TomTom ONE 130s
TomTom’s new ONE lineup boasts a newly redesigned mount, a louder speaker, optional traffic services, and a focus on safety features. Is the new ONE 130 series for you? We’ve taken the TomTom 130s through our test course to see what this little guy has to offer.
Physical Design
The ONE 130 and 130s sport a new design. Gone are the more square bottom edges of the ONE 2nd and 3rd Edition devices in favor of more rounded curves of the 130s. The 130s also is a little bit thinner than its predecessors. The design has also been simplified with the removal of the SD card slot and no external antenna port.
No buttons on the side, the power button is located on the top, and the power/USB connector is on the bottom. Pretty simple. The back features the speaker and pins to connect the “EasyPort” mount. While the power cable does connect to the bottom of the GPS, it is recessed far enough that it doesn’t prohibit you from mounting the GPS as low as you want on the dash. Nice move.
The 130/s is also an extremely compact GPS device. Despite having the same screen size, the TomTom 130 is narrower than a Nuvi 200, about the same height, but a little thicker due to the EasyPort mount system. The screen is very bright, though not as bright as the Nuvi devices. The map and interface is easily visible from wide and tall angles, and is easy to see in most lighting conditions.
EasyPort Mount
One of the biggest new features of the TomTom 130 series is the EasyPort mount. This is a pretty unique way to build a mount, and that uniqueness offers a few advantages, and a few disadvantages. So here is how this thing works.
The back of the 130 series has a round disc that protrudes from the GPS. There are three spring tensioned springs that stick out just a little bit.
Then you have the EasyPort mount itself. Think of it as “clamshell” shaped. One one half is the suction cup. The backside of the suction cup is a big knob that you can rotate to lock the suction cup into place. This produces a very strong connection.
In between the two halves of the clamshell is a ball and socket joint that allows the mount to be angled into a variety of positions. It can be rotated for use with an adhesive disc on the dash, or for use directly connected to the windshield. This joint makes it so you can adjust the GPS to any angle, and is quite handy. On the other hand I found it to be just a tiny bit too tight, and the GPS would sometimes pop off the mount while I was trying to adjust the angle. If you are careful however you can pop off a rubber protector exposing two screws and very slightly reducing the tension on those screws. (If you find the same issue I did.) One eighth of a turn on each screw was enough, and it may naturally loosen with time anyhow.
The other half of the clamshell is a donut shaped piece of plastic which snaps onto the GPS. As I mentioned above there were a couple of times when I was adjusting the angle of the GPS (which moves the ball and socket joint connecting the two halves of the clamshell) and the GPS popped off from the mount. Loosening the joint helped with that minor issue. The GPS can also be rotated on this connection between the mount and the GPS. This is what allows it to change from a windshield mount orientation to a dash mount orientation.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the mount. It allows for a number of adjustment options and certainly makes it easier to carry around the GPS and the mount. With the mount folded up but still connected to the GPS, the entire system is still 1.5 inches thick– plenty small enough to fit into most pockets and purses.
When I’m out of town for meetings and want to take a quick trip out for dinner, I obviously want to bring along a GPS to get me there, but it is sometimes is a hassle to bring the GPS and the mount and then put the GPS into one pocket and the mount in another. The TomTom EasyPort mount solves this problem beautifully.
Someone mentioned that the suction cup being in your pocket might attract lint and dirt. I didn’t have that issue, but perhaps I just have clean pockets. 
And with the suction cup lock it would probably take quite a bit of dirt before it make the mount less sticky.
video from tomtom.com
Battery, Speaker, Display
What also makes this GPS great for the frequent out of town traveler is that it has a longer battery life than the previous TomTom ONE series devices, up to three hours as opposed to two hours on other models. I tested the claim with the default factory settings and was able to match that, getting about 2:55 before it shut itself off. It is still behind competitors such as the Nuvi 200 series in this regard though, which get up to 4 or 5 hours of battery life.
Along with the EasyPort mount, the other big story here is the speaker. This thing is LOUD. I measured the volume level of the TomTom 130s and compared it to over a dozen other auto GPS devices and the TomTom 130 was the loudest of the bunch– no contest. Putting it directly up against its competition it was a full 22% louder than the Nuvi 200 with both at the loudest volume setting. (Measuring with a decibel monitor.)
Of course most GPS devices don’t sound all that great at the loudest volume setting, and the TomTom 130s wasn’t an exception in that regard, but it will still be louder at 80% volume than any other GPS at 80% volume. If you are lucky enough to be driving a convertible this summer or like the stereo loud, The TomTom 130s might be on your shortlist if for nothing else, just for the speaker volume.
The display is also decent quality for an entry level GPS. It is well visible from wide and high angles and is a large improvement over the display in older models such as the ONE 2nd Edition.
Navigation
The 130 comes with TomTom’s NavCore 7.5 software which has since been updated to 7.522. The map includes the USA & Canada, and a fairly decent POI database. You don’t get the nice branded POI icons like you do on the 700 and 900 series devices though.
