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Joined: May 10, 2006 Posts: 484 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 2:01 pm Post subject: Any confidence in TomTom for iPhone 3G/3GS?
Isn't it wonderful?
TomTom announced they had their software running on the platform back on June 9th 2008...yes, 2008.
They were then invited up on stage at this year's WWDC to show their new solution, on June 8th 2009... yes, 364 days after they acknowledged they already had their code running on the platform. Maybe not release code, but they knew how to do, had proven so to themselves already. Apparently.
At WWDC they announced software that would run stand-alone. They also announced that they would be introducing some dedicated hardware, which took advantage of the new dock connector APIs being introduced a week later in OS 3.0.
Here I am, on June 23rd, reading exactly the same detail (almost nothing) that TomTom released at the WWDC. That's all they can tell us.
I can accept that the new SDK hasn't been out long, so developing the hardware to support the dock connector APIs might require some time - 'summer' is just fine. But TomTom are at pains to point out that the software isn't dependent. So they could have put some effort in and made something available already, with perhaps a software update later to integrate perfectly with the forthcoming hardware.
Despite the 'TomTom for iPhone is HERE' statements from TomTom, it's hype. There's nothing, save for PR and a YouTube posting that could have been generated in a graphics package. Given they've had so long to think about it and plan, where's the detail on their dedicated website? A recent interview with their marketing people was full of "it's undecided at the moment, I presume...". Remember this is a company in grave financial peril; if you're ever going to serve the market well, now's the time. Instead, all TomTom can serve is PR, hype and spin. Shame... on them, and for us.
We have Sygic Mobile, Goviko and Navigon MobileNavigator already for sale in some territories in the Apple iPhone App Store. Where is TomTom? Up its own backside, as usual. No further information. No release date. No pricing information. Why would they have this information available - they've only been planning this for over a year!
What a farce. TomTom shouldn't be considered a SatNav company anymore, they're just a Marketing Interference organisation, interfering with competitors by making spoiling statements.
I've read elsewhere recently how TomTom suddenly want a slice of the personal device & mobile market - us Navigator owners think different, don't we?
I read elsewhere that TomTom being beaten to market on the iPhone is likely due to such a large company's inertia - I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility of incompetence.
No update let alone a product for the iPhone. Instead we get a Homer Simpson voice. Doh!
Anyway, in a matter of weeks this will all be academic; I'll be stuck behind TomTom on the iPhone, and no doubt bleating about TomTom's appalling support or primitive software implementation or lack of map update strategy. Amazing what you can't work out, given a whole year to think it through while financial disaster stares you in the face!
#TomTomfail _________________ iPhone 4/4S (iOS 5.1.1); TomTom Western Europe (1.10)/USA & Canada (1.10); CoPilot for iPhone (8), UK mapping, Mac OS 10.8/XP Pro/Win7; Tongue firmly in cheek!
Joined: May 10, 2006 Posts: 484 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 2:18 pm Post subject:
Darren wrote:
Have you stopped taking your tablets again
Damn, knew I'd forgotten something!! _________________ iPhone 4/4S (iOS 5.1.1); TomTom Western Europe (1.10)/USA & Canada (1.10); CoPilot for iPhone (8), UK mapping, Mac OS 10.8/XP Pro/Win7; Tongue firmly in cheek!
yea i gota agree with you completley!. I cant be botherd to watch that marketing video again but im sure the guy said it would be out the same day as 3.0? and no news on pricing or anything.
Im sure when it does come out though it will be way better than the navigon software which is obviously the best at the moment for the UK but lacks alot of features which i think tomtom will include.
I think TomTom have really scored an own goal here. I for one was quite prepared to wait for their iPhone software but Navigon have got to the market first, offered an intro price on the European version and now an intro price for a UK only map.
How many customers have TomTom now lost to Navigon's first in, introductory priced strategy? Navigon 1, TomTom 0
For £38 I'm gonna take the plunge and get the Navigon release. TomTom will need to pull out all the stops on their version if they are going to see any of my money
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 5:30 pm Post subject:
Hmm, I'm waiting for Sygic which I think/hope will be better than Navigon but there are some other players entering the arena and this platform could encourage some new blood to the table.
I do agree though that having announced their app at the WWDC, tomtom have dropped major ball by not having it ready to go as soon as OS3.0 was ready.
Why we may never know but it is a goof of epic proportions, and as each day passes they are losing customers to rival offerings. At £50 ish not many people are going to buy twice. _________________ Darren Griffin
I suspect there are a lot of people waiting on Navigon's June 30th price change deadline. If TomTom don't release anything before the Navigon price changes I might just go with it even without the custom POI features. How many iphone customers will TomTom lose in the meantime, or do they not really care because they know the product will sell like crazy once it does get released?
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:31 pm Post subject:
Welcome aboard.
I've been reading some comments on US forums with interest. They are slating the current price from two angles, one being these are some of the most expensive app store apps and two comparing them to $99 PND's.
Commentators have long said that the appstore has to mature and that really worthwhile apps will have to have a price that can support them. Good games will have to cost more than 59p if the developers are to succeed and there are signs that buyers are slowly recognising this.
