Customer Reviews

TomTom GO 720 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(140)
4 star:		(95)
3 star:		(42)
2 star:		(33)
1 star:		(53)

 

 

I really love the 720. I have tried the Garmin Nuvi and just didn't like the software nearly as much as the TomTom. Entering addresses is really fast and you only see towns in the state you are looking in. This means no more having to scroll through 30 different Springfields to get to the one you are searching for. You can hide the keyboard to see a long list of close matches so instead of having to type out the full city or street name you can just hit the first few letters and then pick from a list.

Mapshare seems like it will be a huge advance in the world of automotive GPS devices. Is a street marked as open when it should be blocked? Just correct the error with a few quick taps on the screen and it's fixed. What's really the big advance though is the ability to share my corrections with all other TomTom owners. I connect the 720 to the TomTom HOME software and it downloads corrections that other users have submitted.

What you see on the screen can be fully customized so that if you want the status bar on the side then you can put it there or you can leave it on the bottom. You can also decide what information is shown in the status bar. You can show or hide the time of day, remaining time, remaining distance, current heading, and your current rate of speed. If you subtract items from the status bar the other items automatically get bigger to take up the remaining space. You can also select if you want to show the current street you are on and the name of the next street you will be turning on to.

Text to speech quality is very good and will say the directions so for example it might say "in 250 feet keep right, then take the exit right, 204B towards Westview." Or "in 200 meters, turn right South West Madison Avenue." You can choose from multiple voices although I think the Dave voice sounds the best of the bunch. If you don't want to hear the "keep to lane" instructions you can disable this feature although I personally like to have it on. You can also record your own spoken instructions so for example you could have your kid's voice tell you to turn left in 200 feet. I haven't tried this though.

The screen is very bright and easy to see even when I have my sunglasses on. The 720 can be set to automatically turn the brightness down as it gets dark thanks to a built in light sensor on the front of the unit.

The mount is pretty clever and super easy to use. Just push it up to the windshield and it sticks right on. The 720 then just slides right on and is held solidly in place. You can turn the 720 in any direction to get it exactly where it's easiest for you to see.

With all the great features of the 720, I think what will really set it apart even more from the other GPS units out there is the Mapshare feature. Being able to fix your own map and download updates automatically to keep the map up to date is one of those things that is so fantastically great that you wonder why on earth it took so long to make to a shipping product. Whether or not it can live up to the expectations remains to be seen. Even if you took Mapshare away it's still the best car GPS I've ever used. With it, there's just no contest.

My biggest complaint is that there's no case in the box. You need to buy one separately although I've been using the plastic holder it shipped in so far which is OK.

After using a Garmin Nuvi 350 for a while, it finally was ready for retirement and I started looking for something new. The 720 seemed like a good way to go. Unfortunately for me, I have become fluent in Garminese so switching to Tomtom has been somewhat of a challenge.

The Garmin interface was simple and clean. This Tomtom does alot more so there are more menu choices and more clutter. For instance, if you want to cancel a route, Garmin had a STOP button on the screen. Tomtom requires you to go down 3 menu levels to cancel. Not that hard to do once you know where to go.

Garmin would tell me "In 500 feet, turn left on Main Street". Tomtom tells me the street I need to turn on sometime before but the actual command will be "After 200 yards, turn left". Different especially if you are used to something else. One good thing though is where Garmin said "turn left, then left" Tomtom says "turn left then make third left", better!

Routing seems better on the Tomtom so far. Garmin had a habit of routing me on small, winding, unlighted, hilly roads instead of main roads and highways. If you don't know better, you follow these backroads and it can be dangerous. So far, Tomtom has consistantly taken me to the highways which is one of the main reasons I left Garmin.

Now the bad. Favorites on Garmin are stored by name. When you select a favorite, you are shown the complete address as well. Tomtom by default stores a favorite by address. That doesn't help with a restaurant or store that you will never remembor or recognize the address. You can rename a favorite like "My Restaurant". Thats ok but then the actual address is hidden. There seems to be no way of displaying the real address of the favorite. As a work around I have just appended a name to the address so the name of a favorite will be something like "100 Main Street, Anytown, NY - My Restaurant". Its long,wordy, makes for an ugly favorites page but it works.

The Garmin graphics were generally higher resolution looking but that comes at a price. Garmin updates the screen approx once a second giving a jerky motion to the animation. Tomtom has more jagged graphics but it is smoother. Haven't decided which is better yet.