The menu system has also been rearranged a little bit from previous versions. Gone is the ‘Show ALL menu Items’ option… thankfully. And many of the items are in a more logical place than before. I can’t tell you how many times I instinctively taped Menu -> next -> next -> only to find that ‘Clear Route’ isn’t there on the top right anymore. While hard for me to retrain my fingers (isn’t muscle memory amazing!) it will be somewhere that more people can find it… Menu -> next -> ‘clear route’ and without needing to change a preference setting to enable it.
Quite a few other goodies have been added that first appeared in the 700 and 900 series devices such as enhanced speech customizations, and additional status bar options like displaying the status bar horizontally.
Speed limit warnings also make their appearance on the device. You can have it show you your current speed and the speed limit of the road segment you are on (if known). If you are driving more than a couple of miles per hour above the speed limit, the current speed and limit will be displayed in a red box to hopefully grab your attention. (You can also set audio tones if you go above a certain speed.)
Routing was plenty quick, and with the enormous speaker the voice prompts were plenty loud. We did run into one, potentially severe issue with text to speech however. During the first couple days of operation whenever the text to speech voice would come on, the map would stop updating. This was extremely annoying as when the voice speaks, most people will have a tendency to look over at the GPS to get a better picture of what is being described. At the same moment you look over at the GPS, the map stops updating.
To make matters worse, when the GPS was talkative, for example saying things like “At the end of the road, turn right, Main street, then stay in the left lane” would cause the map to only update once during the entire few seconds. Turning off text to speech would fix the problem– but that is hardly a fix.
I later performed a factory reset, and the issue has gone away. Perhaps in combination of other features I enabled, I had just taxed the processor or RAM too much. Unlike other TomTom TTS models, the 130s only comes with 32MB of RAM. I’ve since tried to duplicate the problem and cannot, so hopefully this is not an issue other people will run into.
Pro Routing Features
The TomTom 130 and 130s also join the TomTom ONE 3rd Edition in being devices that don’t come with Itinerary Planning (multi destination routing). The other “pro” type routing features are available though such as the ability to set custom detour distances for roadblocks, being able to avoid a specific road or town, offset routing to start a route from a location other than where you currently are, etc.
As with the other new TomTom models, you get the ‘Help Me’ feature to quickly find your descriptive location or emergency services, as well as MapShare to make certain types of corrections to the map database.
We were pretty surprised though to see that the 130 series does not come with IQ routes. In some ways it is a slap in the face to people who might have been previous TomTom owners that had opted in to help provide that anonymous data– only to find now they don’t have access to the data they helped create.
Traffic, Fuel
Something I immediately noticed when taking the 130s out of the box was that there was no connector for a traffic receiver.. and the device doesn’t have Bluetooth yet it is designed as being traffic compatible. The included manual (yes, it actually comes with a printed, abbreviated product manual) shows how this will work. You plug a special “y-adapter” type thing into the USB port. This adapter then has two plugs, one that splits off to power and a second for the RDS-TMC traffic cable. So it looks like it won’t be getting a nice integrated/combo power/traffic cable and instead you will have a dashboard full of cable flavored spaghetti. The power cable is also required when using the traffic cable.
The 130s is also compatible with TomTom fuel prices. You can subscribe to the service and download the updates from your computer into the GPS.
Purchasing Guidance
This is a pretty slick little GPS. The most attractive trait is the compact size of the GPS and the mount. When you arrive at your destination just pop the mount off the windshield, fold the mount, and slide it into your pocket and purse. No messing around with detaching the mount and stowing it away somewhere else in the car or trying to stuff it into another pocket.
Due to the slower processor and less RAM, the 130s does feel a bit sluggish running through the menu system compared to its upper-end siblings, however I can walk through the menu system with my eyes closed so other people probably won’t notice it as much and it wasn’t excruciatingly slow.
The loud speaker is also a big winner for those who have noisy car environments. Plus, the ability to have most of the “pro” type routing features, optional traffic service, optional fuel prices, and MapShare make this a very functional device at a great price.
| Store | Rating | Best Prices |
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I am looking to purchase GPS for my parents in rural northern Michigan. Are there satelites everywhere, or will it be a waste to them?
This sight is so helpful! Thanks Tim!!
The GPS satellites are not stationary like satellite TV satellites– they cover the entire globe equally.
I have had the tomtom 130 for 3 mouths and I love it. But the battery dies in less then a week with the gpsis turned off. I have charger it with the computer and the car charger and the next time i when to use it the gps would not turn on. I had to hook it to the car charger and wait 5 min for it to turn on. Other then that it is great. I like how easy it is to update it on tomtom web site.
I have a Tom Tom 130S and was wondering what the Battery life expectancy is, and what is best use of battery, charging and discharging?
Thanks
Hi,
I am loking for system for my son. Do you have a preference between TomTom130, magellan Roadmate 1200 and the Nextar Q4? Thanks.
Neil, battery life is “up to” 3 hours. I typically get about 2.
Denise, I’d probably put them in that order.
Sorry I misled you on Battery life, I meant before the battery gave out totally, in life expectancy!
Can one replace the battery with new one or is the GPS throwaway?
