TomTom to bring free lane guidance, text-to-speech, iPod control to iPhone GPS app
By Darren Murph 
posted Nov 12th 2009 12:12PM
posted Nov 12th 2009 12:12PM
Update: As of November 18th, this update is live in the App Store.
TomTom to update its application for iPhone with major improvements and new features for free
~ Advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech and the "Help menu" among new features coming soon ~
Concord, Mass. – November 12, 2009 – Users of TomTom's popular iPhone navigation application will soon be able to enjoy even more advanced features, with a free update ensuring users always have the best navigation experience.
This update*, which is being submitted to Apple for review today and will be awaiting their approval, will bring significant and advanced additional features that TomTom fans around the world have come to appreciate. These are:
- Advanced lane guidance giving drivers extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. For the first time this is in both landscape and portrait mode.
- Text-to-speech helping motorists to keep their eyes on the road by enabling street names and places to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions.
- "Help Me" providing direct access to emergency numbers and directions to the nearest emergency providers.
- Updated map and safety camera database**.
- Customizable audio warnings when approaching safety cameras or driving over the speed limit, increasing driver safety and saving money.
- iPod player control ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application.
"The TomTom app for iPhone is a priority for us and we are committed to both its long term development and everyday improvements," said Benoit Simeray, TomTom's senior vice president, On-board Mobile. "Current and future customers of our application for the iPhone can count on more great updates from TomTom for free."
*This update will be for: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand
** Safety Camera information is available in selected European countries including: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.
~ Advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech and the "Help menu" among new features coming soon ~
Concord, Mass. – November 12, 2009 – Users of TomTom's popular iPhone navigation application will soon be able to enjoy even more advanced features, with a free update ensuring users always have the best navigation experience.
This update*, which is being submitted to Apple for review today and will be awaiting their approval, will bring significant and advanced additional features that TomTom fans around the world have come to appreciate. These are:
- Advanced lane guidance giving drivers extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. For the first time this is in both landscape and portrait mode.
- Text-to-speech helping motorists to keep their eyes on the road by enabling street names and places to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions.
- "Help Me" providing direct access to emergency numbers and directions to the nearest emergency providers.
- Updated map and safety camera database**.
- Customizable audio warnings when approaching safety cameras or driving over the speed limit, increasing driver safety and saving money.
- iPod player control ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application.
"The TomTom app for iPhone is a priority for us and we are committed to both its long term development and everyday improvements," said Benoit Simeray, TomTom's senior vice president, On-board Mobile. "Current and future customers of our application for the iPhone can count on more great updates from TomTom for free."
*This update will be for: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand
** Safety Camera information is available in selected European countries including: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.
Bankai.
I lol'ed
This is nowhere near Bankai, let alone Shikai. This update better fix the lateness bug and add live traffic. Until then, Navigon is the way to go.
Excellent comment made my day...
It's not really free if you have to pay for the app in the first place.
Ahhh... Much better.
I think Crunchpad will be able to do this also.
crap-pad never coming out, so forget that
I'm hoping Apple comes out with it's own free Nav app. Hopefully they won't wait until the next iPhone release.
I doubt they would, especially with the fact that they have google maps already installed on the device. But either way, I hope Apple approves google maps on the iPhone..but honestly, still trying to get used to using my phone as a navigator in my car.. :P
Well they recently bought a mapping company so it might happen?
2 little, 2 late
Still too much money.
I would have liked to see them try to charge for a text-to-speech update, seeing as they are the most expensive GPS Nav App out there and even the $30 Nav apps have that as standard theses days.
not to mention the app store doesn't let you charge for updates yet. they'd have to release it as a new app to do that but they know no one would buy it. They really need to kick it up a notch RIGHT NOW before the google nav app makes its way to the iphone or they're screwed.
They could have charged for that as an in-app purchase, like Navigon does for Live Traffic
Correct me if I'm wrong, but one (and perhaps only one) advantage that the TomTom (and Navigon and the others) app will continue to have over the forthcoming Google app is that all map data is stored locally on the device. For most people, this is probably not a big deal, but those living or driving in rural areas where cellular data is spotty or non-existent will have to consider it.
True, Goog Nav does cache the basic map data though for a certain period of your route so if you lose signal for a bit.. so it's better than the OTA navs that don't cache anything... The negative to Tomtom etc is that you take up tons of space on your iphone with maps that may not be the newest unless they just did an update and you remembered to update your maps.
I've heard that the version of the Droid being released in Europe, which has a number of advantages (like multi-touch) over the US version, actually does support downloading the maps to the phone. Don't know if this is a licensing restriction that will NEVER be coming to the US version of Google Maps, or if it will be coming in a future update to the Droid et al (and maybe iPhone).
You are right, I am using t-mobile prepaid on my iPhone, navigon and tomtom type of gps are the only ones I am using
Ooo, are those iPhone Nanos?
It is the secret leak of the iphones of the future!
Nope, those are the forthcoming iPhone Macro (the outer two, that is). Apple has decided to go in the opposite direction and make things bigger, in order to better capture Steve Jobs' ego.
Insert inevitable Google Navigation/Droid Comments Here:
Google can use maps stored online because the DROID is actually able to use it's 3G?
You can get the maps over EDGE too, and AT&T's EDGE coverage is better than Verizon's 3G coverage. Your reasoning is exactly why AT&T is suing Verizon right now.
Perhaps if they spent more time working on their network insted of in a lawyer's office, this wouldn't even be an issue?
There's a map for that! and it's FREE.
Nice update...
Now Ill just wait around for 3-4 months for the iPhone car Kit to get around $75 and then Ill be in business.
Thanks Google and Navigon.....I mean TomTom!
You can get the car kit now for $90 at Bottom Line Telecommunications. I did, and it works great.
This definitely makes the TomTom app seem more appealing; one of the things that bummed me out when it was first released was that it was missing some of the more recent features (like advanced lane guidance) that are becoming standard on the standalone TomTom devices.
LOL i had this on my navigon for like two months and yesterday added traffic updates. what a joke tomtom is. they think they are the BMW of navgation with their price but in reality they cant compare to navigons.
i can never get the music player working properly in navigon
sux - love the program though
will the google nav app ever be released for the iphone?
Google said they're working with Apple right now to bring it to the iPhone.
Thank you google.
Hmm...
Will they be refunding the cost of buying the original software?
If not, I'll continue using my DROID's FREE navigation app, and prepare to rid myself of the last iPhone 3GS we have in the house come end of contract.
highly-hyped?
Still inferior to Google street view turn-by-turn where you can see the road/building you're going to.
How about adding REAL TIME TRAFFIC... for free or course...
Its funny that's taken them THIS long to play catch up to Navigon, yet they don't even throw in the real-time traffic that Navigon just added to its software.
Also, I hope Google gets their Maps Navigation software out on other platforms (iPhone included) soon.
i hope Google takes their ball and go home. I hate the iPhone I have.
"for its highly-hyped iPhone navigation app. "
I assume you meant "its highly-priced iPhone navigation app."
Anyone has tested the http://www.magellangps.com/iphone/iphoneapp.asp ?