Apple has updated their online store with the TomTom Car Kit for iPhone 3G/3GS.
The car kit consists of a dock with a built-in GPS transceiver designed in tandem with the companion TomTom for iPhone GPS application, although the application is sold separately for $99.99 and is not bundled with the $119.99 dock as first expected during its introduction at the last iPhone keynote in June.
$220 for a GPS application and hardware from Tom Tom, when you can buy a nuvi from Garmin for under $150??
Do people even keep their phones long enough to make this worthwhile? Do you have to re-buy the software when you upgrade to the iPhone 4gs?
Do you need signal to use this app for the maps? When your driving around in the “limited” AT&T 3G coverage area say New York City, there won’t be an “APP for that” to make you happy!
You do not need a signal to use the maps. iPhone 3G(S) can obtain a GPS fix even when off-network, and the maps are stored on the device itself. The TomTom GPS add-on accelerates GPS acqusition by using a second GPS receiver.
You do bring up the question of what will happen after iPhone 3G(S) is obsolete. It will be up to each app provider to decide if they want to offer a free compatibility update for the next-generation of Apple Mobile Devices.
In-app purchases, however, will likely facilitate map upgrades, so I don’t see any reason why the GPS makers would require a complete re-purchasing of the software. If you are concerned about that however, other GPS app developers offer their programs on month-to-month billing, including TeleNav via AT&T Navigator.
Wait… there will be a bundled price drop soon.
Yes, I don’t think we didn’t say that. At some point, there will be a second SKU for the TomTom kit that includes an iTunes Store prepaid card for the TomTom app. We expect it to be in the $149 – $169 price range, bringing the bundle in striking distance of a standard GPS unit.
Some of that depends on how much NAVTEQ will play ball in the wake of Google Maps with Navigation, on map data pricing and structuring for smartphones.
How much money a mobile Iphone 3GS 32GB AT&T locked