1,000 complete charge/discharge cycles is frequently cited to be about the norm. The battery is not replaceable.
Given the tendency of the TomTom (in my experience) to lose power over a few days or so when not in use, the 1000 charge/discharge cycles might be reached fairly quickly – I hope not. I guess it can still be used when plugged in to the car kit.
I tried looking through the questions to see if you had already answered this, but there was so many! =]
I am considering the TomTom 130 for an upcoming road trip (which will take around 18 hours), as well as the fact that I am moving to a new state soon. I saw that you noted the battery life at just under 3 hours. Is it possible for me to plug the GPS into the car while I drive, to avoid having to pull over every couple of hours to recharge?
Thank you for your help and great information!
This gps is great i have a licohn with a built in navigation system and the tom tom 130 puts it to shame.Highly recommended.
Alexandra, the 130s comes with a car charger and you can use the device and charge it at the same time in the car.
is the a way to adjust the audio settings so that it does not announce every exit along the route as you drive along on the freeway?
Larry it shouldn’t announce each exit unless the device wants you to take that exit. I’ve never heard of that behavior before.
Hi Tim,
I have a 330s that I bought recently. The device works fine but when I try to operate it from Tomtom Home it says that this feature is not available for the device or the operating system.
Can you help?
Tilak, I’d contact TomTom support or ask in our forums.
i am wanting to buy a gps for my husband for x-mas. I want to spend in the price range of $100 to $180 dollars. What is your opion on a good one to buy. We have never had one berfore? Thanks
tim,
new to GPS – buying as gift – looking at tomtom130 and Garmin Nuvi 200 but want text to speech – what do you knw about nextar Q4-04, X3-08,m3-03,X3-03, or Q3-12 – I couldn’tfind out much which led me to look at Garmin or TOMTOM – any suggestions for text to speech units for young (22) driver -mainly city driving
I bought a 130S a couple of weeks ago and love it. I finally realized that only a computer voice will give me street names, so I installed it. Also, I have given up mounting it on the windshield– it wouldn’t stay– and have it on the dash with the adhesive that came in the box. I wish it turned off by itself.
Thanks to your reviews, I chose this model.
In your opinion, is it worth it to buy the “replacement plans” or “service plans” that many stores offer with these products? Or do they hold up pretty well? I’m only going to be using a GPS in my car (debating between the TomTom 130 and Garmin 205). Would a replacement plan be a good investment? They are usually only for a year….
Thanks for your help!
I have a TomTom One 3rd edition. I wanted to try it for geocaching which requires entering waypoints or latitude & longitude. Is there a way to do that on this device? Where can I get instructions?
I figured out how to fix the problem with no tools at all. Yes the speaker cone is popped out and that is why it is quiet. Solution? Wrap your lips around the entire back panel and blow out gently until you hear a pop. That is it! It will be much louder. You might need a big mouth though lol. It worked for me.
I came here to evesdrop. Someday I will know what to buy.
I have the TomTom 130s that I purchased back in May. In June I called their service department, because my suction mount was not holding in the lock position, and would slowly start to loosen off, and then the whole unit would pop off the dash. They were very good and sent me a whole new mount within a few days. Now it is happening again. Tim, have you heard of this happening? Is it a problem with the mount? Has anyone else experienced this? I really like the unit, but I’m frustrated with this problem. Thanks.
Lisa, you might want to read How to make GPS Suction Cup Mounts Stick – Tips, Tricks & Mods. It is a problem with just about every suction cup out there. I haven’t heard a significant number of more complaints about the 130 series over other devices.
I had this problem on one of the mounts as well. The lock ring wouldn’t stay put. A replacement didn’t have this issue and still works fine.
Thanks Tim. Next trip I will try rubbing alcohol on the dash disc and the suction cup. I’ll let you know what happens. Thanks again for your help.
I couldn’t decide and bought a TomTom 130s and also a Garmin nuvi 260w. I haven’t opened either and need to return one. It’s for a sixteen year old girl (with no sense of direction) to drive around town. Which one should I keep?
If you keep the GPS unit plugged into the cigarette lighter as you drive, does the battery retain its charge? Also, if you have the GPS unit turned off, but plugged in, will it charge the GPS unit? accessory use the
The battery does retain the charge while driving with it plugged in. If it is turned off, but plugged in, and power is being sent to the plug, it will also charge.
Tim, do you by any chance have information on whether or not Tom Tom has addressed the volume problem with 130*/330*? It’s almost 2009 but people are still talking about this.
Ron, TomTom addressed it quite a long time ago. I haven’t heard of many people recently receiving one of the impacted devices. It isn’t a software issue. You can actually fix it yourself quite easily in most cases with the technique outlined above.
Tim, first, awesome site! (Thx _so_ much!)
TomTom ONE 130 OS bug? (Same w/ TT ONE 3rd Ed.)
When living in rural location, rural route street ‘numbers’ generally appear on map databases vaguely or incorrectly, so one wants to set “home” as “my location”, ie, as a LatLon, _not_ as a street address per se. (Command sequence: “Change Preferences” >> [2 of 5] “Change Home location” >> [2 of 2] to “My Location”).
