Review on Tom Tom Car Kit for iPhone

TomTom car kit is an extra fitting or gadget which is used for iPhones. These are usually used in cars and you can fix anywhere, so that GPS views can be viewed easily and also you can talk over the phone while you are driving. It also offers more facilities than holding alone. This kit is of higher price around $119. This car Kit has been released at the worst time and also added to this it doesn’t include any apps useful for iPhone. This kit comprises of Bluetooth which connects the receiver of GPS and also there is hands free to function with the iPhone. To charge the iPhone there is a dock connector.

The GPS present has many advantages like having any app for navigation (Google Map) which can be used both on smartphones and iPhones. If any iPhone is lacked with the GPS, then this kit will act as a GPS unit but only drawback is that the apps in-built here doesn’t work with 3GS or 3G. The design of this kit is extremely simple from outer surface. This device bracket is made up of plastic material which has a connector integrated to dock the iPhone in position. The iPhone is placed in the bracket by snapping it first at the bottom and then with a slight pressure towards the clip at the top, it occupies its place.

The rubber padding is given in the car kit which seems like a cradle where the iPhone comes in contact with the bracket, thus reducing the scratches which are caused while removing and inserting the iPhone. To adjust the volume of hands free calling or to pair any other phone, there is a small button to the left of the bracket. A mini-USB port is present on the right side of the bracket which is used as a 12V car charger and also there is a 3.5mm jack to connect the audio out from the car.

There is an EasyPort from TomTom connected to the bracket and is mounted on the slider. A 2 watt, 1.5in speaker is integrated in the rotating ratchet joint which helps in rotating the iPhone from landscape to portrait orientation and also on a 360 degree turn. This mount has a 2in down and up with detent at the center which avoids the spping of your iPhone. A ball joint suction cup is joined to the assembly which gives a very cool look. You can place it over the windshield or any nonporous surface and lock it by turning it quarter. With such a shallow cup, it’s hard to believe but actually it has a strong power of holding.

Some of the enhanced features are included in TomTom kit to make navigation easier. Star 3 SIRF GPS receiver has been integrated which is more receptive than the GPS antenna. This receiver of TomTom is accurate enough. Sometimes the navigation was much better without the cradle, than being with it. The TomTom apps were installed in two different iPhones to see the performance of GPS, one with 3G and other with 3GS. The car kit for 3G provided faintly quicker position by shouting the directions whenever the main junctions were approaching. Even 3GS was not that bad.

The speaker which is integrated with the TomTom kit is clearer and louder than the iPhone’s speakers. With lots of wind and disturbances, these clear speakers are very much needful. If app for navigation is given in its next update then the speakers will be even greater. You can even use these speakers while using the hands free calls. The directions which are given orally are sent by the dock connector before it’s ducted through the system. The calls can be connected only when hands free is corresponded with the Bluetooth. Calls can be connected by punching four digit pin quickly on iPhone and you can hear it over by the microphone which is integrated and car kit’s loudspeaker. With the sole car kit you can pair 8 phones but unfortunately one can be used at a time.

You can even charge your iPhone while driving with the help of this TomTom car kit, so that it will not leave your battery to drain till you accomplish your destination. You can hear to the music through the stereos in cars via line out connections. No patch audio cable is present in this box and thus can’t pipe the turn by turn directions to the speakers in the car. Even though the TomTom Car Kit was designed for the iPhones, the apps are not that much in here. If you don’t wanna pay for the apps then a free tool app can be availed and can be downloaded in the iTunes Store. These free apps include GPS coordinator, shows the GPS connectivity status and other information. To make sure that TomTom car kit works, this app is enough.

The only hitch in this TomTom Car Kit is that GPS signal drops down very frequently even when the car is in place, while other stuffs are really astonishing. The price is the challenging factor here. This Kit is quite costly. To make use of this kit you need to spend extra $99 for the software. This is a cute looking cradle for the iPhones when compared to the old style holders. Greater benefits are availed only when driving around the city streets.