Customer Reviews

TomTom GO 630 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

I purchased this GPS(Tom Tom Go 630) about 3 weeks ago. Used it where I live before a trip to the West Coast, just to get used to it. I found a few discrepencies, but nothing major. This GPS had all the features I wanted, and none of the stuff I wouldn't use. It is perfect for me.
I am currently on my trip, used it to get to the Grand Canyon South, wich I had been to before, and to the Grand Canyon West wich I have never been to. This GPS never missed a beat. The Grand Canyon West is not as well known or commercilized. The GPS was right on. I am now using it to navigate known and unknown places in San Diego, its still right on. A few minor errors, nothing major.
The gps makes quick work of recalculations. The blue tooth works ok, like all hands free devices in my experience, it picks up back ground noise.
The gps aquires signal quickly, even when you've moved with it turned off.
This is my first auto gps, so I have no way of comparing it to other auto gps's, but I had no problems figuring out the menus' or how to work it.
I would highly recommend it. For me it is just what I wanted.
Keep in mind, my uses for a GPS may be different than your's. Do your homework to insure this GPS has the features you want.

This is a reasonable, entry level GPS and has most of the features, if not all the features I want.

Most reviews have covered this unit in detail so I won't repeat too much but here are my experiences so far.

First, Amazon's pricing can make the price fluctuate wildly so watch for bargain days. I had this item on my wish list since late 2009 and when I went to buy it in early 2010, noticed the price was up about $40.

I kept an eye on it and it dipped for a day so I bought it then. Since, it has been back up $40 so bear this in mind.

Some users have complained about the suction of the windshield mount. If anything, I have had issues getting the thing off - it has stayed on just fine. Since then, I've mounted the included dashboard disc and so the unit can now go lower, out of my windshield view and is mounted between two of my air vents. I'm not 100% convinced it will stay on securely but in the short time I have had it installed, it has so far stayed on.

The phone feature has been a little frustrating. Sometimes when you want to make a call, you find yourself pushing the phone and then address book buttons and nothing seems to happen - you push it again and the next thing, you've started to auto-dial someone you didn't mean to call because their name was under your finger when you pressed. As I bought the system more to take calls than make them on the move, I can live with this but it has led to some panicked attempts to cancel calls a couple of times.

Pairing the unit with an iPhone has been relatively straightforward, although there was some awkwardness in the pairing procedure and timing out as you figure out who needs what sent when, to pair effectively.

The most irritating aspect of this GPS unit is setting up with the latest maps. Another reviewer previously stated you MUST delete the old map before downloading a new one (because without an optional SD card installed, you will exceed the installed memory.) I forgot this and then rendered my unit unusable until this was taken care of. TomTom really MUST put this in their quick start instructions or at least the manual.

The best procedure is to install the home software, backup the unit, delete the installed US map (which is bound to be out of date at purchase time) and then run the download/install of the US or other map. If for any reason the download fails and you need to try it again (if you forgot to delete the original map for example), you need to go into the TomTom Home, go to Tools and then click 'Latest Map Guarantee' to kick the process off again. The manual tells you none of this and I had to Google it for some time to find this out. It looked to me that I had messed up my one time for a free, one-time-only map update but it does allow you to try again - it just doesn't tell you any of this in the provided instructions.

Anyway, for local use, this GPS seems to work just fine. I will take it with me when I travel and see how it does in other states. The demo route function is very useful and has allowed me to run through some trips in a simulation, before I try the route for real.

I understand some of the frustration vented in other reviews but if you are at least slightly technically savvy and persevere, this is a pretty good unit. That said, people are right to be upset that TomTom doesn't provide simple, step by step instructions in how to use this unit out of the box.

Excellent model, for the most part, appreciably better than the Garmin 765T which I purchased from Amazon at a higher cost and tried for about two weeks, but which never was able to receive traffic reports as advertised. Garmin's technical support was weak at best and not able to solve the problem. Garmin ultimately determined that its traffic receiver was defective and told me that I had to return it for a replacement. Unfortunately, the traffic receiver was built into the power cord. I asked Garmin to send me the new cord/receiver first, so that I would still be able to keep my GPS plugged in and charging while in the car, but Garmin refused to do so, telling me I had to return its defective cord/receiver before it would send me a new one and that I could charge its model using the enclosed USB cable (through my computer). I took advantage of Amazon's return policy and returned the Garmin to Amazon for a full refund (Amazon's rep even e-mailed me a pre-paid shipping label).