So one sets “home” as point where one physically is (opposed to entering specific street address), TomTom records location as Lat/Lon. If you ask TT where you are at that time, it will correctly show location on map, describing nearest streets w/ included text annotation (ie, clearly TT does know LatLon positions in map database). So far, so good.
But, when somewhere else, if one subsequently tries to go _to_ your “home” location (still as LatLon you set), TT is stymied; it says, “No route found”. Likewise, if one tries to use 2nd screen command, “Prepare route A to B”, w/”home” as _destination_ (ie, “B”), TT still stymied. (Of course, if street address was entered as “home” location, there’s no problem at all.)
However, if one tries to navigate _from_ “home” location (still set as LatLon), to somewhere else, no problem, TT finds route! Likewise, if one uses 2nd screen command, “Prepare route A to B”, with “home” as _start_ point (ie, “A”), then TT manages just fine as well.
So, one can go from a LatLon (“home”) location to somewhere else, but TT doesn’t seem to be able to show you the way “home” when “home” is expressed as a LatLon!
Since one is getting an asymmetric response from, if you will, a reciprocal command, this looks like a possible OS bug.
Tried TechSuprt; they don’t seem to understand. (One can readily report map bugs from TT ONE via TT Home app [on one's PC], but amount of text “allowed” for such corrections is limited… so not enough text to report a problem like this.) Comments /suggestions?
Jeremy, Tech Support probably isn’t aware of the bug, however one of their Product Managers does because I walked them through it a couple of months ago. Here is a workaround. Instead of using ‘My Location’, go to ‘Latitude Longitude’ as the add type instead. So long as you are currently at the location you want to mark, the default lat/long will be your current location.
For some reason using ‘Latitude Longitude’ instead of ‘My Location’ gets around the ‘No Route Found’ error.
Tim,
Awesome site since I am a newbie to the GPS world. I’ve bought a Garmin Nuvi 200 and also a TomTomOne 130 and can’t make up my mind, would you recommend one over the other? I see Garmin has 5 stars compared to the TomTom’s 4 stars. One thing I worry about is the lack of text to speech on the Garmin, meaning it does not talk you to your destination, is that correct? Appreciate any feedback, thanks!
Kim, the Nuvi 200 has voice prompts, but it does not have Text To Speech. See that link for the difference.
Does the TomTom One 130 allow you to search for what’s nearby? Such as find the closest bank?
Katie, yes.
…I’m a VERY young newbie(still in high school)… and i’m getting the tomtom one 130s for Xmas… and i dont really have $ for updates… so would it be free to find banks and gas stations and stuff… and are the map updates free????
You can find banks and gas stations, etc. That is free. Community shared map updates are free too, but the official map updates are an extra cost should you want one.
Using favorites, XL 330-s shows a route through a city. But a prefferred route is known. Used TRAVEL VIA to specify desired route. Used POINT ON MAP to select desired direction. How can I tell gps the preffered route and store info in favorites ?
Basic question “How can the FAVORITES routes be modified”.
Don, you can’t. Favorites are just individual locations, not routes. You can’t save a route. To save a route (multiple points, with vias) then you would need to upgrade to one of the TomTom models that has Itinerary Planning.
I have more than one TomTom 130 S device. Is there a way to backup both without overwriting the backup of the other device?
Ok well i got my new TomTom One 130-S Tim, and it WAS great… but my TomTom Home is’nt working at all… I even UNinstalled it and downloaded the one from the TomTom webstite… both times i got the same result: I cant do anything because something keeps poping up saying I have a certificate error!
…. I am VERY frusterated… how do i get TomTom Home to work on Windows XP without saying i have a certificate error?
Paul & Krisstal – Those are both questions probably directed at TomTom support or asked in our forums section.
I’m a new GPS owner. My TomTom One 130s doesn’t tell me street names. I have a computer voice activated and I’ve marked it to read street names aloud. Is there something else I need to do to make say the street names?
i have the same problem let me know what the problem was
I am considering purchasing a TomTom One 130S or XL 330S. I am particularly interested in using the device on trips to the U.K. and Europe, as well as here in North America. I realize that I will have to buy U.K. and Europe maps, and the lack of SD card capability makes swapping maps very inconvenient. Will the text-to-speech feature work with U.K. and Europe maps (using English computer voice) installed on a TomTom unit made for the U.S./Canada market? Does either the One 130S or XL 330S have an advantage for the application I am interested in?
Last summer I used a factory-installed GPS unit that came with the new Renault I rented for 3 weeks in France and Switzerland. That GPS device (I don’t know who makes it) was fantastic. Now I would never drive in Europe without a GPS. I know that TomTom originates in Holland, so it should be good for Europe and the U.K. An older TomTom “Europe” model got good reviews there; however it did have SD card capability for adding maps.
Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks.
ok,get ready for a laugh.I got a tomtom 130 for christmas plus a leather carrying case. It seems i can not remove the easy-mount so that my gps will fit into the case. I know that this is a silly question but how do you disconnect the easy-mount from the gps. Thank-you, Robert.
Pull carefully and firmly. The circular plastic part will pop off from around the speaker.
