TomTom Car Kit for iPhone (compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS)

by TomTom

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 8.5 x 6 inches ; 4.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002X2F2N8
• Item model number: 9UOB.017.00
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The TomTom app is just the beginning. Combine it with the TomTom car kit for iPhone to experience enhanced GPS performance for the ultimate in-car navigation; from safe and secure docking all the way to taking calls on the move and playing your favorite tunes over your car stereo.

Give your iPhone secure docking, hands-free calling, enhanced GPS performance, and more.

Specially designed mount fixes your iPhone securely to your windscreen or dashboard.

Built-in speaker for hearing instructions and mic for taking calls.

Line-out plug and USB port for charging.

Note: TomTom GPS application must be purchased separately. Requires compatible car audio system and audio cable.

Secure Docking
Keep your iPhone secure while you're on the move. Our specially designed award-winning EasyPort mount attaches your iPhone securely to your windscreen or dashboard--perfectly within reach. It lets you rotate the screen for exceptional widescreen route display. And it folds flat, so moving it from car to car is easy and simple.

Enhanced GPS Performance
Don't let a weak signal slow you down. The TomTom car kit boosts your iPhone's GPS signal, to ensure that you get the best possible navigation experience. Its built-in receiver increases the GPS performance of your iPhone to give you an incredibly reliable signal--even when driving in high-rise urban areas.

Clear Voice Instructions
With built-in volume controls and its superior speaker, you'll hear every voice instruction loud and clear--so you'll never miss a thing.

Hands-free Calling
Receive calls without taking your eyes off the road, using the car kit's built-in extra-sensitive microphone and speaker for crystal clear sound. And don't worry about missing a turn. The app automatically starts navigating again as soon as the call ends.

Charges iPhone While Driving
Always on the go? Dock your iPhone in the mount to charge it as you drive, so it will always be fully charged and ready to go, wherever you're going next.

Rotates for Optimal Positioning
View your route in either portrait or landscape mode. The TomTom car kit rotates easily, in order to give you the view you prefer.

Line Out for Music Playback*
Enjoy the perfect driving soundtrack. Play all your favorite songs through your car's audio system with the optional audio cable*. It even fades music out when receiving calls and giving directions.

Compatibility
The car kit will fit the iPhone, iPhone 3G, and the iPhone 3GS. Note: Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later. Designed to work with the TomTom app for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Specs

• Dimensions: 5.17" x 2.70" x 1.96"
• Weight: 4.13 oz
• GPS receiver: SiRF star 3
• Hands free: Bluetooth CSR BC05MM
• Speaker: 300 to 15 kHz/ 2.0 Watt
• Microphone: -44 +/- 3 dBv
• Operating temperature: 14 to 131 degrees F
• Dock connector: 30 pin Apple connector
• Audio out: 3.5mm audio out
• Volume control: Yes
• Portrait/landscape support: Yes
• Windshield and Dashboard mounting: Yes
• iPhone charging via CLA: Yes

*Requires compatible car audio system & audio cable.

What's in the Box
Car Kit for iPhone, USB Car Charger, Adhesive Disks, Docomentation

Product Description

EVERYWHERE YOU GO, THE TOMTOM CAR KIT GIVES YOU THE MOST ADVANCED NAVIGATION TECHNOLOGY TO LEAD THE WAY ON YOUR IPHONE 3GS OR IPHONE 3G. YOU ALSO GET SAFE AND SECURE DOCKING AND THE FREEDOM TO TAKE CALLS ON THE MOVE AND PLAY YOUR FAVORITE TUNES OVER YOUR CAR STEREO.

DETAILS:

ADVANCED TOMTOM NAVIGATION

SECURE DOCKING THAT KEEPS YOUR IPHONE WELL IN PLACE

ENHANCED GPS SIGNAL FOR THE MOST ACCURATE POSITIONING

EASY-TO-HEAR VOICE INSTRUCTIONS WITH BUILT-IN SPEAKER.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent device., February 6, 2010

By 

Christopher Missmer (Heidelberg, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TomTom Car Kit for iPhone (compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS) (Electronics)

I was very hesitant about purchasing this mount for two reasons:

1. I have the Navigon software, not the TomTom application.
2. Everyone says you mount falls into portrait mode when you hit a bump.

