TomTom Car Kit for iPhone Video

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TomTom Car Kit for iPhone
Created: 11/13/2009
Video description: Most seem to think that TomTom's Car Kit for iPhone is overpriced. So, what exactly are you getting for your money?

TomTom Car Kit for iPhone Video Transcript

[ Background music ]

>> Antuan Goodwin: Earlier this year Tom Tom released a navigation app for iPhone that enabled turn by turn directions that were a step above the pre installed Google maps app however I've typically have found the iPhone to be a less than ideal replacement for standalone GPS devices. Apparently so have the guys at Tom Tom which may explain their latest bit of hardware. I'm Antuan Goodwin let's take a look at the TomTom car kit for iPhone. Now the Tom Tom Car Kit addresses a few issues that plagued navigation on the iPhone. The first being where do you put the darn thing? The Tom Tom kit integrates Tom Tom's easy port and mount for a quick and easy connection to your windshield. The car kit features a swiveling neck and a rotating sliding head to position the iPhone whatever way you need. The cradle also charges the iPhone with this 12 volt charger and integrates a loudspeaker for turn by turn directions. Tom Tom's car kit can also be used for hands free calling after quick Bluetooth pairing and features independent volume controls for calls. If you want to listen to music through your vehicles speakers an auxiliary audio port can also be used with a patch cable to connect to your car stereo however turn by turn directions cannot be output through that audio port and no audio cable is included in the kit. The Tom Tom car kit has 1 more trick up its sleeve. It's packing its own built in GPS receiver that's more sensitive than the unit in the iPhone for more accurate satellite location. The Tom Tom car kit doesn't require the Tom Tom turn by turn iPhone app to function. It can be used as a hand free speaker phone and a charger without it and a free Tom Tom car kit tool app is available which displays the kits docking status, GPS fixed status and latitude and longitude information. However in order for this $170 car kit to actually be useful you want to pick up the $99 Tom Tom app for iPhone to enable turn by turn directions and to gain access to actual maps. It would be nice if there was some sort of a package deal that included the app and the car kit since they sort of rely on one another but oddly enough there isn't. [ Background music ]

>> Antuan Goodwin: So is the Tom Tom car kit for iPhone worth the high cost of entry? Check out our full review to find out. Until then I'm Antuan Goodwin and this has been your first look at the Tom Tom car kit for iPhone. ^M00:02:22 [ Music ]

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TomTom Car Kit for iPhone Review

Editors' rating

The good: The TomTom Car Kit for iPhone features a more accurate GPS receiver than the one built into the iPhone, a louder speaker for spoken directions, and a built in Bluetooth hands-free speakerphone, addressing many of the issues inherent with navigating with a smartphone. An included 12-volt charger keeps the iPhone powered on long trips. The EasyPort mount is extremely flexible, easy to affix to the dash or windshield, and easy to position.

The bad: The TomTom navigation app for iPhone is not included with the Car Kit, almost doubling the cost. The Car Kit can't be used with most iPhone cases. Calls and turn-by-turn directions can't be sent through the auxiliary audio output.

The bottom line: The TomTom Car Kit for iPhone lets you consolidate the number of devices carried around by elevating iPhone navigation to a standalone navigation device level. It's pricey, but TomTom gives users a fair amount of functionality for the money.

Read full review

TomTom Car Kit for iPhone Specs

Manufacturer: TomTom
Part number: 9UOB.017.00

Product Specifications
  • Product Specifications

Read full specs

TomTom Car Kit for iPhone Prices

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In stock $119.95