I know that you can search for things such as “bank” or “gas station” to find the closest one…but how do you search for a particular place if you do not have the address. I was faced with this dilemma the other day. I wanted to just type in the name of the company I was searching for, however I did not have the physical address. If there is a way…how do you search for a location by name?
Thank you!!!!
I don’t have my 130s in front of me now to confirm this sequence, but it should be here:
Menu –> Navigate to –> Point of Interest –> POI Near You –> Search POI.
Thank you! Ive found it now.
Hello again,
I was wondering if there was a way to make an itinerary on my TomTom 130. What I am actually needing to do is choose a specific Interstate that I want to travel on during my trip. Everytime I try to plan a route — it skips me over that Interstate. I am trying to avoid the states that the “fastest” and “shortest” routes are taking me through due to weather.
If you can help me with a way to make an itinerary (if it is possible on the 130), or how I can choose my route it would be greatly appreciated! I bought this hoping I wouldnt have to use an online site for my map!
Thanks for your help!
As a first time owner/user, I was a little disappointed in the map quality. Three streets in my little subdivision mispelled, couldn’t find my office (on the map) because the street name was changed 10 years ago and the old name is reflected in the TomTom. A 230km highway trip yielded two missing interchanges on the TransCanada. The One 130 is an entry level unit for sure, I guess I was expecting more (for Christmas). Maybe I wasn’t as good as I thought.
Purchased a 130S. Sounded like it had a sock in it. Brought it back for exchange. Same problem. Opened up two more packages at the returns desk, no luck. The speaker problem is widespread. This product is a dud.
The issue doesn’t seem widespread based on the purchasers I’ve talked to, rather it is found in “batches”. If you find one bad one at a store you will probably find several, however I don’t think there are widespread issues in total.
Hi all. I am interested in purchasing a GPS, but do not understand what value there is in having multiple waypoints (48 in the 130) when you can only use one in any route. Can you design a route without a destination and use all of the waypoints, and then save the route? For example if you were to travel across the country, and wanted to stop at multiple sights, how would you make up a route without a gps having mutipoint routing possible? Thanks for any input.
You can store multiple waypoints on the device (what TomTom calls favorites) as a convenience to quickly access frequently used places. You could store the locations of relatives there for example. Or I recently went on a trip and used it to store the locations of the airport, hotel, and office I was working at. I think you are referring to something different, “via” points. The ONE 130s can only accept one via in a route, other TomTom models can accept more.
Thank you for your quick response Tim. It appears I should be looking at models capable of more than one via. By your response it seems that either the TT one xls, or 330s would be satisfactory. Any major difference between those two, or did I miss a better model having that capability (without breaking the family bank that is)? It seems it would be a useful capability for long cross country trips that we do twice a year, unless I misunderstand their purpose altogether. Thanks again.
The 330s is newer than the XL-S and effectively replaces it. It comes with a newer software application version and an updated mount design.
Does the 130s have text to speech in Spanish? I want to give it as a gift to someone who does not know english. If not, want model/brand do you recommend for that?
Sorry, this may have been answered already but there is so much GREAT info on here I may have missed it. What is the difference between the TT 130 and the 130s? And how do they compare to the Nuvi 255W?
The only difference is the 130s has Text To Speech and the 130 just has voice prompts.
Thanks Tim, but how does the 130 compare to the Nuvi 255w
The 130S can do Text To Speech, meaning it can speak street names and freeway signs. The 130 will just give you audible direction info…left, right, etc.
Thanks Tim. I got that part. Do you have any comments on the comparison to the nuvi 255w???
Tim, I have three issues with my unit.
1) When going on a long trip on the freeway it will direct me to take most exits and then get back on the freeway again until the next exit where the process repeats.
2) On a trip from Salt Lake to Socorro, NM it picked a route that was about 5 hours longer than the route it should have picked. I asked it to pick another route and it picked one that was even further out of the way. I tried shortest distance, shortest time, etc and it didn’t matter. I finally ignored it’s route and started on the route I knew was shorter and it eventually rerouted to the correct route that I was already on. That totally blew my confidence in the unit. If I didn’t already know where I was going(thanks Mapquest) I would have spent 15 hours driving for a 10 hour trip!
3) The estimated time of arrivals are always exceptionally long. Even if I drove the speed limit exactly or a little slower I would beat the ETA by a longshot. This isn’t easily seen on short trips, but if you go on a 8-10 hour run it will typically tell you the trip will take a 30-50% longer than it really does.
I know you will probably have a hard time with a solution for #2&3 but hopefully there is a fix for #1 because it is really annoying.
Just bought a Tomtom ONE 130s, haven’t hooked it up yet. It’s my first GPS so I have a couple of dumb questions:
When I hook this unit up to my computer via USB, will that charge the unit?
Also, should the unit be fully charged in order to use it for the first time, or can I just hook it up to my cigarette lighter and go?
Thanks!
Frank
Frank, 1) Yes, although charge rates are about half of what it would be in the car. 2) It is generally a good idea, but probably not critical.