All in all I am pleased so far with the 720. Only time will tell but so far, it has done better with routing than the Garmin and thats what is most important in the end.

When I received the 720 from Amazon, I was impressed with the packaging. It was boxed and padded quite well and arrived in excellent condition. Before doing anything I decide to read the Quick Start Guide, a dark gray pamphlet included in the 720 box. It advised me to charge the unit at least 2 hours before proceeding. So without even turning the unit on I plugged the base unit into a USB port on my computer. This base unit is used, via the USB, to connect to the computer as well as recharging. My regret here was that I would not be able to recharge the unit in my house unless the computer is on.

While the unit was charging I went ahead and installed the software using the CD which was included in the package. The installation went smoothly on my computer which runs on Vista Home Premium. After the recommended charging interval of 2 hours I activated the 720 and it immediately connected to the software, Tomtom Home, which I had just installed. Almost instantly I was informed that there was a software update for Tomtom Home. I told it to continue and my computer downloaded an updated Tomtom Home version 2 point something and proceeded to uninstall the version I had just installed using the CD and to install the new version. I was mildly annoyed, but I was grateful that the update downloaded and installed without incident.

My 720 then asked permission to download some updates into itself, which I allowed it do. Everything went smoothly and I continued by setting some preferences in the 720 by using Tomtom Home. I then spent about an hour with the unit, unplugged from the computer, to get familiar with the menu structure. The last GPS that I had was a Garmin IQue 3600 and I found the 720 structured very differently. Nearly every choice in the menu structure of the 720 is graphically based using pages of icons with which to make your selections or set your preference. I found it very intuitive and comfortable.

Later, when I took the 720 on its "maiden voyage", I found that using the unit was very simple. Choosing a destination and creating a route was easy and the unit calculated the route very quickly. Generally the unit selects routes that are nearly identical to what I, as a local, would also pick. Only once has it routed in what I would consider a round-about sort of way but after I considered what it had done I realized that its chosen route would be nearly identical, in travel time, to what I would normally use, so I can't really criticize it.

Since then the 720 has performed consistently and dependably. The map data had some minor errors, most of which, incidentally, I have already corrected and shared with the Tomtom database using Map Share while connected to the internet. It even uses the 2 road name corrections I have made for a couple of local streets, using them in route calculations and even pronouncing them correctly when making navigation announcements. I have had no technical glitches at all.

I have interfaced the 720 with my cell phone using Bluetooth. Making and receiving phone calls using the 720 works flawlessly. It downloaded my entire list of telephone numbers from my Starcom and can easily recall them and place calls. The 720 internal speaker sound quality is good considering its size.

The 720 locates and locks on to the GPS satellites and provides a position with a speed I would have thought impossible a couple of years ago. It is exquisitely sensitive to the satellite signals and I am routinely able to lock on to 6 or 7 satellites sitting in front of my computer, near the center of my house. Amazing! In my vehicle I have installed an external antenna and the 720's performance using this is phenomenal.

I have recently downloaded several songs and pictures into the unit and it plays and displays these without any hitch. I use the FM transmitter, built into the unit, to play music over my vehicle's radio. I have discovered that I need to turn up the 720's volume slide to 100% in order not to turn up the radio's volume too much; this helps avoid an annoying hiss that you hear when an FM radio is turned up too loudly. Incidentally, the 720 politely mutes the music when a navigation announcement is made and then resumes. The quality of this sound is reasonable for casual listening in my pickup. The color of the screen when viewing pictures is good (not great) and the display resolution is acceptable for this purpose. Using the slideshow option to view the pictures gets rid of the aggravating gray bars which I otherwise have with pictures. I have added a 2 GB SD card to provide storage for these files. I am adamantly against using my internal storage for this. For me the 2 gigabytes are more than adequate. However, I can easily understand that 2 GB would seriously limit some people. The unit will interface with an Ipod although I have not done this since I don't own an Ipod.

My overall experience with the 720 has been great and I think the Tomtom 720 is surely one of the acme products in the GPS market. I congratulate Tomtom for coming up with a product like this and give the 720 an enthusiastic round of applause. Two thumbs up! Forgive my rather lengthy post.

I own and actually have used (each, during thousands of miles of auto travel) a Lowrance iWay 350, Garmin 60Csx handheld, Garmin Nuvi 200, Magellan Maestro 4040, a 2007 Chrysler OEM in-dash navigation unit, and now a TomTom 720.