The TomTom GO 630 has a pretty vivid wide screen display (in your choice of 2D or 3D) and allows much more flexibility with respect to display options than the Garmin 765. For example, the TomTom permits you to display time to destination, miles to destination, estimated time of arrival, and speed, all at once or in any combination, while the Garmin model permits the display of only one of these parameters at a time. The Garmim model did have more categories of POI's (for example, it allows you to choose restaurants by type of cuisine) than the TomTom, so that might be of greater use to some people. The TomTom also occasionally shows streets that do not exist in real life, but I am guessing that may be an issue with all GPS models. Finally, it would be nice if, like earlier versions of TomTom GO GPS models, this model turned on automatically (when plugged in) when you start your engine. Interestingly, it turns off on its own when you turn off the engine.

On balance, however, these are minor nits and the quality of the display, ability to set favorites, database of POI's (with the added ability to telephone a POI directly if you have your phone connected via blue tooth), connectivity and ease of use of the blue tooth - cell phone feature, and flexibility of display output make this a very good choice. There is also a nice feature that gives you the option to input your desired time of arrival and thereafter the GPS displays how many minutes ahead of (in yellow) or behind (in red) your scheduled arrival time you are. I have found this to be a pretty useful "at-a-glance" indicator, in addition to the ETA display that also can be selected in the set-up.

I would buy the GO 630 again. IQ Routes is what makes TomTom better. Its my 2nd GPS in 4 years and I'd still choose a TomTom over comparable Garmin (or any of the tier 2 brands).

Good: Took a driving trip with friends who had a more expensive Garmin Nuvi. TomTom's IQ Routes sent us around a major traffic backup theirs would have driven us straight into - regardless of real-time traffic or not. It also did a better job routing in a couple other instances, which I attribute potentially to IQR as well. I also like the map telemetry presentation better. Based on my parents experience with a high end Nuvi, it also holds sat signal better thru underpasses and around tall buildings and recovers better out of tunnels.

Complaints: It tries to avoid u-turns on major roads. This should be a preference setting, I'm a big boy - I can manage. The text-to-speech engine is really just bearable. It screws up all but the simplest names. It gets "San Francisco" wrong, using a short O sound "Fran-sisk-ah". It mixes languages, saying "one west one" for hwy 101, instead of "one oh one", obviously a programming bug trying to use normal speech instead of "one zero one", subbing the 0 for O, but the address interpreter then picks that up as Oest in French. Really confusing. The speech to text works OK, but you have to learn to say addresses exactly the way its looking for them or it gets them wrong. It was the reason I picked the GO 630 over a 340S, thinking it would be easier for me when traveling for business when I don't have a co-pilot to do entry. The mount is manageable. It has the same problem as all other compact mounts, in that its close to the windshield - which in some cars can be a mile from the driver. I can see where the hanging mechanism would annoy some, but you learn to use it properly. But you can still accidentally leave it in a rental car, so the integrated ones would be preferable.

Again, all in all, it was a good purchase and I'd buy it again. I'd definitely buy a TomTom over a Garmin, based on the interface. And IQ Routes (and potentially MapShare) is a major differentiator over the competitors. If I want real-time traffic, I just buy an RDS antenna - no subscriptions or activation fee.

I bought this unit based on the features advertised and was quickly disappointed. I Wish Google had manufactured a GPS unit. What are these guys that make the current units thinking? Do they just want the customer to realize their flaws that they create on purpose so they can keep selling the next generation which has just minor improvements over the previous one? I was disappointed in Garmin too, with its multiple flaws and almost twice as expensive price.

Pros: Does not seem to freeze from time to time like Garmin. Satellite acquisition was ultra fast and the signal is strong anywhere. Screen responsiveness to touch is great. Seems to find addresses and plan routes quickly and effectively. reroute feature seems to work better than Garmin. My previous Garmin seemed to make too many mistakes compared to this and would take me round and round a destination.

Cons: Too bulky compared to other units. The windshield mount is awful and even on the first use fell off the windshield. Maps look primitive compared to Garmin. It seems impossible to delete a previous custom POI/ favorite. Lane assist either does not work or does not operate in my area. Can anyone tell me why people should pay more and purchase this unit over Tomtom XL340 S with comparable features???