Hello, I’m sorry if this has been asked before but how do you mount it to the windshield? Do you have to buy something like a window mount or what have you. (I have not bought this gps yet but was thinking about it) I see in the picture that it screws into some sort of window mount thing. Sorry if this question is stupid.
Jimmy, all of the mount pieces are included in the box, you don’t need to purchase anything extra. It mounts by a suction cup.
I thank you for the answer. I shall run out a buy this little GPS system. If I can talk my wife into me getting it that is.
What is the size of the POI library. Thanks,
Anil, TomTom has not released that information as far as we know. Based on what I’ve experienced, I’d assume around 2-3 million.
I just bought a TomTom One 130S and someone told me that you could place a call through it if you have bluetooth on your cellphone. Can you explain me how to do that? Thanks!
Jolene, the 130s does not support that function.
Wow, thanks for replying so quickly!
Just another little question.! I used my GPS for the first time today and I noticed that when it tells us to turn in a certain distance, it says ” turn in 450 yards” instead of in meters. How can I change that?
Jolene, if you are using a recorded (not TTS voice) then try the “units” menu under “change preferences”. Otherwise check the language setup you have. If you are using a USA voice it will typically say yards and Euro voices will typically use meters. You might need to try a few voices.
I’ve own the 130S for over a year and there is one thing I can’t figure out. Sometimes I get, what looks like a lit candle inside a square colored red in the left top corner. What the heck is this ????
tim any comment ?
It doesn’t ring a bell with me. I’d ask Tomtom.
tim – brilliant website, i found it a few days ago and it helped me decide on the 130s. so, because the mere mention of the words “tech support” send me halfway to coma-land, i figured i’d ask you first…
i just brought home my second 130s after the first one had software problems. but i am having the same problems with this one, so, i guess i need some outside help.
both times i plugged the gps into my computer and started up tomtom HOME. it told me i needed updates (application, free map, safety cameras), so (the first time) i let it do its thing. however, once it was done updating and i ejected the device from my computer, i got the big flashing red x. with my first device, i went online and followed instructions on uninstalling and reinstalling everything on the device save for the map. this made the gps functional again, but it uninstalled the computer voice (samantha) and i wasn’t able to download her again because there wasn’t enough space on the 1G hard drive. thinking that something must have gone wrong, seeing how that voice fit on there with the map before, i exchanged it at the store to try again.
but the same exact thing is happening on the new 130s. i have not gone as far as to delete all the contents again, because i do not want to delete samantha again (the whole reason i spent the extra money on the 130s instead of the 130 was so that i could use the text-to-speech feature). the only thing i allowed tomtom HOME to update this time was the 7.522 application, cause i figured the map update was simply too big. but as soon as the app updated, the red x was flashing and my computer is telling me simultaneously that the samantha voice needs to be downloaded, and that it already IS on my device and that the item cannot be used with the current version of the application. also, the options for backing up/restoring, operating, and map sharing on HOME are greyed out, so i haven’t been able to back up any of my information.
i went through the instructions for disabling spotlight to run on my device, and it helped free up some space (i have 29.3 MB free space with the map and the computer voice and all other factory-installed goodies on there), but my device is still flashing the big red x.
it seems like there is something defective with the application…have you heard of this problem before? i was hoping to start my drive cross country in a day or two…help!!
i have the tomtom130s does it tell you which lane to stay in on the freeway
Johnnie – the 130s might say things like “keep left” but it does not have the Active Lane Guidance feature.
tim –
My wife and I are interested in purchasing a 130s, but are weary of getting entangled in a possible “money-pit” in regards to the map updates. In your opinion, how frequently would you recommend updating? Is this something that could be done infrequently? We are average travelers so I was thinking that we wouldn’t need to spend the money to update too often.
Thanks!
Scott, “it depends”. Some people never update their maps… some do it four times per year. I’d suggest people do it at least once every two years, or simply purchase a new GPS. People doing extensive time-sensitive traveling, or in areas where there are lots of intersection changes will want to do it more often.
Anyone having problems with their TOMTOM 130S “locking” up?
I’ve had mine for about a year and about 3 months back it gives me hassles upon turning on or docking to my PC. I plug it in to the USB to try and charge it and when I try to turn it on and it doesn’t do anything. It just sits there.
I doubt that the battery is that dead…I just used it about 2 weeks back.
Today I put it in the USB port to charge it and 2 hours later nothing.
Any help is appreciated.
-Chris
Chris, are you on the latest application version? If you are, have you tried reinstalling the application (by deleting and installing again0?
Hi,
I recently rented a car with a GPS system. It was great(except for one incident of telling me where to go- not relevant here); nevertheless, I want to purchase one. Stupid questions–
1. I was amazed at the amount of info it has. At first I thought it had this info via a satellite connection. However, in reading info on this site, it appears to be self-contained because of the mention of map updates. Correct?
2. The system I had plugged into the cigarette lighter. However, when I unplugged it (to hide it) it kept right on talking (hmmm?). Does it need to be plugged in? Do I need to keep it charged up?
Thanks for taking the time to answer.
Ann
Ann –
1) Correct, all of the information is “on board”.
