TomTom has unveiled the TomTom car kit for Apple’s iPod touch which retails for US$99.95.
TomTom car kit for iPod touch features:
• Secure Docking: Specially designed award-winning EasyPort™ mount fixes your iPod touch
• Built-in GPS receiver: Built-in GPS receiver turns your iPod touch into a mobile navigation device
• Clear voice instructions: Built-in speaker lets you hear every voice instruction loud and clear
• Line out for music playback: Using the line out connector you can play all your favorite songs
• Rotates for optimal positioning: Rotate the screen for widescreen route display. And it folds flat, so moving it from car to car is easy
• Charges iPod touch while driving: Dock your iPod and have it charge as you drive
Specs include:
Dimensions: 5 1/8″ x 2 3/4″ x 2″
Weight: 4.1 oz
Compatibility:
– iPod touch 1st generation, 8GB 16GB 32GB
– iPod touch 2nd generation, 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
Requires OS 3.0 or later
GPS receiver: SiRF star 3
Speaker: 300 to 15 kHz/ 2.0 Watt
Microphone: -44 +- 3 dBv
Operating temperature: -10 to 55 degrees C / 14 to 131 degrees F
Dock connector: 30 pin Apple connector
Audio out: 3.5mm audio out
Volume control
Portrait/landscape support
Windscreen and Dashboard mounting
iPod touch charging via car charger
More info here.
More info and links for the various TomTom apps via Apple’s iTunes App Store here.
[Attribution: Electricpig. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
I might get one… If there are good reviews…
And the original iPhone?
Yeah all well and good they just need to make an app that actually works!!!!!
darn… Currently not available through TomTom.com hopefully its just a one time $99.. though for that much you can just buy a tomtom gps that wont get interupted while someone calls you
For iPhone, there’s one 20 dollars more: http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=1019&Category=2&Lid=4
Dumb question – What’s the difference between the TT iphone car kit and the TT ipod car kit? Why is the iphone kit $20 more???
What’s the difference between the two?
OK, I thought they were one and the same, and that the original iPhone worked on it now also, but apparently not.
http://www.tomtom.com/products/section.php?ID=1019&Section=766&Lid=4&Category=2
iPhones only.
Silly.
hey, dummie
I guess if your iPhone already has GPS and a faster processor, then you have to pay more for a mount.
Make sense?
Me either.
iPod touch has different dimensions than the iPhone. The holder has the Apple product snap in. Thus 2 different mounts.
The difference between the iPod and iPhone version is the bluetooth handsfree ability of the iPhone version.
The iPhone version includes hands free via Bluetooth.
Received iPhone version yesterday.
– Loud speaker is really nice
– Horizontal view is easiest to see
– Locks onto GPS within 5 seconds
– Windshield mount works great
– Re-routes missed turns within seconds
– Lovin’ text-to-speech
– Directions are great. But they were before as well
– Definitely can’t use a case
– iPhone snaps in and out very easily
– Build seems top notch
Cons:
– When I plug cord from the Car Kit aux jack into into the car stereo I can hear engine whine that drives me crazy. I’ll test it in different cars and different cable to help locate the prob.
– Pricey at $220 for app and kit. But I’d rather have a GPS that is always with me rather than 2 devices.
Meh. $2.99 for Motion X GPS Drive and ~$55 for a Griffin Roadtrip to do all the things this TomTom car kit does (uses car stereo speakers through the FM for a speaker) works just fine for me.
Since it has line out for music, it would be nice if it sent voice directions over line out and dimmed music during announcements. This way you’d hear it via car stereo system clearly over road noise. I have a hard time hearing my GPS over road noise in the summer with windows rolled down.
@ 3rdKidney
It does send voice directions out through the stereo speakers. I read somewhere online that it doesn’t but it sure does. But, like I said, I have this constant whine as well. If you turn the music up you can’t hear it but I don’t like music on all the time. Oh – and it does pause and resume the music when giving directions.
@Bizarro Jeff
I hear ya. If I lived in the city I’d have went with Motion X GPS as well. I used their App on a 28 mile backpacking trip over the summer and it worked great. But cell service is inconsistent in between towns around here so that made it mandatory to have downloaded maps.
My iPhone and iPhone 3GS are different sizes, yet the mount works for both but not the iPod Touch?
@iPhoner – Yes, I’ve encountered a few spots on a couple of trips where cell service was spotty, but was pleasantly surprised at how much of the route’s maps had been downloaded in advance to get me through the spots without coverage. If Motion X will add the option to easily pre-load maps for trips so that’s not a problem any longer and Text To Speech, they’ll easily have the best GPS app on the iPhone platform, and I suspect they will since the developers really do listen to the suggestions they get (they recently added night mode and made re-routing faster per the comments they get in the app store). I’ve been really impressed with it.
I’d have went. ??? Amazing.
Screen’s too small. Can’t multitask. Need to use a waterproof case on a motorcycle, and with gloves, no way I can do anything. I’m sticking with the GPS systems I have.
If there are problems with the whining sounds coming from the aux input, get a Griffin Noise Reducing Auxillary Cable. I had the annoying whine that seemed to progress louder when accelerating or shifting and it drove me crazy. I found this cable at Car Toys, and the whining is gone! Ah, sanity….
@3rdKidney – Since I actually work with TomTom (specifically involved w/ the iPhone app), I can confirm that while you are navigating, the music will pause when navigation instructions come in.
@iPhoner or all…
Just picked up my car kit and I have the same major con as you:
– When I plug cord from the Car Kit aux jack into into the car stereo I can hear engine whine that drives me crazy.
The same AUX IN and iPhone without going through the car kit has no whine at all. Did you find anything that resolve this for you? Thanks!