TomTom GO 720
What is important to note about the TomTom 720 is that it is more than just a simple specifications bump to an existing model– This device brings a lot of brand new features to the TomTom line that we can expect to see in future TomTom devices. So while this device is thinner, faster, and has a nicer screen than many pervious models, it has a host of new features that make the 720 an important device. I’ve been able to log about 1,000 miles with the 720, and here is what we have found.
Design
In many ways, the TomTom 720 looks like the ONE XL, but it is slightly thinner than the ONE XL. It appears to use the same screen as the ONE XL so it is extremely bright and very easy to read. When viewed from very wide and very high angles the screen doesn’t wash out as much as other screens and the colors stay fairly true throughout a range of viewing angles. The screen is 4.3 inches and runs at 480×272 pixels. In bright sunlight, the 720 performs very well, equal to other devices commonly though to have some of the brightest and most readable screens such as the 600 Nuvi series.
On the top is the power button, and on the back is the speaker and a newly designed way for the mount to connect. Gone is the big “plate” on the suction cup mount, instead there is a tiny square about the size of a quarter which slides into the device. This reduces the size of the mount and makes it slightly easier to pack away. Otherwise the mount is similar to the mount on the ONE/XL and features the same suction cup and ball and socket joint. The mount has just about the right amount of tension so that it doesn’t move around or vibrate on dirt roads yet doesn’t take much force to adjust the angle.
On the bottom is the SD card slot, USB/power port, a reset button you hopefully won’t need, a port to connect a traffic receiver, as well as a headphone jack. I’ve mentioned it many times before, but I’ll say it again that i don’t prefer any cords attached to the bottom of GPS devices since it can limit how low on the dash it can be mounted. However TomTom improved this in one area. The end of the USB port now has a 90° angle at the very tip, so you now can mount the 720 just as low on the dash as you would like. It still doesn’t give you easy access to the USB cable while the device is on the mount, but the new cable design is a very welcome improvement.
Under the hood you will find a SiRFstarIII chipset, which makes for very fast signal acquisition, and that signal should stay in environments like urban canyones that are tough for older chipsets. In fact while inside a large building without windows I was able to occasionally obtain a fix. During road testing in a variety of environments the GPS never lost its signal and proved extremely accurate. Battery life is reported to be about five hours, and we were able to achieve that level in our tests. This is also a reason you might upgrade to a 720 over the ONE XL which has a meager 2 hour battery life.
The maps of the USA and Canada come pre-installed on 2 GB of internal flash memory. So the SD slot remains free for you to add maps of other countries, or to install MP3 files for the music player. A few people including myself had had trouble with certain brand/size SD cards. It seems that newer cards which are 1 GB in size to 4 GB in size seem to work consistently well. However older smaller cards are sometimes not being read by the 720. You can follow our discussions on that in our thread about SD cards on the TomTom 720.
Also under the hood you will find Bluetooth for data connectivity as well as hands free calling. As with all Bluetooth devices, check out TomTom’s compatibility charts to make sure your device is supported. My primary phone didn’t work too well, although it wasn’t listed as a supported device either so I didn’t have high expectations. It would pair, dial, and receive calls… and even transfer the phone book up to the 720. However while I could hear the person I was talking to very well, the person on the other end of the call reported it was difficult to hear me. Other phones I tried worked much better. You can read about experiences other people have had in this thread about Bluetooth on the TomTom 720.
There is also an FM transmitter to pipe the music into the (likely) much better audio system in your vehicle. Note that currently hands free calling is not transfered over the FM transmitter. Many people prefer it that way, however it would have been nice to get a more clear output than the internal speaker provided. As has been the case with every GPS with an FM transmitter, people will have different results. Your results will depend on where you locate the 720 in your car, where your FM antenna is in your car, what type of FM antenna your car has, and the availability of open frequencies in your area. We’ve got discussions in the forums about the FM transmitter in the 720 as well. For me, the FM transmitter has worked perfectly well, providing clear transfer of audio without static and at acceptable volume levels. In the thread linked to above in this paragraph you will see a few tips people have discovered like making sure the volume level is set to 100%. There are also reports of improved performance when the battery is fully charged.
In the box you get the 720, suction cup mount, adhesive mounting disk, charger, and dock. There is also a coupon offering a “Latest Map Guarantee”. Within 30 days of owning your 720 you can go to a special section of the TomTom website and enter in a special code. If your device was sitting on a store shelf while a map update was taking place you can upgrade to the latest map within that 30 day period.
Navigation
The TomTom GO 720 is the first TomTom device to feature their new version 7 application. We expect a free update for other devices to be available as TomTom has done in the past. There are a lot of great new features in the version 7 application. For example when navigating to an address, you are now prompted for the state, first and independently of the city. For many people this will help streamline the process of navigating to an address, especially for those located in places like “Greenville” which exists in many states.
The world is also starting to look more 3D on the TomTom 720. Rivers and lakes are drawn “sunken” while in select cities building footprints are “raised” up off the ground view. This is yet another step forward of making the picture in the screen look more like the picture out the window. Elements like sports stadiums and playing fields are drawn in a different color for better representation.
Finally, a current street name field has been added to the primary interface, something lots of people have asked for, but frankly I’ve never found a use for. You can also move most of the fields from the bottom of the display to the right side of the display to take better advantage of the widescreen.
Brand logos for certain POIs are now displayed on the map which they call “brand icons”. So instead of driving by a bank and seeing a generic bank icon, you might see the logo for Bank of America.
Due to a faster processor and more RAM, the 720 produced much faster routes and a faster interface than offered in the ONE and ONE XL devices. Reroutes were also extremely fast if you happen to miss a turn.
