TomTom, maker of popular standalone GPS devices, today launched its official iPhone application. TomTom for iPhone is now available in the App Store for $99.99. That price is for the TomTom software only; the car-mount hardware kit will not be available until later this month.
At $100, the price for the TomTom app is comparable to the prices of competing iPhone apps. Navigon's MobileNavigator iPhone app currently is on sale for $70 until the end of August; after that, it will cost $100. iGoMyWay, another iPhone GPS app, currently costs $80.
TomTom for iPhone uses TomTom's IQ Routes technology, which is designed to deliver the fastest routes based on actual road speeds gathered by TomTom users, instead of calculating route speeds based on travel time assumptions. I tested IQ Routes on a couple of standalone TomTom GPS devices recently and was impressed with the results: TomTom devices that used IQ Routes consistently got me where I was going faster than other GPS devices.
Other features in the TomTom for iPhone app include automatic re-routing if you miss a turn; a points-of-interest database with six million entries; Tele Atlas maps of the U.S. and Canada; and the ability to see a demo or a map of the route when planning a trip. TomTom says the interface has been optimized for the iPhone, and takes advantage of the iPhone's multi-touch screen, allowing you to tap, swipe, pinch, and zoom. Maps can be displayed in portrait or landscape mode, and in 2D or 3D.
TomTom for iPhone works on iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS models running iPhone OS 3.0 or higher; TomTom says compatibility with iPod touch and other iPhone models coming soon.
TomTom has not confirmed how much it will charge for the car-mount kit, but does say the kit will be available before the end of the summer.
Image © TomTom
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