2) It doesn’t need to be plugged in to work, however if it isn’t plugged in it will run on the battery that will need to be recharged within a couple of hours.
Me again. Thx for the info. If all of the info is “on board” how did it know I passed up a street it previously told me to turn on :-0. It actually told me to do a U Turn as soon as possible. Yikes! (is there an elf sitting on my roof?
I’m so impressed. What system do you have?
thx again,
ann
The GPS “listens” to the satellites. The satellites broadcast the current time. By measuring the difference between the current time and the time the satellite sent the message, the GPS determines the distance from the GPS to the satellite. By knowing the distance to several satellites, the GPS can figure out where it is. Now that the GPS knows where it is, it can determine that you missed a turn based on where the internal map says you are and where it wanted you to go.
Great site. I just recently exchanged a Garmin Nuvi 255 for a TomTom One 130s, and so far I’m happy with the switch — the main reason I switched over to the TomTom unit was because these units are able to block specific roads, unlike similarly priced Garmin unit, which can only block certain types of roads (e.g., toll roads and highways) as a global feature.
Anyway, I am just curious if the TomTom unit is able to do a trip summary like the Garmin unit was able to do. I like to take the GPS unit out when I go jogging to see the distance I’ve traveled, and the Garmin unit did that with its “Trip Summary” feature. The sense I’m getting by reading reviews online is that the TomTom 130s is not capable of this feature, but though I’d try to see if someone on here knew if it did.
Thanks,
Mark
Mark, that is correct, the TomTom 130s doesn’t have a summary screen like that.
I am traveling the the UK next week, so I bought the UK&Ireland map pack from TomTom. Backed up my unit, and had done lots of reading prep. when I do the update through Home, it shows the map ready to download, but says “This item cannot be installed on your device”. When I use their model locator and type in the first two digits for the serial it identifies the unit as a 130S, I have the package infront of me…its a 130..not the speech one. I bought and selected the map for the 130 non speech..could this be the problem? Thanks for any help you can provide
I’m going to be taking a long river trip in my houseboat. Are there any GPS devices that would work for this purpose?
Thank you!
Joel
Doe any one know if TomTom 130, 130s, or one xl can be used while driving?
They can all be used while driving. Not very safe to do so, but they can be operated.
I know not safe. I bought a new car with NAV but the NAV cannot be used while driving and it really bugs me.
Between the three TomTom 130, 130s, or one xl which one would you recommend.
Hello Tim thank you for all the great work you have been doing….. My question to you would be I just bought the 130s and I even follow the directions for the text to speech and well with the menu up for the speech preferences I am not able to choose the read aloud street names, the box is grey and well I guess that means I cannot use it, why would that happen if it says text to speech on the box and how could I correct that:)
Estrella, I’m not sure. Perhaps contact TomTom support.
Hey tim well I called TOM TOM like you suggested and well the thing was he said I had to re install Samantha and then choose her….. that was the rookie move that I did in the first place, I didnt even choose samantha as a voice and that is why it never gave me the option text to speech….. so if you want text to speech choose a computer voice if you want the text to speech:)
I recently purchased the GPS130S from a relative who upgraded. The problem I am having is that she lived in Blatimore and I live in Charleston, SC. I can’t seem to find the way to change the city/state of origin to mine. Everytime I try to set a travel route, it has me coming from Baltimore. It’s driving me crazy. Needless to say, she couldn’t find the manual. I have tried EVERYTHING. Please HELP ME!! Thanks…..
Beverly, if the GPS hasn’t found its location from the satellites, then it will route from the last known position. There is no function to change the default starting point, so you will just need to leave the device outside, stationary, where it has an unobstructed sky view until it finds its location.
Thank you so much Tim. I will definitely give that a try this weekend Will give you feedback on how it went. Really appreciate your help.
I have had a TomTom 130 GPS for one year. The one thing it is missing is current elevation. It has not been problem-free. Not long after it was purchased it lost its ability to capture satellites. I called TomTom and they were very helpful. The technician asked me to turn it off, and then hold the power button down for about 15 seconds to restart it, and that brought it back to life. It sounds like a reboot procedure. Then a couple of weeks ago, it became confused about my location, telling me I was out in a field instead of on the highway, and giving me directions to get back on the road. I checked the satellite status and discovered that although it could see 8 satellites, it only locked onto 3 of them. I did the 15-second reboot, and I have had to do that again once since. Then yesterday, it rebooted on its own while I was driving. I am considering re-installing the software on it, because it behaves as if it has become corrupted.
Can anyone tell me if I can purchase the silver circular attachment that goes on the back of the 130s and where? I need a replacement for that, so that I can purchase a mount for it. Nothing seems to fit the back without this particular missing part. Thanks for the help.
Beverly, I think the only place to get that is from TomTom: http://www.tomtom.com/products/accessories/accessory.php?ID=553&Product=488&Category=0
I’ve never used a gps navigator but am now looking for one and considering the Tom Tom 130. One feature that is really important to me is while driving/traveling to be able to locate a place like a nearest favorite restautrant, or Starbucks (I have trouble staying alert/awake on the road without it)…what is this feature called in gps/navigator language, and do both the Tom Tom 130 and 130s have this feature?