Multiple Segment Routing, multi destination routing, whatever you want to call it 
, is available through the TomTom Itinerary Planning feature. We really like the ability to wrap up a bunch of destinations into one big route, and then see how far and how long the entire trip will take. I do wish they would enhance the feature so that if you have an itinerary filled with waypoints (as opposed to destinations) that the itinerary will notify you upon reaching one of the waypoints. Of course you could convert the waypoints to destinations, however then you don’t get the total itinerary summary. Still, the Itinerary feature goes well beyond what most of the competition currently offers.
Preferences
Unlike the ONE series, you can setup auto day night mode, or choose to override the auto day night mode on the 720. There are lots of options for the audio. There are separate controls for navigation audio and music, for each type you can select if you want that type of audio to go through the internal speaker, through Bluetooth hi-fi, via line-out, or via an FM transmitter to your car stereo. There are also settings which allow you to override automatic zooming while navigating a route. Battery saving preferences allow you to do things like turn the display on or off between instructions.
Traffic
The traditional method of getting traffic over Bluetooth is available. But as we expected, RDS-TMC traffic is coming to the 720. The receiver should be available at about the same time as the 720 hits store shelves. The price is expected to be around $130 and include a one year subscription.
Safety
TomTom is also making a huge push to highlight new safety features in version 7. There is a new ‘Help me!’ button which asks you if you want to phone for help, drive to help, walk to help, or get specific information about your current location. If for example you select to drive to help it will ask if you want the nearest car repair facility, the nearest hospital, police station, pharmacy, or the nearest fire station.
Additional options include hiding options while driving, suggesting breaks on long drives, warning if you are driving over the speed limit, or warnings when you are near a school or church.
Customization
The 720 also is making strides towards user customization. One way is through custom vehicle icons. You can now pick a different type of car to use in your display, or you can even make your own vehicle icon.
An even bigger customization is that you can now create your own voice prompts. Using the built in microphone the 720 will guide you through recording about 60 words/prompts to create a full voice that can be used in navigation. I can see spouses recording funny voices and parents recording their kids’ voices. The process takes about 15 minutes to complete. Unfortunately, this can’t be used in conjunction with text-to-speech, you can use a customized voice or a text-to-speech voice, but not a combination of them. You can, however use a combination of a customized voice and a standard voice to fill in for any prompts you haven’t customized.
Another interesting feature is that the new interface will allow viewing of certain document file formats such as Word documents. It also appears you will be available to send those files back and forth over Bluetooth, however I haven’t tried it yet.
And of course the biggest customization possible is that offered through Map Share, we won’t get into the details of that here but will expand on our other article very soon. But yes, if you find something you don’t like about the map you can edit it on the device or report the issue. In my neighborhood there is a street TomTom devices typically try to route me on that doesn’t exist. I was able to quickly open the editor, select the road segment, report that the segment wasn’t actually there, and then calculated the route again. The device then routed around the non-existent street. Other MapShare users were able to confirm my road change in their devices. Really cool!
Guidance
Iit is hard to imagine this device not being a huge hit. It has generated more buzz in the industry than any other recently announced device. We’ll reiterate that this device isn’t just a bump in specs, it really represents the first in a new generation of TomTom devices. We’re glad to see easier ways to obtain live traffic information, text-to-speech, a thinner size, and longer battery life than other models. Typically those specs would be cause enough for a new model. But the TomTom 720 will also set a higher benchmark in terms of personalizing the device by allowing map updates, downloading map updates suggested by other users, and building your own voice prompts. For an MSRP of $499 this GPS should be a big hit.
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The following is listed on the tomtom web site press release - so I think text to speech is included:
Safe option to read aloud incoming SMS (text) messages using a combination of text-to-speech and speech recognition technology: When a text message arrives, the device will make a (spoken) offer to read it aloud. Speech recognition technology is used to process the user’s spoken response. If the user says “yes”, the whole text message is read aloud. At no time does the user have to touch or look at the screen (reception of text messages requires a wireless connection to a mobile phone).
Yes, you are correct. The 720 will have TTS.
Hey all, I was wondering if the edit map feature will be backwards compatable with the previous TomTom’s?
I haven’t heard anything indicating that it will be, but we can’t rule out the possibility.
When can I get one & where?
Late July, any TomTom dealer.
Will the 720 now be the top of the line TomTom or is there a 920 in the works? I can’t imagine what a higher model would have that the 720 now has (TTS and Voice recog, etc)
Jay, the 920 could have maps of North America and Europe like the 910. And perhaps some other features we don’t yet know about.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a 920 down the road.
I am wondering how much of the new software/operating systems will be offered as an update to those of us owning the current 910 model?
Michael, traditionally when TomTom has released a major revision to their software they have offered that update free of charge to devices which were still capable (from a processor performance standpoint) to operate the new system. I would expect the same for the NavCore version 7 update and TomTom has hinted (but not explicitly confirmed) that the update will be made available for free.
Of course your device might not be able to access all of the features. For example it might not be able to record your voice, and the mapping database on your device won’t have the building footprints. But the underlying operating system should be upgradable to NavCore 7 at some point.
Tim, it looks as if only the Euro model of the 720 will have voice recognition (where you can pronounce a destination rather than having to type it out). Any idea whether this will be added to the US model upon or after release?
I haven’t heard, John. On the 720 I used the only voice related items were text-to-speech and being able to record your own voices for the voice prompts.
Has the routing algorithm been improved for the 720?
Roger - Is there a specific bug/issue with routing you are interested to know is fixed?
