Rumour Mill: Is a TomTom Phone on the way?

Darren · Last edited by Darren on Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:23 pm; edited 1 time in total

We don't often post regarding rumours but there is a lot of rumbling being detected and its all starting to suggest something may be afoot. (The image to the left is a mock-up and not meant to represent any possible forthcoming design by the way). As existing users of tomtom on PocketPC/Smartphones will know, development has come to a dead stop on the platform.

The version for Windows Smartphone stalled at version 5 and PocketPC remains at version 6 with no updates for well over a year. PND's have had version 7 for some time and version 8 has just been announced at CeBIT.

Rumours began a while back that TomTom may move to supplying new software pre-installed on HTC handsets. This would at first look appear to be a sensible move. TomTom would have greater control over the hardware and thus reduce support issues and piracy could also be better controlled.

However, further rumours from various sources now doing the rounds hint at the possibility that TomTom will be announcing a nuvifone like device, i.e. a self contained PDA/Phone with navigation capabilities. This could indeed be the case, the earlier rumours about TomTom being pre-installed would make sense and HTC are well known in the manufacturing field for PDA's and Smartphones and would be well placed to design a device for TomTom. It is also an obvious market segment that Tomtom have yet to target and they are financially able to fund such a step.
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Darren Griffin - Editor

bedbug · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:03 pm Post subject:

<sigh>

Nothing would surprise me, knowing one of the leaders of TT's development as I do...

So rather than support a thriving smartphone/PDA community, TT wishes to stifle choice and dictate everyone's selected mobile phone?

I guess you have to look at this as a PND with phone functionality - I can't imagine many of us who rejected PNDs will be enamoured with TT's assertion that there's only one manufacturer of a smartphone.

Strikes me this will appeal more to those in the market for a PND but missing other functions. As such, I don't quite see the market opportunity - won't this simply dilute their existing market? How many people will limit their choice of smartphone because it has TomTom?

Clearly, the support benefits are enormous against the mess TT have had to endure with Nav to date.

(by the way, not sour grapes on my part - I'd be amazed if anyone developed further for the Palm platform, dinosaur that it is!).
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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!

Darren · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject:

Sadly I suspect much of what you say is true, Palm development is a dead duck now but users of TomTom on the PocketPC could do worse than consider CoPilot, I've been using it for some months now and think it a worthy replacement for TomTom.
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Darren Griffin - Editor

StuartStrangeboy · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 09, 2005 Posts: 84

I think it is pretty clear they want to keep up with Garmin and as the Garmin Nuvifone is seriously impressive, it will take some doing.
I still use my Nokia 6680 with TomTom when I am around London and if they do make there own phone it will have to be better than many new mobiles that are coming out.

If they make it as good as the Garmin phone it could be interesting.

mikealder · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:38 pm Post subject:

Sony Ericson have announced the Experia device a while back, see Here This is a WM6,x device made by HTC and badged by SE.

One wonders could HTC and TomTom launch the TTPhone based around the HTC OEM version of the same device? - It has an awesome specification and I wouldn't have thought that only SE would be selling the device to be honest, but the HTC unit would be different in some way other than the outer case (inclusion of TT software is a distinct possibility).

Look back at the past 18 months since the introduction of the HTC P3300 Artemis which was the first HTC phone with TomTom Navigator software installed within the phones ROM. This was a specific release of the software (TTN6,020), this trend continued with the release of the HTC Athena/ x7500/ x7501 and more recently with the Touch Cruise device.

Eighteen months is a long time for the relationship to mature, and to me the logical step would be for the new HTC baby to be the first to hit the streets with any new version of TomTom software based around a PDA platform - Mike

wellchilledguy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 25, 2006 Posts: 22

I work for a Breakdown company which is about to issue all it's drivers with a HTC Touch with TomTom. The theory being is that a job can be sent to the driver on the HTC and when he accepts it, TomTom will automatically open with the location of the disabled vehicle preset as the destination. As the HTC has built in GPS it also means that the company can track the drivers.

mikealder · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:26 pm Post subject:

In which case you will be getting a Touch Cruise device which is far more capable than the simple Touch device - its a very capable unit, although considering the application I hope the supplier is putting the phone is a robust case - Mike

Darren · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:30 pm Post subject:

Not sure how TomTom can accept a route sent remotely though? TomTom WORK can do this but that uses PND's?
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Darren Griffin - Editor

mikealder · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:33 pm Post subject:

Perhaps this is one of the new features of the TTN7 or 8 software that no one has seen as yet?
Sending an itn file via the phone network is hardly ground breaking though, I really hope they try much harder than this - Mike

Kar98 · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:36 pm Post subject:

geoffhov · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 12, 2006 Posts: 1

Is this why I cannot find a compatible phone from Tom Tom's list for my newly purchased 720T. None of the phones TT lists appear in the current manufacturers listings. I need an e-mail capable phone, preferably with a qwerty keyboard which is usable with the 720T. Any suggestions gratefully received.

superseagulls · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:12 am Post subject:

Yup........ HTC hardware running Android(google)OS.....

Dreams?

simontdc · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:30 am Post subject:

This would be TT's best option as Windows mobile smartphones are in rapid decline. Blackerry have taken 41% market share of the Smartphone market, and Apple at number 2 with 28% in the US. This has largely been at the expense of the Windows platform, so I would say the writing is on the wall.

All the figures : RIM 41%, Apple 28%, Palm 9%, Motorola 7%, Other 15%

TT need to have a viable user base to sell to, and if the phones are not selling, it makes no sense.

Developers in general will shift to the device that offers the largest potential for software sales, and the figures above speak for themselves. With the new SDK, I would expect huge growth in the Apple platform.
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G1NTX AFRIN LRPS

martinwinlow · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 15, 2005 Posts: 11

Bearing in mind TT is already officially in bed with Google Maps...
http://www.tomtom.com/page/tomtom-on-google-maps?Lid=1 ...
my suspicion (and fervent hope) is that a version of TT will come out for the iPhone with bluetooth gps support. However, there will need to be another firmware upgrade to get around the iPhones bluetooth limitations - no serial data connections allowed or something. Perhaps its a hardware thing with the iPhone and just not possible. MW

Bartmanekul · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 06, 2006 Posts: 23

Are you sure those figures are correct simontdc?

Anyway, I have been chasing tomtom up for ages about making it compatible with the newer GPS enabled nokia handsets, they simply refuse to give any meaningful comment.

If this rumour is true, it would certainly explain a lot of things. And it would be a pity too. While I currently rate tomtoms software the best, I'll happily go to someone else rather than have tomtom choose my phone for me.

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