Mid-August this year, I was elated to hear that Tomtom had finally released a version of their award winning GPS software for the iPhone. Days before I was tempted to purchase and download the two main turn-by-turn GPS apps that were available via the Australia AppStore – Navigon Mobile Navigator and Sygic Mobile Maps. Even though Tomtom for iPhone is slightly more expensive I am very pleased that I did not succumb and am very pleased with my purchase.
Is TomTom for iPhone worth the money when Google Maps is free?
While Google Maps suffices as a very rudimentary form of 2D navigation on the iPhone, it is not a full-blooded turn-by-turn GPS app like Tomtom. There have been countless times where I have taken the wrong turn because I couldn’t orient my mind around the non-forward-facing 2D Google Map. Google have of course attempted to fix this with the new direction oriented arrow but it’s still not perfect. Tomtom for iPhone does exactly what it is known to do – provides a simple-to-use turn-by-turn navigation experience. So yes, Tomtom for iPhone in my opinion is worth the $99.
Accuracy of Tomtom iPhone Maps
In my last couple of weeks of testing, I’ve travelled approximately 1000km and had zero issues with the accuracy of TomTom maps. The only issue I’ve encounted is when driving in the middle of Melbourne CBD, the GPS signal weakens and the app grinds to try to work out where it is. Thankfully, there have been no disastrous outcomes and most of the time it finds itself again in a couple of seconds. Must be all the high rise buildings blocking the GPS view?
Tomtom iPhone Interface
As expected, the TomTom iPhone app feels like a satnav app – it provides intelligent turn-by-turn display and voice instructions. The menus are intuitive and functions can be easily triggered by finger-touch i.e. there are no annoying tiny buttons. It was easy to change from 2D to 3D maps, however my only gripe here was that you couldn’t pinch-and-zoom the navigation screen, as touching it would take you back to the main menu. There are however, zoom-in and zoom-out buttons if you need to use them.
Verdict: Highly Recommended
Overall well worth the AU$99.95 for the app (which is still cheaper than buying a dedicated SatNav / GPS unit). If you tend to drive a lot, especially in new territories, forget Google Maps and get TomTom for the iPhone today!