Any update on delivery dates? Does TomTom typically under produce the first run of model or will there be plenty available? Have there been any quality issues with a new release of previous TomTom models? Thanks.
From what I’ve seen there are typically plenty to go around with initial batches. There was an issue with the original mount in the 510/910, but that was rectified.
I am interested in buying my first GPS and was leaning toward a Garmin Nuvi 660 but have been somewhat turned off after reading that Garmin is shipping both new and old map version but refuses to give free upgrades if you get an old map version on a new unit. The CS side of their business and lack of concern to good customer relations made me re-examine other products. I ran across your article and am very interested in the 720. One article that I read knocked Tom Toms for their routing algorithm. It seems to always give longer routes and than the Garmin and Magellan routes.
Roger, you might want to check out our article on comparing route quality. Every GPS will create crazy routes from time to time and I see no significant different between the major GPS manufacturers in that regard.
I don’t mean to drag out a point, but I read a similar article to the one that Roger mentions above. This article knocked the TomTom ONE for providing substantially worse routes vs. the Garmin nuvi 660 and the Magellan Maestro 4040. The Garmin nuvi 660 was also able to tell you if your destination was on the right or left. I read the “comparing route quality” article but I would still like to know if the routing algorithm has been updated substantially for the TomTom GO 720. Finally, the TomTom ONE was said to be very slow with recalculating routes after a missed turn - will this be remedied with the 720?
I am very pleased with all the functions the 720 claims to have (all with a price tag of $500) but poor navigation would be a deal-breaker on a device who’s primary purpose is to get you from point A to B.
Since I can’t peak into their programing code, I don’t have any way to know if their routing has changed. TomTom hasn’t specifically mentioned any changes, but I doubt they would mention tweaks to their routing system as those are likely closely held secrets.
You can’t really compare rerouting times on the ONE versus the 720 as being “remedied” since they use different amounts of RAM and a different processor. That makes more of a difference in routing speed than anything.
The 720 has much more horsepower than the ONE and thus will make calculations much faster than the ONE without any changes to their code. I anticipate routing on the 720 will be very good due to the fast processor and more RAM.
Thank you for your speedy comments. I understand that TomTom’s routing algorithms are proprietary, but I was just wondering whose GPS unit would provide a route with the shortest driving time (calculated by the roads’ speed limits) between any two selected points.
But my question now concerns their map databases. The TomTom uses the Tele Atlas map, while the other two units use the NAVTEQ map. That same article I read criticized the Tele Atlas map for being significantly less complete. I live in a small, but rapidly expanding town in Michigan. Therefore, it is paramount to me to own a GPS system that is both the most complete and the most up-to-date map for my area. Is there any way to know which GPS unit has the newest map and also that it includes the latest neighborhood streets prior to purchasing one?
Thanks for the reply and information Tim. It sounds like the TT 720 is substantial improvement.
Lee, I ran across another article that said that TomTom heard the criticisms and vastly upgraded their Tele Atlas maps and were on par with the Garmin NAVTEQ.
To the question/comment in your first paragraph, that will often have much more to do with the underlying mapping data than the routing software on the GPS. Which goes directly with your question/comment in the second paragraph.
There is no doubt that up to about a year ago, Tele Atlas didn’t have as great of a reputation in the USA and it was widely accepted that NAVTEQ had better data. However part of the reason for that reputation is that (more often than not) the vendors who were using Tele Atlas data were using much older data than what was available from Tele Atlas in comparison to the GPS vendors using NAVTEQ at the time which were quicker to offer updates.
So part of the past reputation of both data sets was based on quality, and some of it was based on the vendor not representing the latest data the vendor had.
Currently, most of the manufacturers are offering much fresher data than what was provided in the past. Tele Atlas has made significant improvements in their data and with some of their acquisitions have really caught up with NAVTEQ.
Contrary to routes, I do believe there are ways you can measure how good certain aspects of the mapping data is. For this study, see my article comparing Tele Atlas and NAVTEQ.
Other GPS sites have (anecdotally) come up with a similar conclusion regarding the quality of Tele Atlas maps– see this quote for another independent view.
“I have yet to see a competitive advantage for either TeleAtlas or NAVTEQ at this point; said another way, new models equipped with the TeleAtlas maps are not at a disadvantage anymore.”
However, and this is a big “however”, there are often certain towns/counties that are just way better mapped by one company than the other. For example my home town is very poorly mapped by Tele Atlas, and much better mapped by NAVTEQ. So if I only tested devices near home I would think NAVTEQ is much better. However other areas are much better mapped by Tele Atlas than NAVTEQ. So you might see discrepancies in your area that would lead you to want to go one way or another. But overall it is my opinion based on my continued studies of the data that the overall quality between the two companies is very similar here in the USA.
Consumer Reports criticized both the TomTom One and TomTom Go for sparse coming-turn announcements. Since this will be my our first nav system, I have no idea whether this is true or the extent of the “problem.” My wife would like a nav system that provides clear, audible directions in a timely manner. Does the 720 do this or are its coming-turn announcements “sparse”?
Each upcoming turn is typically announced verbally twice. The amount of “lead” time for the announcements are based on your speed. For example at 70mph it will typically give you a 2 mile heads up about an upcoming turn. At 35 mph it will probably give you the first audio alert about 1/2 mile before the turn.
A second verbal prompt happens just before you actually make the turn. Again, the lead time depends on speed.
In addition to the two audio prompts there is a graphical indicator at the bottom which shows you the direction of the next turn, as well as a dynamic field which constantly updates how far the turn is away from you (starting with miles, then yards, then feet). It counts down all the way to zero.