The TomTom 720 is one cool unit. I just finished a 4000 mile cross-country test trip. It has features that stand out: Blazing fast satellite acquisition, as instant as the superb Garmin Nuvi 200; a status bar that is complete (with variables such as ETA, Distance to Destination, Time to Destination, Time of Arrival, current time, and current speed) and is customizable as to map screen location and data inclusion/exclusion. I consider the status bar an important feature of any auto GPS and never have understood why the Magellan and Garmin units lack key trip data displays on their map screens. Perhaps it is a design consideration by these makers in weighing Highway use versus City Driving use. I suspect most GPS units are bought and used by local-area drivers with little need for these trip data.

The TomTom720 graphics are as colorful and bright as the Gamin Nuvi series' with one additional feature: superb highway interchange and exit graphics that actually depict bridges (driving under overpasses!) and all surrounding ramps. The TomTom features the best highway ramp information and guidance of any unit I have used (above). The excellent 3D graphics' flow is smooth, and doesn't digitally blotch up going around curves. The graphics are simply superior. By the way, voice guidance is detailed, suitably anticipatory, and redundant, again superior to any of the other brands I have used.

TomTom routing was generally excellent. Only one time did the unit get confused about the location of a segment of Highway 80 in Wyoming, which did appear to recently have been resurfaced and perhaps relocated. The Garmin Nuvi 200 ranks absolutely last (of all my units) on routing, constantly recalculating a route that should have been and is a straight interstate highway shot. This to me indicates out-of-date maps. In the Garmin Nuvi 200 there is no way to stop the constant rerouting in these instances.

Finally, the menus and POI's. The TomTom 720 suffers from too many layers of menus for routine items (brightness of screen, for example). The menu items are somewhat confusing as well. The POI's are adequate, their listings complete. Although the POI's on the Magellan unit, whose database is tied to AAA information, was far superior; and in fact the entire POI feature set of the 4040 is superior to that of any unit listed here. Unfortunately, my Magellan Maestro 4040 crapped out after 10 hours use.

The TomTom unit has one of the fastest and easiest to use address-find systems. And, its calculation and routing computational feature is very quick and robust. Certainly, it is as quick as the Garmin Nuvi unit which is also lightning fast.

I do not and did not use or test any of the Bluetooth and MP3 features. To me, their inclusion is feature bloat.

After I attached my unit to the internet and to TomTom Home, it automatically updated current software and MapShare information to my unit, although it is difficult to determine from the download what was actually corrected, if anything. MapShare is not a web site as you might think, but merely an upload process descriptor, and the user data are apparently treated and vetted by TomTom in some manner before actually being broadcast downloaded to all users who ask for the corrections (you can opt out or in a number of ways).

I found the speedometer readout on the map screen very useful, because on my return trip I had switched to snow tires that were 65R18 instead of the specified 60R18. This resulted in an erroneous odometer reading that was actually too high since the tire was rotating too many turns per mile for the car`s computer setting. As a result, I was driving too fast and not knowing it; I slowed down a couple of miles per hour from 75 to 73 (as indicated on my odometer) until the TomTom read 75. I would never have realized this problem without the speedometer readout on the TomTom. This feature probably saved me a speeding ticket or two.

Negatives: Compared to the Nuvi series, which I consider among the best of the units I own, diminished only by the constant and annoying rerouting during highway driving, the fonts on the map screen of the TomTom are small and wording can be somewhat hard to read, especially considering the short mount provided. (Buy an optional longer windshield mount to bring the unit closer.)

More troubling is the algorithm that computes Time to Arrival (therefore 4 stars). The TomTom 720 was consistently 15% higher on estimated Time to Arrival, compared to all of the units above, except the Magellan 4040, which was about 5% high. These numbers are based on a trip that is standard for me and whose distance and time I have verified many times with actual numbers. The TomTom's displayed Distance to Destination (miles) figure, however, was spot on with the actual distance traveled. It should be noted, that just like the Magellan 4040, the TomTom will shorten up its Time to Arrival as you approach your destination. So, at your destination both units will read accurately (that is, show no time remaining).

All in all, if you don't do a lot of long distance driving then the overstated times are of little concern. Then, the TomTom 720 should be among your top choices for a vehicle GPS unit. TomTom got it mostly right. Now if only it would automatically display the correct time for whatever time zone you are driving through. Still, the TomTom 720 is the very best of all of the GPS units I own or have used.

