After months of the TomTom iPhone App making it’s way into the App store, TomTom car kit is now available for purchase.
You can get TomTom iPhone car kit from either the Apple Online Store or TomTom website for $119.95. Amazon still lists the TomTom Car Kit for iPhone
Apple Store however indicates that the kit will ship in 2-3 weeks and I have seen this message for at least a week now. They definitely missed the October shipping date they originally promised.
So, if you are wondering what you get for the hefty $120 bill, here are some feature listing. Remember, TomTom says the car hit works only with iPhone 3GS & 3GS and I have seen reports that iPod Touch isn’t supported.
TomTom iPhone Car Kit Features
Secure docking
- Secure mount with unique design docks iPhone to the desired position on the car windshield or dashboard, using a twist-and-lock motion
- Adjustable mount securely rotates iPhone to either portrait or landscape mode for optimal positioning and widescreen route display
- Easily removed with one twist upon arrival at a destination
Enhanced GPS performance
- Built-in GPS receiver reduces the chance of signal drop in areas where GPS reception is limited, such as cities with tall buildings or forested areas
- Significantly improved positioning accuracy in all areas
Built-in loud speaker and microphone
- Clear voice instructions through the built-in speaker, so users can hear directions loud and clear
- Integrated microphone and speaker allowing hands-free calling while driving
Additional features
- Charges iPhone while on the go, so it stays fully charged
- Plays your iPhone music through the AUX OUT port over your car stereo**.
* The TomTom car kit for iPhone is available in the US, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden and Switzerland.
** Requires AUX IN car stereo and optional audio cable
The car kit also require you to be running iPhone OS 3.0 or later. Here is an unboxing video of the car kit I found recently
With Google’s free GPS Navigation app hitting the Droid phone with Android 2.0, it is going to be very interesting to see when Google comes up with one for iPhone. And when they do, considering Google’s app is free, I have a feeling we as consumers are going to see some competitive pricing in this area.
Granted Google’s app is more like Motion X GPS and a few others which rely on data network for its function as opposed to TomTom, Navigon storing map data in your iPhone. But, then I’d rather use a free GPS app from Google than pay $200+ for TomTom app & the car kit any day.
How about you?