I am in the market for my first GPS and comparing the Garmin Nuvi 350 with the TomTom. I was wondering if the POI database on the TomTom 720 will include phone numbers like the Nuvi 350 and does the TTS mean that it will pronouce the street names like the Nuvi 350?
Mary - Yes to both of those questions.
Thank you for the great reviews. I asked this question on the TomTom website and never got an answer. Does this unit support modes for pedestrians and bikes? I mostly want it for driving, but it would be nice if it could guide me on bike paths and pedestrian zones too.
I imagine that it will have the same options as available in the currently shipping TomTom devices…. fastest, shortest, avoid freeways, walking route, bicycle roue, and limited speed routes.
IM MOVING FROM A SMALL TOWN OF ABOUT 900 PPL TO A CITY WITH OVER A MILLION PPL… I AM MOST DIFFENTLY GOING TO NEED A GPS NAV. SYSTEM… I LIKE THE TOMTOM GO 910 BUT THE 720 HAS VOICE RECOGNITION… WHICH DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE BEST FOR THIS SITUATION??
My understanding is that the 720 (in the USA version at least) won’t have voice recognition in respect to speaking where you want to go. Instead it offers the ability to record your own voice and make your own voice prompts.
Tim, would you be in a position to ask TomTom why no voice recognition in the US model? Technical challenge? Patent issues? Seems to me this would be potentially a fantastic feature, in that you could enter a destination without having to pull over, navigate menus, and manually type in the address. I’ll be very disappointed if this feature is only in the Euro version and not the US. Thanks!
John, I’ll see what I can find out. Can you hit the ‘Contact’ button at the top and let me know which (I’ve seen a couple) reference to voice recognition you are looking at? I’ll post any answer I find here.
Voice recognition is available for the British version, you know where they speak English, so it surprising that it isn’t available for the US version.
What is the difference between the GO 700, 710 and 720 models?
Mark, you can compare the 700 and 720 here. The 710 isn’t sold in North America.
I’m finally looking to replace my Garmin 2610 GPS brick. One thing I love about this GPS is all the features but the technology is outdated. I’ve tested the Garmin 350, TomTom One and the Magellan Maestro 3140. My friend has the Garmin 250, I ordered and returned the TomTom One as it’s POI’s were lacking but I really liked the unit. The Maestro’s interface was too difficult to use and the screen information didn’t even include arrival time. As a salesperson, the 2610 with the ability to create vias and routes is really great as well as customizing the on screen menu (speed, arrival time, etc.). The Garmin 350 is a nice little unit, however, lacks some of the features I’m accustomed to from my 2610 espeically multiple routings and vias. Did this TomTom 720 resolve the lack of complete POI’s? Also, I was unable to download additional POI’s from the website when I had the TomTom One. Would you recommend the Go 720 or should I stick with the Garmin?
I’m confused about voice recognition. This model is now listed on Amazon.com (US). The description there is “As an added convenience, text-to-speech functionality provides you with actual street names, while the easy-to-operate, voice-prompted address input is not only faster and simpler, but allows for easy location search and selection and plug and GO capability.” That makes it sound like the US version will also have voice recognition, but reviews here and elsewhere suggest that it won’t. I would also appreciate a definitive answer from TomTom because it will influence which version I buy.
Tessa, most GPS devices only about about 1-5 million POIs installed. This is a tiny fraction of all POIs in existence. Even models with several million POIs installed only represent about 20% of all known POIs, so it will not find four out of five.
Meg - Amazon’s website is just not giving all of the details. There is a definitive answer from TomTom right now from their press release which states “Speech recognition will be available in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK”. As for the feature itself, I don’t believe there are any US model GPS devices which offer voice recognition for address entry. There are some which have a few preselected commands it can recognize like “go home” and “reroute”, but I don’t know of any that offer full address entry by voice recognition.
Tim, thanks for the clarification on the POI. So, which one would you recommend, Garmin or TomTom?
If you desire to have the same routing control (multiple vias, saved routes, etc) then it might be hard to give that up.
Will a standard pre-exisitng Tom Tom memory stick containing European maps fit in and work in the new Tom Tom 720
Tim, thanks for your continued responses. My question specifically deals with the POI database. Initially I purchased a go 510, knowing that I really wouldn’t use the hard drive for storage and didn’t need all the extras of the 910. However, I was not happy with the POI database and ‘upgraded’ to a 910. What a difference! The POI database in the 910 is much more complete and features many stores which were simply not in the 510. I know that the 910 has so many more POIs because of the ability to store on the large hard drive. I love the new features of this 720 but am concerned that the POI database will shrink and be more akin to the size in the 510. I haven’t seen any information on the size of the POI database with the 720, but with only 2GB internal memory, I assume it must be somewhat limited vs. the 910. Thoughts?
David - some of those are activated to a particular device and won’t work. I’m not sure if all are that way.
Jonathan - I don’t think we will know for sure until it ships.
I just purchased a TT one and think it is the best GPS in its market. After my first long trip I was about to return it today until I read your article about tne 720. I cant live with the auto zoom on the TT one. If I am on a 300 mile leg I do not want to stay in
Two questions: Will the 720 work with a MAC and if bought will you be able to purchase European maps to add on to the 720
Ron, Yes to both questions.
Can you clarify Adam’s comments about the auto zoom feature? What does it do and will it be in the 720? Finally, is TT traditionally accurate about products actually being available when they say it will be? Thanks.