Update: Yesterday, December 24, 2007, I completed a 600 mile roundtrip to the Monterey, CA area, typically a five to five and a half hour trip one way (elapsed time, no stops added in). The 720 indicated this would be a 7 hour trip, an estimate 30%-40% high. It turned out to be a 5 hour 45 minute trip with a gas stop. At the midway point (150 miles) it was estimating three and a half hours. However, as we got closer to home, the time of arrival approached the actual time.

Perhaps I am too obsessive about trip computer data, but the other GPS units cited above seem to get it right and, frankly, it frustrates me on long drives.

Also, the 720 designed a route that called for traveling through the East Bay to get to US 101, and I usually take Interstate 280 and the Golden Gate Bridge. Unfortunately the 720 would not let change routes on the fly, and even though it recalculate routes very quickly it called for me to get off at every exit on 280 and head east, losing hours in the process. The 720 finally stopped reroute directions and calculations after I passed over the Golden Gate and was back on US101.

Loved the features but returned it after one day.

I bought a Tomtom 720 last week and traded it in for a Garmin Nuvi 750 the next day because of the poor routing performance. The features were great--easy to enter destination, display screen thoughtfully designed, good satellite locking.

However:
1. The routing was poor.
Freeway choices were good (but there are not a lot of choices along my routes), but on surface streets, the device suggested strange paths.

2. Estimation of distance to destinations or turns was very poor. The 720 would tell me to turn in 100 yards when in fact the true distance was 6 yards (a problem at 6 way intersections and roundabouts), and strangely would continue telling me to continue driving straight for another 100 yards even when I had arrived at the proper turn.

Similarly, it would tell me to keep driving for another 100 yards or so once I had arrived at a destination.

Even worse, it would give me very bad instructions at destinations; at a confusing intersection near near the Portland airport, it had me turn the wrong way, onto a one way street that forced me back onto a highway. Very bad!

3. Route recalculation was horrible
When I overrode the 720's more bizarre instructions, it would ask me to do a U-turn and continue along the previously suggested, incorrect route, rather than recalculating based on my new position.

The Nuvi 750 has the basic features you'd expect from a higher-end GPS. It also offers 6 million POIs, speaks street names and has a (poor) FM transmitter. But the Tomtom outshines it in the features department: it has bluetooth and can download map and POI information from other Tomtom users. It also costs less than the Garmins--the comparably equipped Nuvi 760 costs around $ 250 more than a Tomtom 720.

However, the Nuvi is much more accurate and has a very bright screen. It recalculates routes faster, and chooses the new routes well. I tested the Nuvi on all of the routes that the Tomtom couldn't handle, and it performed flawlessly.

So the Tomtom was cheaper and more fun, but it didn't cover the basics: telling you how to go, with accurate and easy-to-read instructions. Without that, a GPS isn't really very helpful, regardless of its extra features.

I spent a fair amount of time researching the seemingly hundereds of GPS units out there, and finally settled in on those in the $450 - $500 range. After comparing the Garmin nuvi 350, the Magellan 4040, and the new TomTom GO 720, I opted to purchase the latter. Although I've only owned it a short while, I am very impressed.

The best thing about Tom Tom -- and the GO 720 -- is the flexibility it offers. Chief among these, to me, is the MapShare technology, which allows you to correct maps, block streets, rename roads, add POIs, etc. -- and share them with other TomTom users. The software (TomTom HOME) you install on your home PC is easy to use, as is the unit itself. Don't like the text-to-speech voice? Change it with one you download -- or even record your own voice!!

The list of neat features is exhaustive -- so rather than blab about them here, I'll let you read the specs yourself.

The one feature I wish it did offer was a direct link to traffic -- yes, you can get traffic updates via TomTom traffic, but have to do so through a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. Unless you have a Blackberry or a phone with a data service contract, that means you'll have to pay not only TomTom for the traffic subscription, but also your cell-phone company for the data usage. Plus, my phone's Bluetooth is reserved for my wireless headset, which I'm not willing to give up. It would be much nicer if the 720 received TomTom Traffic updates directly.

Of no real issue, though, as I was unwilling to spend the $60 or so per year for the service (similar prices for Garmin as well).

Beyond this, I haven't found a single thing I dislike about this unit -- and am finding it head and shoulders above the rest. If you're considering the TomTom GO 720, compare the Garmin nuvi350 to it -- the latter is a top-notch, high quality, and well-received unit. I think you'll find, as I did, that the GO 720 beats it.