I got this unit after reading the comparisons between it and the Go 730. As far as I could tell, the only difference in functionality was that the 730 works with the FM radio tuner. That's not a feature I need, so I chose the significantly cheaper 630.

So far it seems to work well enough as a GPS. It doesn't always choose the route I'd choose, but it gets me to my destination. I've tortured it a few times by deliberately going off course to see what it would do. For the most part it figures out a functional alternate route very quickly.

The lane feature is the biggest disappointment. I initially tested the device for a week without updating the maps. It gave me no lane information at all; I thought I'd misread the documentation and bought a device without the lane feature. Then I ran the map update and started seeing the little arrows described in the manual. However, I'm not finding them particularly useful now that I have them. Normally I can figure out on my own to move left or right to get into the correct exit lane; the information provided by the device was already enough to allow me to figure out my lane. What I was really hoping is that the device would warn me when I was about to lose my travel lane. My area highways tend to lose the right or left lane, going from four lanes down to three or even two with very little warning. I was hoping the device would warn me about the need for unexpected merges. So far it hasn't.

All in all, I'm satisfied with the unit as a bread and butter navigation device. Some of the extra features could use improvement.

I had two main goals for buying this GPS for my wife. I was concerned about her getting lost when I'm not in the car with her, and talking on her cell phone while driving. So far, this GPS has helped me with both of these concerns.

The maps have been very accurate. Although my wife doesn't have to drive to unfamiliar destinations very often, it has taken her right where she wanted to go the few times she has needed it.

I found out that not all cell phones are supported for the hands-free calling, and some have more functionality than others. Fortunately, her LG VX5400 cell phone does work, but it doesn't use the address book feature. She has to dial a phone number if she wants to call someone. That hasn't been much of an issue though, because my main concern was with her taking a call while she was driving. Once I paired her phone with it, it has synced up automatically ever since. She hasn't had to do anything to get it to work. The reception is adequate. Some people have mentioned they don't hear her as clearly now, but she hasn't had any trouble talking to anyone.

One other unexpected feature is a compass. My wife always wanted an electronic compass for the car. It was somewhat buried in the menus, but I found out this GPS does have a compass display.

I bought this TOM TOM because I needed it for a trip to Atlanta. Not only did it arrive in lightening speed from Amazon but it was very easy to set up. I will name the things I like most about it:
1. Easy set up
2. You can plug it into your usb on your computer to charge it, I never used the wall charger yet.
3. I love the fact that you can sync it in with your phone and speak wirelessly through the TOM TOM. I love that it would ring instead of my phone and I had the option to tap yes or no on the TOM TOM to answer it.
4. I like the fact that when you find your point of interest on the device it gives you the address and PHONE # and ask if you would like the TOM TOM to dial the number. Super cool when you are away and want take out from your favorite restaurant. When we found the address of the closest RED Lobster we called ahead through the TOM TOM and ordered, pulled up to the establishment and only got out of the car when we knew our food was ready.

The only thing I suggest is that perhaps they could make it lighter to carry and include a carrying case, other than that I was very satisfied!!

Overall this is a great GPS unit, User updatable maps, Bluetooth, Text-to-speech, and decent speech recognition in a nice form factor.

What remains are quibbles, the unit can be configured to shut down when the adapter powers down, but doesn't restart when power is restored. Canceling routes is more complicated than it should be. Windshield cradle can be tricky to reseat. Bluetooth compatibility isn't what I expected.

None of these items are significant enough to sour my recommendation however.

Overall, the product worked fine. The hands free calling feature worked well, and people I called reported that my voice came over very clearly. The user interface is pretty intuitive. The only thing I would improve on it, is to allow for "back" on each screen. If you cancel out of what you were working on, it will kick you back out to the main screen, and you have navigate back into the menus.

The dealbreaker for me was when the Bluetooth stopped working after one day. It worked fine on the first day, but no matter what I tried, it refused to resume working. I deleted all the pairing info on both the GPS and my phone, but it never got working again. I did some research, ad apparently, some phone are not compatible. I wished I knew that before buying. My phone is a Blackberry 8830, BTW. I paid extra for the Bluetooth feature, and as much as I like the unit, I returned it.

Now, I'm on the market for another GPS.