My question got cut off. I hate the autozoom. Driving long distances I want to see the next town on a 10 or 20 mile scale. I was on my way to return my TT one until I read about the 720. Will I be able to upload this new system on mine or will I have to buy the 720? Thanks
Mark, I talked to TomTom today and they say they are still on track for an end of July or early August release. I can’t completely clarify what the auto zoom on/off feature does at this point. I just recall a setting whereby you could specify autozoom on (the default) or off. If it is to be taken literally, then I would assume that when you approach an intersection it no longer zooms in tighter… in other words it might not zoom out further during normal driving. But again, I cant’ say for sure until I get my hands on one again.
Adam, TomTom has traditionally made their application enhancements available for older devices that have the horsepower to support them. I would assume the same would be done in this case.
With the end of July quickly approaching, has anyone gotten it yet? Any idea who is likely to get it first? What about price, is around $500 likely to be the best price for quite a while? Any reason to order ahead and be on some waiting list? This just seems bogus to me unless there are likely to be shortages. I’m certainly not going to stand in line for one but I would like to get it within the next couple of weeks unless a price drop is likely. (Unless that has been a pattern with TomTom, I wouldn’t think there would be any price drops on something so cutting edge as the 720.)
Does anyone know when this model is due in Australia? Been watching it with great interest but so far just seems USA Canada and Europe.. Thanks in advance for any comments.
YourNav is reporting that the 720 is on the way to retailers now and may be available next week. However, supplies are limited and may just cover pre-orders. Don’t know about Australia, but the local distributor may be at liberty to discuss.
IMHO US$499 is likely to be the price for at least a couple of months, until inventory grows.
How and where would we pre-order to get our hands on one in a timely manner? I’ve got a trip to Canada coming up in August and need a GPS by then. Thanks!
YourNav seems to be UK centric so I assume that it’s common for those companies to take pre-orders over there. You can go ahead and order from Amazon, but note their comment that the unit will usually ship in 2-3 weeks.
Tim, will it be possible to hook an iPod to the Go 720 and control the iPod (scrolling through songs and such) via the GPS’s touchpad? I know the Go 910 can do this, so I figure it’ll be an option with this new version also, but just figured I’d check.
Now that review of the 720 have started to appear (at PCPro in the UK most recently), can anyone say whether SDHC format memory cards are supported in the 720?
Trevor, my understanding is that it will do that in the same manner as on the 910.
Tim,
I’ve got a few last questions before I’ll be convinced to buy the TomTom GO 720 (US version) over the Garmin nuvi 660…
1) How many POI’s does the 720 have preloaded?
2) Can the 720 differentiate restaurants by cuisine (Thai, Italian, etc)?
3) Can the 720 play MP3’s and view pictures off an SD card?
4) Does the 720 have a calculator function?
5) Finally, it’s now the last week in July – does any store have one in stock yet?!
Thanks for your help!
1) See specs at top left, 5M
2) I don’t recall, but I don’t think so.
3) I imagine so, but I haven’t tried.
4) No.
5) Not that I know of, but I hear shipments are going out to retailers.
I cannot wait for this to be released. I am hoping to pick one up before Saturday… fingers crossed.
I’m very eager to see this new TomTom device, as it will be my first. Great job on the review, and answering user questions. Something I don’t understand is this: why is there seemingly no information on the 720 on TomTom’s website? One would think that this totally new version would be getting some front page time on there. Thoughts?
That is fairly common in retail, Eric. If you are visiting the TomTom site then you are probably looking at purchasing a TomTom device. Since it isn’t available for purchase quite yet, they might as well try to sell you something that is available while they have your attention. They don’t want to hurt their retailers who have a stockpile of what will soon be “older” devices. The strategy doesn’t work in every case, but as soon as the device starts to appear in stores it will hit their site.
We must be getting close. If you log into TomTom you can set your device to the 520 or 720. Also Amazon has updated the availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
I called TomTom customer service and they answered my previous 5 questions:
1) 5,000,000 + “Expandableâ€.
2) No.
3) Yes (it has the same functionality in this regard as the 910, except for no hard drive).
4) No.
5) Tiger GPS will be the first to receive shipments as far as she was aware.
Finally, they clarified the SD card issue. The 720 will accept an SD card up to 4 GB in capacity. I guess that means no SDHC’s.
Apparently the 720 has started shipping, at least in Europe. And the US site now has the info page posted:
http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=383&Category=0&Lid=4
UPDATE:
TomTom’s website now actually has information on the GO 720. They claim the SD slot will accept up to an 8 GB card.
As for availability… I just called Tiger GPS and they say TomTom has pushed back their shipment until “the middle of Augustâ€. I also called Amazon.com and asked what “in stock soon†meant. Amazon.com says their order is due in on July 31st, although who’s to say if Tiger GPS’s information is simply more up-to-date than Amazon.com’s. Amazon.com claimed it could take between 1 and 10 days to process the orders once they’ve been received. Amazon.com also said there is still pre-order availability within their initial shipment. I placed a pre-order on Amazon.com this morning and the expected ship date is between 8/24 and 9/8, although they’re usually REALLY conservative.
I’m starting to wonder if I’ll be able to get a 720 before my trip on 8/13.
I’m concerned that the bluetooth won’t work my my Treo 650 or subsequent model. The compatibility tool on TT’s website says it works with the Treo for the Plus services but there is no check mark next to any of the other features (hands free, send/receive SMS, contact list) for any TT device. Are there different bluetooth issues with different phones?
Yes, there are different issues with different phones, as well as different carriers.