Regardless, I bought one because I found it for $119 at the Apple Store. I can say it works flawlessly with the Navigon software. The bad reviews the device is getting are from the fact that the mount will fall into portrait mode when you hit a bump. This is not really accurate. You don't notice it at first but you can slide the mount up and down which fully prevents that from happening. The people who gave the device bad reviews probably didn't realize this. When you take the mount out of the box it's all the way extended and will fall into portrait mode very easily unless you slide it to the right a bit so the weight is balanced. Once you do that it will stay in the correct position regarldess of how bumpy the road is.

One other thing I really liked about this mount is the fact that I didn't have to take my iPhone out of the case to use it. I highly recommend this mount. It is compact, well built and gets great reception. The speaker is also loud and clear. The design of the suction cup is excellent as well, it's got a dial on it that lets you really crank it down so it won't come off the window regardless of the humidity or temperature. Great device.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great tool, with flaws, January 1, 2010

By 

Theodore Harkness "EMT/ Firefighter" (doylestown, pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TomTom Car Kit for iPhone (compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS) (Electronics)

This item is very nice and easy way to keep and charge your iphone in the car, especially if you have downloaded/bought and are using a navigation app such as tomtom or navigon because these tend to suck your battery dry in a matter of minutes.

This item works with all other nav apps and it enhances the GPS signal by a LOT. This is especially helpful in cities when the iPhones GPS chip can't find a good signal because of the tall buildings. The chip also allows the app to be much more accurate at where you are exactly to give better and quicker directions (for turning at specific points, etc).

The items comes with a suction cup and a flat sticky pad. The sticky pad works with the suction cup where you can mount on your dashboard or where ever else if you don't like your phone on the windshield; and its discrete also, when the item isn't suctioned onto it, the pad doesn't really look like anything so a thief won't be tipped off to what might be hidden in the car.

The items speaker also is nice and clear, giving good and loud directions that are much more clear then the iphones speaker.

But with a good there are always flaws. I believe the suction cup is much too small, and doesn't give enough suction. It has screw action thats supposed to tighten/secure it after you suction the cup, however theres not much room for it to do that. It could have been the way I suctioned, but it fell twice on me. Other times it was difficult to get off the windshield so it could be just me.

The rotating landscape to portrait view is very flimsy. It just about stays when you put in landscape, however if you hit a bump it will fall to portrait view. Lucky for me I would rather see in portrait, however for others this is a nuisance, especially on the roads I travel (I live in PA, we are the pothole capital of the USA).
*EDIT* I just played around with it and to counter the flimsiness tomtom made the holder able to SLIDE up and down on the arm. This also helps for when you need to place the suction cup somewhere and you need to rotate it or flip it.

The volume control is also in a very inconvenient place once the phone is docked, making it very difficult to change the speaker volume, especially when you are on the road.

In addition to the volume control being very inconvient, there is NO volume control in regards to the music coming from the set itself. Let me explain...if you have the set synced to your phone (using the bluetooth, thats the only way the car kit will work with the GPS and music) and you plug your jack into the tomtom car kit jack, there is NO way to change the output volume, and let me tell you it is HORRIBLE. The output volume is way too loud. I actually use the iPhone's headphone jack instead of the Tomtoms because it really is that bad.

Another downside is that you must take off any and all coverings on your iphone, otherwise it will not fit into the holder. The holder does hold the iphone securely, however it is annoying to take off my cover, put in holder, take out of holder, put cover back on. Maybe i'm just lazy, but this was a design flaw from day 1 when they unvield the unit.

All in all I like it and recommend it; I would love to compare the Magellan one that is coming out too. Too bad these babys sell for over a hundred dollars...


*EDIT*
This will also fit the iPhone 4, HOWEVER, you need to place something on the bottom where the charger is to make it "swivel" back to turn the unit on. I actually believe it holds the iPhone 4 a lot more snugly then the iPhone 3G or 3Gs, and I counteract this little issue by placing a quarter at the bottom, to make the pressure swivel work (the iPhone 3G and 3Gs had a curved back, and was a little larger which was what turned the switch on when you placed the iPhone in it. The iPhone 4 has a flat back and is a little smaller, hence this issue)

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great GPS/Handsfree/iPhone Craddle, December 10, 2009

By 

S. Tridle "Scott" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TomTom Car Kit for iPhone (compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS) (Electronics)

I finally got my hands on one of these and my only complaint is how long it took.

TomTom really did not expect how popular these units would be and therefore have not done well with their production times.

Other than that its a great handsfree speakerphone (louder than the iphone speakerphone)

The GPS chip is much more accurate than the one included with the iPhone.

I love that I can play music through the TomTom app while receiving directions.

All in all this is a pretty good buy as I was in the need for a cradle, hands free, and hand held GPS unit!