I love the options and all that it comes with... Had a magellan and I am much happier with this unit. I like that if we are on the way somewhere it can tell me if if something is off the route we are taking or on the route. Like food!

I was torn between the One XL or Go 720. I chose this for the map share. WHICH, I called MULTIPLE times to find out if there is a cost and if it is free. WELL, I was told that it was free.... Until those of you who know after purchasing it there is a cost after a year. I do feel like I was mislead and not happy about that. However I like the unit to much to get rid of it! However they have no clue what the cost will be!!!! It being a new product it seems that the customer service team doesn't seem to have all the info... Or from what I was told knew it but it changed.

So, they give you a year to use the map share. I'm concerned about what the pricing will be... The maps to update is $130 or so... For Garmin or Magellan they are around $60-$70 for an updated map. So I hope worse case it is at least and not more then those map updates.

After wishing I had gotten factory-installed GPS on my '08 Toyota Highlander, I started shopping around for a portable unit. I looked at the Garmin 660, but didn't want to spend that much(even the $550 you could find it for online). When I became aware of the 720, that seemed like a good prospect. Circuit City had for $450 last week and with a 10% coupon, I was able to get it for $430 out the door, so I was very pleased with the price.

Anyway, for my first GPS, I'm very happy with the 720. Here are the features I like best:

Accurate routes and very quick reroutes

Great graphics - nice-looking day/night colors - very current-looking icons.

If you have an auxilliary input in your car, you can choose to ouput instructions and/or music through your car stereo without having to use the fm transmitter. With the optional cable you can buy, I like being able to use the 720 as an interface for my ipod while I leave the ipod in my glovebox.

Very clear and pleasant audio - the computer voice for text-to-speech really doesn't sound that robotic and the internal speaker has pretty decent sound quality. As mentioned above, you can output the instructions through you aux input if you have one, which sounds great, but it can be a bit much if you have your stereo cranked.

Was able to get it connected to my AT&T Samsung Sync's bluetooth, even though this phone is not one listed on the TomTom website and am able to use it for traffic also. Even though the traffic is activated, I have yet to see how valuable this feature is.

TIP: If your vehicle has built-in bluetooth, and you want to be able to use it, as well as the bluetooth functionality of the 720, try this:
Turn on the GPS and let it connect to your phone before you turn on your car. Then, when your car links up with your phone, you'll be able to make and receive calls on your vehicle's system but also make calls to POI's on the GPS, if you have occasion to do so.

In conclusion, this is a really cutting-edge GPS with a lot of great features for the money, and I wouldn't hesitate recommending it.

Pros

* Handsome -- best looking GPS I've tested to date
* New windshield mount is an improvement over previous TomToms
* Hardware feels solid and well engineered
* Text-to-speech voices sound natural
* Tons of configurable options
* Fast power-on time (boots up quickly)
* Timesaving address entry features, such as displaying recently used city and street names
* Strong FM Transmitter works well. So strong it can even broadcast over another radio station without issue
* New (Tele Atlas) maps are excellent
* Ability to customize which POI categories are displayed on the map
* Supports multi-destination routing (although not route optimization)
* Broad language support
* Lots of routing options to choose from (fastest time, shortest distance, bicycle, pedestrian, etc.)
* Ability to download and install additional voices

Cons

* Poor documentation (important items are either briefly explained, or not covered at all. Manual is also UK-specific)
* Manual makes reference to features that the GO 720 doesn't actually have, such as voice recognition (European version has this feature, US version does not (but the manual doesn't explain that))
* Cluttered user interface
* Slow to accept missed turns: the GO 720 either insisted I make a u-turn, or went nuts and showed me driving off road
* Can't search across all States, only within a specified State
* Important functions are hidden by default, and must be manually enabled (for example, the ability to cancel a route)
* When entering an address into the GO 720, you must choose the State, even if you're using a zip code (sort of defeats the purpose of allowing the use of Zip codes here in the United States)
* Major GPS Drift when stationary (GPS position "drifts" around in circles)
* Poor GPS signal reception (as of this writing, using version 7.0.0) compared to other SiRF enabled GPS units
* "Night" mode only changes the color scheme on the map, not the other menu screens
* Multi-destination (itinerary) route planning is cumbersome
* TomTom PLUS services require the use of a compatible Bluetooth-enabled cell phone
* Short list of compatible cell phones (for Bluetooth enabled hands-free calling and TomTom's PLUS services) means most cell phone owners in the US will be unable to use TomTom's PLUS services
* Automatic screen dimming feature is too sensitive. When enabled, the GPS switches in and out of night mode constantly if you drive anything other than a convertible in the California sun
* Routing engine not as good as Garmin or Magellan
* MapShare doesn't let you see which specific roads were updated -- it just tells you that "updates were applied"
* Some menus return you to the previous page, others dump you back to the map view for no apparent reason
* Screen not as bright as other GPS units
* When announcing highway names, the GPS says "highway six-hundred-and-eighty-four" instead of "six-eighty-four"
* Fingerprint prone exterior case