Are those issues the same regardless of device manufacturer? Would I face the same issue(s) with my Treo on the Garmin 660? And do the lack of check marks mean it won’t work or just they haven’t tested those functions? It seems strange that TT Plus works but hands free doesn’t and that is the feature I’d like. They have some caveat at the bottom about other phones might work and their list of phones isn’t that extensive (mine ins’t event the most current Treo). Thanks.
I’m not sure what is going on with their phone compatibility listing with the Treo 650 right now. That seems completely backwards from what it used to say, backwards from what logic would say, and backwards from my own experience with TomTom devices and the Treo 650.
For what it’s worth, I just stopped by Best Buy, locally, and asked about the 720’s availability. The guy checked their system, and he says it’s on order to be received either Monday (7/30) or Wednesday (8/1) this next week.
Hi Tim, Hats off to you for this ! Quick question: With regards to the ipod connectivity kit available for this (or 710), Does it purely provide audio connectivity or will it charge the unit as well ? Is it using the USB connector ? No sweat if you don’t know..
Thanks !
I just picked up the tomtom 720 at Best Buy yesterday. It is also listed on tomtom’s website now. There is no tts on the 720 in the US.
Kelly, when you say TTS do you mean text-to-speech or voice recognition? I believe others who have been testing the 720 in the US have confirmed that it does have the former but not the latter. They did note that if you customize the voice you lose TTS capability.
Best Buy’s website still does not even acknowledge the TomTom GO 720. I called my local store and they have no information on that device at all – the guy kept insisting I meant the classic GO.
No offense, but did you really buy one yesterday because the US version DOES have TTS. TomTom’s website verifies this (as well as just about every other GPS website). What it doesn’t have is voice recognition.
Peter, a chap in the UK who has been testing the new x20 TomToms noted that the iPod connector does not charge the iPod. However, there is a Kensington product that seems to allow both charging (via what was formerly known as the cigarette lighter) and audio passthrough that he will probably test for compatibility in the near future.
i asked future shop (vancouver, canada) and they said they have 400 units expected next week. hopefully there is no delay because i can’t wait!
Peter, John is correct. The iPod connector won’t also provide a charge to your iPod.
Great info on the 910 and 720. Now I have a choice that I need help with. My first GPS which one do I pick? Please help.
Picked up mine in Tampa, FL today at Best Buy. The demo one was not out, so I had to ask if they had it in stock. They did and I was in shock!
I am 100% positive that I bought the Tomtom Go 720. I have the box right next to me. The guy at Best Buy did not realize they had it even though it was in the locked case. What the 720 does not do is speak the street names. I thought this was text to speech. What it says is something like “turn right in 500 feet.” I thought speaking the street names is text to speech. I apologize if I was not correct in my wording.
Kelly, that does seem odd. I haven’t found the 720’s documentation online, so if you have it, you might want to check to see whether there’s a setting you need to make TTS work. I think I remember reading somewhere that if you have a choice of voices, you need to select a particular one for TTS.
Of course, if you get to play with your new GPS toy, we’ll all be very interested in your impressions of the UI, routing quality, if you experience lag, speaker loudness/articulation, etc!
I was wrong. I had a human voice selected and that is why it would not read the street names out loud. Once I selected a computer voice, I was able to check off the box in the preferences to have it read the street names out loud. Thanks for questioning my earlier post, otherwise I would not have figured it out!
Just picked up one for my daughter at a BestBuy store in Round Rock, TX. I say the demo was up but it wasn’t labeled. Then I saw four boxes through the glass case. The store clerk says it just arrived today.
Is there an option to enter waypoints (lat/long coordinates)? or a way to mark or display lat/long?
Patrick, unless you need European maps out of the box you should probably go for the 720. You can add European maps to the 720 later if you wish.
Raoul, when you set up an itinerary you can add waypoints. There is a button to select if you want to enter a destination using latitude/longitude values. There is also a button in the preferences to set the type of units that will be shown and latitude and longitude is one of the options. I hope this answers your question.
Sorry, Kelly, I really meant no offense – I was just confused by you saying there was no TTS. Anyway, Best Buy’s all around the country must be getting them because I just picked one up today. I cancelled my pre-order on Amazon.com… you snooze, you lose.
Anyway, first impressions: this thing is a blast to play with and it has more features than I know what to do with. Oh, and the Bluetooth features work with the Cingular 3125 as well as the Motorola RAZR (the newest one, anyway). Very accurate routing, too. It took me on the same route that I use being a local. Fantastic!!!
I got mine too. Of course many people are getting theirs now as well, but even having your own if there is anything specific you would like to see tested by me, or tested head to head with something else, let me know.
Tim,
Thanks for all your help so far! I’ve got a question about the SD slot. Can the SD card be used for ANYTHING besides additional maps? It doesn’t seem like you can play music or view documents/pictures off of one.
In fact, since I don’t see how to move anything besides music and pictures to the 720’s internal memory with HOME, how can you view documents at all unless from the SD card (which I don’t find possible, either)? I’m extremely disappointed by this, actually, because I thought I’d be able to carry 8 GB of music with me but now it’s only going to be the ~700 MB that fits on the internal storage.
I just purchased a 720 today at Best Buy. Does anyone known where the RDS-TMC traffic receiver can be purchased for this model?
Just purchased. It solved all of my problems with the TT one as well as all the compitition. Look forward to many years of usage..
I can’t wait to get it ! Here, in Canada, I can’t find an online retailer that offers it. I’ll wait for a week, since juvethski wrote that FutureShop should receive units. It will be my first GPS.
Lee - I haven’t tried that yet, but I’ll try to check it out today.
Jay - It isn’t shipping quite yet. It should be available in the next couple of weeks.
