Categories: Apps & Software News   Tags: , ,

tomtom-iphone-car-kitEver since TomTom announced that it was putting together a full Car Kit to go with the TomTom iPhone app the big question has been whether it’ll be cheaper to go down this route or stick with a standalone unit. Now, finally, we can answer that question. Click on to find out how much it’ll set you back.

And the answer is (drumroll): £99.99. On the face of it that may seem a lot for an, albeit nice, cradle, hinge and a sucker to fix it to you windscreen. However, it looks like there’s a standalone GPS receiver baked in there too.

There’s still no official word from TomTom about specs, but it did say that the kit will be compatible with all iPhones, including the 2G. Those paying attention will have noticed that the 2G doesn’t have GPS built in, so it’s got to get that location data from somewhere.

A proper GPS will also no doubt up the performance on all models, since it’s been designed for in car use.

You’ll also need to buy the TomTom app on top of that, which puts the whole kaboodle at £160. TomTom’s cheapest model sells for £130, but that doesn’t have a built in internet connection. For that, you need to be looking at something like the XL Live which will set you back £220.

So if you just want cheap satnav, a standalone unit is still the better bet. But if you want to tap into TomTom’s Live services too and you’ve already got an iPhone the Car Kit and app combo is the cheaper choice.

Out October | £99.99 | TomTom

  • Richard

    Since there doesn’t seem to be any Live services available on the iPhone TomTom application, that point seems a bit moot.
    This to me is a rip-off. The hardware needed for sat nav is already in the iPhone but with a stand-alone TomTom unit, you get all that too. TomTom One stand alone units can easily be bough new for under £100, so if the £99 for the car kit included the software too, it would make a bit more sense, but it doesn’t.

  • http://www.gravatar.com James Holland

    The price does seem ludicrously high. I doubt the GPS signal is improved *that* much by it either, especially since the early warnings for turnings are given before you’re at the junction, and therefore don’t need to be pinpoint accurate. Wonder how long before third party alternatives flood the market. I note that Co-Pilot haven’t tried to market their own iPhone bracket, despite having an app available…

Hot chat, right here!


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