've tried 3 different apps and they all fail due to the poor GPS reception of the iPhone...when I can get a TomTom cradle in Aus, I'll give it a go. Hopefully I will get a device capable a keeping me on the road. Software wise, TomTom seems to offer the better options though, IMHO.

[eaglesteve]

Overall, this is a good update. However, I'm disappointed that it still does not allow audio warning when approaching user chosen POI. I also noted that the safety camera database for Australia is still far from complete. For these reason, I'm still sticking with Sygic, which IMO still has the best functionalities among all Sat Nav at the moment.