Hi Tim, i have quick question for you. I just bought my TomTom 720 yesterday and i was messing with all the feature but cant seem to find the “speech recognition.” This option, according to the manual, states that you can speak the address you want to go instead of typing it. The icon for this is “spoken address” but i cant seem to find it, can you help?
Heres the link to the manual, look at page 15
http://www.tomtom.com/lib/doc/device/gox20/gox20-en-US.pdf
Binh - see comments 11, 31, and 39. Speech recognition is not available in the USA.
Thanks a lot tim appreciate it
tim,
do you think speech recognition will be available soon on the 720?
thanks.
Not that I know of.
Picked one of these up from best buy today (and signed up for the free rewards program!) This is my first GPS ever, and after hours of reading on this site last night, it seemed like a great choice. We’re taking a 3k mile roadtrip on Friday, and this bad boy will get a ton of use. So far I’m having a ton of fun and haven’t even used it in the car yet. I get 8 satellites INSIDE my house. Way cool. Look forward to posting impressions after our trip.
Thanks for the awesome site Tim. Super informative and you do a great job staying objective. Special nod to the math problem needed for posting.
I was looking at purchasing either the TomTom 720 or the Garmin Nuvi 660. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I cannot decide between the two.
Also, can anyone tell me whether the TomTom 720 gives distances in miles? I was under the impression that it only gives yards. A friend of mine has the TomTom One XL and told me that it only gives yards.
Thanks for your help.
The 720 does give the prompts in feet, then miles. It uses 150 feet, 250 feet, one quarter mile, one half mile, etc.
I also picked up my TT720 yesterday @ Best Buy. It is listed on their website and available for in store pickup but not on display. Circuit City doesn’t have it or list it. So thank you to all that have been diligently monitoring retailers.
Now, on to my one issue, and I hope it can be resolved. I have a Verizon Wireless Treo 650 and cannot get it to work via Bluetooth with the 720. I will call support later but both devices do see each other. I’m also concerned because the website says bluetooth calling doesn’t work with the Treo. But this is a pretty widespread phone and its strange the other features work bluetooth. Thoughts?
Mark,
Since it was my first time using Bluetooth, when first I tried to pair my phone (Cingular 3125) with my 720 it failed. I later realized that you have to set your phone to “discoverableâ€, not “on†under Bluetooth settings. You might already know that, but maybe that helps. The list on TomTom’s website is by far not the end-all, be-all list – that’s only the ones that they’ve personally tested. Many more phones work and with more (or less) features than they’ve listed.
So I called TomTom support, and after 40 minutes on the phone with a rather strange man I got the answer that “yes†the 720 can play music, and view pictures & documents from an SD card. When I followed up with “how?†he couldn’t help me (and I was sick of waiting on hold). Tim, since I’m sure I’m wasting a lot of this page with this one question, would you mind addressing the “Music and Media†option and how to use it in your final review? Thanks!
By the way, Amazon.com still isn’t shipping the 720 and Tiger GPS reports a delay to mid-August… what gives? Retail seems to be the way to go for all of you still looking for one of these (great) GPS units.
Michael,
Go with the 720. I was up against the same choice but, being future-proof, I’m much happier with the updated features of the 720 AND it’s cheaper. Win-win!
Mark, a an owner of a Verizon Treo 650 myself, I can tell you that Verizon cripples Bluetooth on their phones in a way that makes them less compatible with other devices. I’ve never really been able to get my V T650 to connect with any TomTom devices in a reliable manner.
To compound the issue, I don’t think TomTom’s website is correct in their compatibility table. What they list right now for the T650 is just about opposite of what it said a month or so ago for that phone when it was listed as working for hands free with certain devices, but not for any other services.
I was able to get the 720 and T650 to pair…. but not by any traditional means! And while they were technically paired, I couldn’t get any services to work.
Lee - I’ll check that out.
Tim,
Thanks for the comments. Strange thing is the matrix on TT’s website supports the 650 with Plus but not the normal Bluetooth and it is for all Treos. Plus, Garmin supposedly supports the Treo 650. This issue has me really torn because so far, I really like the 720 and the advanced features over Garmin.
Garmin didn’t always support the T650 if I recall correctly. At first they didn’t support it, then supported it on other carriers but not Verizon, and then after a new firmware update was released from Palm they started to support it on Verizon provided that firmware update was released.
Has anyone found a pdf of the user manual yet?
Also is the US version any different from the Canadian one? A.K.A I don’t like to wait so if I drive to the states and buy one there will there be any difference? (besides the price?)
The Treo saga continues. TT claims that last August Verizon blocks their Bluetooth devices from working with TT GPS devices. Haven’t called Verizon yet, or tested with my friend’s Verizon Motorola Q.
The manual is on the CD that comes with it.
Chris, I’ve added a link to the manual in the specifications list along the top left of this page.
Thanks Tim. As I don’t have one yet (can’t find them in Canada) I don’t have the CD to get the manual from…
Trying to find a 720 in Canada. Anyone have any luck finding them?
Just talked to TomTom customer service, the lady I talked to said no difference in models between US & Canada. Supposed to be available for full release by Mid August.
Tim, I’ve been on the brink of buying the Magellan Maestro 4040 but waiting the arrival of the TT 720 to see if it was better. Spec wise it appears to be, but I’d appreciate a head to head from you if you could arrange it.
Thanks,
Has anyone looked into the traffic feature? It seems very confusing and you need to have a compatible cell phone, which I do not have. It seems like instead of making the newer systems more user friendly, it is the opposite. Does anyone have any thoughts on the traffic feature? I know with some of the Garmins this is built in to the unit or the unit charger. Assuming I had a compatible phone, does anyone know how this works? How would I be charged by my cell phone carrier? And how much do we have to pay to TomTom for this service?
