To be honest I’ve never had any desire or need to have a GPS unit in the car. However, like fire extinguishers and spare keys, they suddenly become incredibly important in a time of need. Although my car is only used on weekends for either long country drives or a quick trip to the shops, I recently found myself in need of directions.
Google Maps: pre-installed and free but it has it’s limitations
I was headed to the the family holiday house down the coast. I set out after work on a Friday and I was travelling alone. As the Geelong by-pass had recently opened I figured it would be a good way of saving time so I could make it in time for dinner. What I hadn’t figured was I had no knowledge of the area where the freeway ended, meaning I would have to find the rest of the way by myself. Luckily I remembered my new iPhone had Google Maps. Once off the freeway I fired up Google Maps and it quickly located my position. Interestingly the freeway wasn’t even on the map – Google fail.
I was soon back on the road with Google pointing the way. However the shortcomings of this solution were soon evident. The iPhone was in cradle between the two front seats so I could only look down when I was stopped at the lights. Not good if you’re already sitting in the wrong lane. Plus there’s no audible instructions. The other thing is the map is presented in aerial view which isn’t entirely helpful. Particularly when travelling at night through an unfamiliar area. After a number of missed turns I finally got to my destination. It’s only after I arrived that I realised tapping the icon in the bottom left of the screen keeps the map centred on your position and pointing in the right direction. Something that wasn’t immediately obvious, yet it’s extremely helpful if you’ve got a iPhone 3Gs.
While I was able to use Google maps on the iPhone to get to my destination, it’s far from ideal for an in-car solution.
Enter TomTom for the iPhone
When TomTom became available for the iPhone I was initially put off purely because of the price. At $99.99 AUD it’s certainly a far cry from what we’ve come to expect in terms of pricing in the App store. Plus the initial reviews weren’t exactly glowing.
Since my earlier experience with Google Maps I have had a few other occasions where proper turn-by-turn navigation would have been helpful. So I began to reconsider the TomTom app and the 2 reasons that stopped my from purchasing it in the first place – the price of the app and a dash mount for the iPhone.
An over-priced app or a cheap GPS alternative?
Compared to the price of other apps, the TomTom app does seem ridiculously expensive. However when you compare it to the price of a dedicated TomTom device (starting at $249 AUD), the app suddenly seems like a cheap alternative. Yes, I know there’s the cost of the iPhone, but really it’s something I already have regardless of a GPS device.
Dash mounting an iPhone
TomTom have their own branded iPhone mounting unit which is yet to be locally available. With no idea when it will be released and how much it will cost, I found I was easily able to make my own. I had an old vinyl iPhone sleeve I was no longer using. So I added some double sided adhesive strips (the kind that come with 3M hooks) to the back of the sleeve and attached it to the flat area between the dashboard and the centre console. Hey-presto, you have a dash-mounted iPhone. The great thing is it sits right beside the AUX input on my car stereo so the wiring between iPhone and stereo is minimal (see photo). After all that it seems like I might be removing my DIY cradle given the somewhat confusing laws that are about to come into effect here in Victoria. More on that here.
Journey planning & navigating the TomTom app
The TomTom app’s first task was to find a petrol station. As I had a fuel voucher I was looking for a known brand. Selecting “Navigate to… > Point of Interest > POI Near Me > Petrol Station” brings up a list of petrol stations including their brand names and ordered by distance. So I select one and I’m given a trip overview screen containing a mini map of my destination, the address and a phone number (which I can click to call).
Hitting the “Select” button then returns a second overview screen. This time with the entire trip mapped, the distance and an estimate of the travel time. There’s also an “options” button which gives you the ability to find an alternative, route demo, clear route, turn-by-turn instructions and a map of the route.
Hitting the “done” button takes you straight into the turn-by-turn map and directions. The maps are particularly clear and uncluttered, however the instructions feel a little pokey. Although that doesn’t really matter as a voice reads them out anyway. The other thing is the map and directions work in both landscape and portrait mode. My preference is portrait so I can get a better idea of what’s ahead rather than what’s either side.
Data Inaccuracies
Straight away I was off to a bad start as the second turn was a left turn only corner, yet the device wanted me to turn right. Too busy trying to make a u-turn, I didn’t realise the software had re-routed the directions based on my deviation from the original instructions.
Voice Instructions
One thing I did notice was the audible instructions were almost negating the need to look at the screen. A plus for what is generally a hand held device and a big advantage over Google Maps. Also my location and direction were very accurate thanks to the GPS and magnetic compass in the new iPhone 3Gs.
Once fuelled up I got the TomTom to find me the nearest ATM or “Cash Dispenser” as the app calls it. If they can localise the maps, why can’t they localise the terms used? The TomTom seemed to give confusing directions – maybe due to my proximity and direction in the “Servo” relative to the road?
As soon as I pulled out it was again showing the way. As I could not physically park at the ATM, the software still made it clear that I had arrived when I was in close proximity to it. It didn’t seem to get upset when I actually drove past and finally found a parking spot a little way up the road. For some reason I envisaged the voice would take the tone of a nagging spouse at this point.
Business Name Search
Cashed up I decided I needed a hit of coffee. This time I did a search for the name of my favourite local coffee shop. It appeared within an expected set of search results. Unfortunately there’s no description, user ratings or reviews, business details like operating hours, only an icon to help distinguish it from the other business types listed.
iPod and Address Book Integration
As the coffee shop is further away I decided to play some music on the way there. Not sure if it was going to work, I exited to the home screen and fired up some music. I went back into the TomTom app and it picked up where I had left it. As I drove off I was pleasantly surprised to find that the music and the TomTom app work together. The TomTom screen keeps updating with my position while the music keeps playing. Occasionally the TomTom would mute (or pause?) the music while it would give me audible instructions. This was something I hadn’t thought about before I purchased the TomTom app so I was happy to find the two work together.
Coffee in hand, I was headed back home. While I knew how to get home I was keen to see if the TomTom had a better alternative. It prompted me to “set home” although it was not immediately clear how to do this. After a few attempts I finally found my way into the iPhone address book and selected my home address. As I had parked facing the opposite direction to the TomTom’s instructions it soon re-routed me so I didn’t need to make another u-turn.
Conclusion
I’m generally quite impressed with TomTom app, although with a such brand reputation and the app’s price tag you’d expect it to be somewhat impressive. That said, I was a little disappointed to find data inaccuracies, especially just 2 turns into my first trip with the app. The app quickly made up for this with it’s ability to seamlessly re-route you. The basic functions are easy to use however more advanced settings are not so intuitive. I love the way the app integrates with the contacts and allows you to play music (interrupting it when needed). I presume it does the same with phone calls -? Apparently the app also has the ability to provide information on safety cameras and speed warnings. I’ll save them for the next trip…