Looks like I found the answer in one of the previous posts…loooong list
.
So I am looking to buy a gps unit If it is refurbished will I be able to use the free download online to have up to date maps or would it be better to just buy a newer one, i can’t seem to figure it out. Thanks
TomTom’s policy is that refurbished devices don’t qualify for the latest map guarantee. However it doesn’t work out that way 100% of the time– often people are able to get it. But if you want to be assured you will qualify, buy new.
This is my 8th gps unit and I only bought it for the MPH as the speedo in my old Toyota truck wore out. Much cheaper to put in the gps.
My TomTom 130s seems to only know the speed limits on Interstate highways and not on ANY secondary roads or even divided highways. So if I ask for the fastest route from Albany, GA to Birmingham, AL it takes me 40 miles and almost one hour out of the way. But if I go to the TomTom web site and ask for the same route, it gives me the shorter and faster route. Why? My 130s seems to think that all roads go 35mph unless they are interstate Hwys. I’m talking legal speed limits here. I’ve tried resets, reloads, reboots, hard starts etc etc. It’s less than a year old so this problem should not be caused by out of date maps.
Actually, it probably is because your maps are older. The newer TomTom maps as well as routes.tomtom.com use the newer TomTom IQ Routes which picks much better routes and has better time estimates. Although I can’t remember if those maps are compatible with the 130/s.
I left my EasyPort mount in a rental car. Anyone know if TomTom uses a standard mount or if they have different EasyPort sizes for different models?
Hi, i purchased my tomtom one 130 from the amazon website, and on their site they said that this gps can play mp3s, store pictures, etc, but i have not been able to find how to do that. Is it really able to play mp3s?
No, the 130 does not have a media player.
Hi, I am looking to purchase a GPS for my husband and my father for christmas and am completely confused as to which unit would be best. I am looking for something with text-to-speech and lots of POI’s and capabilities for downloading new maps, and remembers favorites and is reliable. Also am looking at price points of $130 or less. I have looked at some nextar, magellan, tomtom and garmin. I have been told that tomtom and garmin are best. Any suggestions?
I rec’d both a Tom Tom One 130S and a Garmin Nuvi 265WT. I have read up on both and am not sure which one to keep. Any recommendations for me? Thank you!
Hello! I asked for a GPS for CHristmas, and I got 2! Tomtom130 ad a megellan 1212. Any preferences on which one to keep?!
Help!!! How can I download the saved map on my computer hard drive back to my TomTom?
Thanks In Advance
I tried using beach POI on our 130S and the first two selected lead us no ware. Guess they cannot be trusted and will have to use Google to find beaches first and Google maps to get an address.
Responce gets slow when enabling features.
When I enable the speed and limit displays responce seems sluggish.
While the device seemed OK, the documentation and Mac desktop software are so bad I had to return it.
When I first ran the desktop software, it told me there was a newer version of the maps available. I OK’ed the download, which eventually finished; then it tried to install the maps and froze. I let it sit for half an hour to make sure it was really frozen; it was. After that, I could neither reinstall the revised map nor restore the old one. The device now had no functionality.
It turns out you can back up the map on the ONE, but they didn’t bother to mention this when offering to update. Bad instructions, software that freezes, and no recovery. Three strikes; I returned it.
I’m looking to purchase a Tom Tom 130 really sometime this week and I want to get some information about before I purchase it or if I purchase it. Does the Tom Tom 130 have a speed limit indicator or warning when you go over the speed limit?? Also, does it have the option to avoid high ways and toll roads??
Thanks for all the info everyone. Im wondering if the Tomtom 130s can be mounted to the vent or somewhere other than the windshield. It’s illegal on the windshield in many states. Thanks!
Hey Phil,
All of those fuctions are available on the Tom Tom One 130*S
We are planning to purchase a Tom Tom on the road. Can it be used straight out of the box? If not, how long should I plan on it taking to update, load, etc. I have a laptop with me, and could try to find internet access if it won’t take forever. Thanks!
It works out of the box– you don’t need to load anything right away.
Thank You for the quick reply. Have a great day.
Hi Tim
I recemtly bought a 130S…got it on a bargain deal from Radio Shack. It doesn’t say the street names though…just says “Turn right after 100 ft” and then just “Turn right”. Is there any setting I need to adjust to have it mention the street name?
Let me tell you…this is one informative site
Also, do you know how can I download the community shared maps?
Thank you. Sam.
Does this have a feature to “avoid toll roads” ?
Thanks so much!
Yes, it does.
Can I use a 130s (off road) on a bicycle path and retrace my path? Save path in memory?
On my last few weekly connects to TomTom Home I didn’t get QuickGPSfix or Map Share updates. I did get a Safety Camera Update which seems to occur with each connect ie dosen’t go away after downloaded. My TomTom Home version is 2.7.5.2014 and these symtoms seemed to have occured with the last update.
Just comming home from a Canada trip and was very much let down with my TT130. It found no satelight at all. I had to rent one along with the car. I reset it, but did nothing. any idea’s ?