Also, comparison with $99 PNDs is contentious. These are often loss leaders and those low prices can barely cover the map licence fees let alone the software and hardware. The retailers that have driven their prices to these ridiculous levels (and the manufacturers if they have colluded) deserve a great deal of criticism for allowing it. It stifles competition as only the few big players can hope to survive such crazy price reductions.
I digress though. iPhone users are a tough crowd, they expect well designed, slick solutions but will pay handsomely for the right one. I have some apps and games on mine that are better than any game available on a PSP or DS so I'm hoping that the turn-by-turn apps we are now getting are not poor ports of existing solutions.
Sub £70 is a reasonable sum for a software only nav solution but what I want to see is full use of the iPhone UI, sliding menus, pinch zoom etc and why not use the tilt sensors to assist.
What I'm hoping is that some as yet unknown player will come up with a wholly new approach, but whilst the Appstore is full of innovative products (if you can find them amongst the mass of tat) the navigation market is expensive and the buy-in for map data alone is very expensive. _________________ Darren Griffin
guys navigon is the best turn by turn software so far. Ill be honest i didnt pay for it i got it for free. I would highly recomend anybody thinking about paying for this not to. Its not great, it lacks alot of functionality. just sit tight and wait for tomtom. Id be p1ssed off if i paid £55 for navigon.
I dont think tomtom care that theyve been beaten to it. Because they know there marketing dominance and more advanced software features will make tomtom the best selling sat nav software for the iphone.
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:21 am Post subject:
Re. your PM, cracked apps are stolen apps. We take a very strong line on piracy here, any further mention, hint or discussion and your account will be suspended. _________________ Darren Griffin
I went on tomtom's site and theres a box to enter your email for more info, as of yet I havent heard anything, think I'll hold out for tomtom, Ive always been an avid user and think as was said above, the games avaliable are amazing and there are some pretty good free apps too. As long as the tomtom package is priced well, it will sell in its millions!
Joined: 24/06/2003 00:22:12 Posts: 2946 Location: Escaped to the Antipodies! 36.83°S 174.75°E
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:02 am Post subject:
Darren wrote:
Also, comparison with $99 PNDs is contentious. These are often loss leaders and those low prices can barely cover the map licence fees let alone the software and hardware. The retailers that have driven their prices to these ridiculous levels (and the manufacturers if they have colluded) deserve a great deal of criticism for allowing it. It stifles competition as only the few big players can hope to survive such crazy price reductions.
Ahh, I don't know. I brought a Garmin GPS-V with a tiny black and white screen and only enough map space for greater London and it was 450 pounds. That was a long time ago, now they produce these devices in a production run of hundreds of thousands and there are economies of scale. This drives lower prices. Also, I'm sure the mapping license fees are coming right down now that the likes of TeleAtlas and Navteq are selling millions of licenses.
Any idea how much they actually pay for mapping licenses? It can't be much these days for the big players like TomTom and Garmin if they can sell nav units that cheap.
You're right that only the big players will survive, but that's the way it is. I think satnav hardware is becoming a dead end comodity, mass produced at cut throat costs. Soon everyone will have a phone with GPS in it, why have a dedicated GPS unit (which you can't leave in your car for fear of getting your window smashed anyway).
That's unless they can collude with motor manufacturers to come up with a sat nav unit that is built into the car rather than stuck on my window with cables dangling everywhere and temptating people to steal it. That's got to be a few years away though.
Darren wrote:
I digress though. iPhone users are a tough crowd, they expect well designed, slick solutions but will pay handsomely for the right one.
Exactly right too. That's what Apple have always been about, stuff that works. I'm wondering why they held back on allowing Sat Nav apps for so long? Maybe they were waiting for someone to come up with a killer app with some real innovation - as you say, a port of an existing app won't cut it.
My trusty old Garmin and TomTom on HTC are up for replacements but until this settles down a bit I'll wait and see. Interesting times. _________________ Gone fishing!
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:30 am Post subject:
Skippy wrote:
Ahh, I don't know. I brought a Garmin GPS-V with a tiny black and white screen and only enough map space for greater London and it was 450 pounds. That was a long time ago, now they produce these devices in a production run of hundreds of thousands and there are economies of scale. This drives lower prices.
True but...
Quote:
Any idea how much they actually pay for mapping licenses? It can't be much these days for the big players like TomTom and Garmin if they can sell nav units that cheap.
I don't have specifics but i do know that the licences are still damned expensive and I am told that these sub $99 and £99 devices are being sold at a loss.
Quote:
You're right that only the big players will survive, but that's the way it is. I think satnav hardware is becoming a dead end comodity, mass produced at cut throat costs. Soon everyone will have a phone with GPS in it, why have a dedicated GPS unit (which you can't leave in your car for fear of getting your window smashed anyway).
Indeed, if I can find an iPhone app that offers all the features of my PND then the PND will be gone.
Quote:
That's unless they can collude with motor manufacturers to come up with a sat nav unit that is built into the car rather than stuck on my window with cables dangling everywhere and temptating people to steal it. That's got to be a few years away though.
Hardly, TomTom are already selling factory fit Renault Carminat systems, a full TomTom built-in to the dash with console remote, see here. _________________ Darren Griffin
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