Conclusion: 65/100

I really wanted to love the TomTom GO 720. With enough features to make a grown man drool, the exceedingly elegant GO 720 is one good looking piece of hardware that lets you customize just about every aspect of the interface. I was especially fond of the powerful built-in FM transmitter, the ability to broadcast music and spoken navigation instructions over different sources (i.e. music via the FM transmitter and instructions via the built-in speaker), and the ability to make map corrections on the fly. I also appreciated the ability to easily create custom POIs and POI categories, and TomTom's unique time-saving address entry features.

The GO 720 has excellent text-to-speech that sounds natural, and can announce actual street names instead of generic maneuvers (although for some odd reason this feature is disabled by default). I also loved the ability to enter a preferred arrival time, and have the GPS report exactly how early or late I would arrive at my destination.

The GO 720 ships with TomTom's software version 7.0 installed (also known as NavCore 7). A significant update to previous GO software, version 7 is literally busting at the seams with new features. Nearly every aspect of the GO 720 can be customized, from compass preferences to custom vehicle icons and voices, to TomTom's much-touted MapShare -- a unique set of features that allow the user to make map corrections and POI corrections/updates directly on the device.

Unfortunately, the TomTom GO 720 suffers from many of the same drawbacks that have plagued TomTom's products for years.

Despite being equipped with SiRF's high performance GPS receiver, the GO 720 had a hard time maintaining reception, and occasionally thought I was driving off the road altogether. The GO 720 also had a hard time dealing with missed turns, frequently asking me to make U-turns and double back instead of re-routing based on the new course. The GO 720 also exhibited some of the most severe GPS 'drift' I've ever seen (a condition that causes the GPS to think it's moving even though it's not).

Adding to the frustration, for some inexplicable reason TomTom hides many important features on the GO 720. For example, by default there is no way to cancel a route. In order to cancel a route, you'll first need to enable the hidden menu, and even then it will take 4 screen taps to cancel the route (very annoying when driving). The Bluetooth integration is a nice feature to have, but so few cell phones are supported that the functionality is seriously limited. Speaking of which, in order to make use of any TomTom PLUS features, such as real-time traffic data, you must have a Bluetooth compatible cell phone (and accompanying data plan) paired to the GO 720. By contrast, both Garmin and Magellan provide traffic services via an included antenna and don't require any additional hardware.

Like previous TomTom products, things feel rushed with the GO 720; the included documentation is for the UK and references features not available in the North American version. TomTom's support website doesn't even list the GO 720 as a valid model, and TomTom's PLUS site has been "down for maintenance" for over 48 hours as of this writing. Trying to download the product manual for the GO 720 from TomTom's website results in an error message stating that no such manual exists yet. The interface feels cluttered, as TomTom's software engineers have packed the GO 720 to the gills with features and options that haven't improved the most basic requirement of getting you from point A to B.

The GO 720 has a long list of great features that just might keep you distracted long enough not to notice that the core functionality of the GPS doesn't work that well. TomTom's routing engine remains poor compared to Garmin or Magellan, and the GO 720 consistently chose the worst route in my testing.

If TomTom spent as much time on software development as they clearly spent on hardware design, the GO 720 would be a fantastic GPS indeed. Unfortunately the GO 720 still needs work, and I can't quite recommend it just yet.

The TomTom GO 720 is a beautiful GPS that will impress at first, but disappoints soon after the honeymoon wears off.

I found this item very good with map directions. however, I was just as interested in using it as a handsfree reciever with my verizon phone. I have a samsung phone and tryied several times to connect it. my phone would reconize the tom tom 720, but not the reverse. I finally got a hold of tom tom tech. support and they told me that their service was not compatible with verizon cell service and the brand of phone didn,t matter. It is better to check with tom tom if you are using bluetooth service.