Thanks for your help.
You don’t have to use your phone. There will be an optional RDS-TMC traffic receiver you can connect. It isn’t shipping quite yet, but should be soon. It will probably be about $130 which will probably include a one year subscription.
I bought a Mag 4040 after a I realized my wife had been incorrectly told the XL One had TTS. I really preferred the TT but the TTS was critical in heavy traffic for me. The TeleAtlas maps found my home immediately and the NavTeq doesnt even get me close (neighborhood built 6 years ago). The 4040 has hung up several time and was slow to reroute recently in DC. The 4040 may go back for the TT!! I like the POI categories but routing me quickly and the TT Home software is superior to Magellans sorry attempt at a PC based system.
And another thing on the POI’s - while the AAA listed Mt. Vernon, the Magellan system did not list it under nearby attractions while in Arlington (about 16 miles away). I tried zip code and the system would not even recognize the zip for Mt. Vernon. I checked and had the most current firmware and the maps released the 3rd Q of 2006. The fact that the AAA POI’s and Mag POIs are not linked is a pain unless you’re sitting still. The detour funtion was pretty nice but slow to pick up the speed change that triggers the need to detour and at time made a detour impossible to make! Some of the other POI’s were at least a block off their actual locations.
The Mag couldn’t differentiate well between frontage roads and Interstates as well as the XL One did in my brief use. Unfortunately for me I, no one seemed to know about the 720s intro two weeks ago when I bought the 4040. Thanks goodness for Satisfaction Guarantees!!
Thanks for the info on the 4040, David. The problems you’re indicating are the reason I was hesitant on making the buy.
From the reviews I saw they indicated the calculating and routing were slow, but that it was only a firmware update away from being a great GPS. I keep going to Mag’s website and checking for updated firmware but no changes. There is a 1.22 update but that doesn’t seem to be the latest. The 4050 firmware is 2.04. I played with the 40 and 50 in a Circuit City. The 50 definitely performs faster.Don’t know if better, but definitely faster!Didn’t want to pay extra 200-300 for features I didn’t want just to get software that Mag should have put in all their models.
Its a shame. I really liked how the Magellan looked on paper.
Now to chew my lip and avoid buying until I start seeing some real reviews on the 720.
Tim, first, thanks for all the info here…..you’ve helped out a ton with my decision to get a Go 720. On to the question, do you know if the iPod cable for the 720 is the same as the one for the 910 or if there is a different one? If it’s a different one, any idea where to buy it? They don’t list it on TomTom’s site. Thanks a lot, great review!
Trevor, I think it is the same cable, but I’m not certain enough to tell you to go get one.
Tim (or any lucky person who has a 720),
Have you had a chance to try and play mp3’s or view photo’s off of the SD card? I want to buy an 8GB card and just use it to store mp3’s instead of having an iPod and a gps begging for the 1 power outlet in the car.
Lee,
You can put music on the 720 SD card. You have to use the TomTom Home software. On the left menu select music and in the upper right select the “SD card” tab. There are 2 tabs up there. I believe the other one said something like “Internal Memory”.
Once the SD tab is selected, the 720 will copy your selected music to the SD card. I have done this and downloaded almost 2 gb of music to my SD card and the device works fine.
I have not tried to manage the music on my device yet. I think there might be a bug in the software that will not let you remove the music, except delete all.
Can anyone help with some questions:
1] What other units are on-par with the 720? I’d like to evaluate comparable units.
2] Can routes and addresses be saved?
3] If I hit traffic and want to detour is there a Detour button, which will perform a minor reroute and then get back to the main route? Or do you simply drive off-route and have the unit auto-reroute?
4] Does the 720 have a ‘via’ function?
5] My car basically as a glass roof — is the 720 screen bright enough for use in full sun?
DaveG (1) Depends what features you are looking for. (2) Yes. (3) Yes, you can specify how far you want to detour from the route. Or you can simply drive off the route and it will recalculate. (4) Yes, see the specs in the upper left. (5) Yes, it is one of the brighter displays on the market.
I got my TT 720 on Sunday before a trip to New Jersey. It came in handy because my flight got cancelled from Pittsburgh to Newark so I had to drive and it worked out fairly well. We didn’t take the suggested route and shaved 20 minutes off but honestly both routes were almost identical.
I got Traffic working with my Verizon treo 700p. I’m amazed it worked but it did. I couldn’t get the “trial” subscription so out on a limb I bought the $50 1yr subscription and it gets data just fine. I’ll find out the quality of it on the way to the airport shortly.
What format does music have to be on to play on a 720? I have converted CDs to my Ipod in whatever default format their software prefers but it isn’t MP3. Will this format work on the 720 using an SD card?
They need to be MP3 format.
So far, I’ve had my 720 for a few days. I Love It!! Excellent device! I’m amazed how quickly it recalculates a new route once I pass a street. I’ve only used it around town, setting some random POI’s. Can’t wait to put it to real use. One BIG complaint so far: why can’t a $500 device include a $10 carrying case? That’s just weak, IMHO.
Tim,
Thanks for the best review site on GPS units! I just picked up my 720 yesterday based on comparisons and comments. It seems the brick and mortar stores have led the way on delivery over the internet “early purchase” programs…
The unit works well…the bright sun is a challenge, but this unit was still viewable even with the convertible top down. This unit is the best bang for the $$ out there.
More later when I get familiar with its functions.
Hi to all 720 owners, do any of you guys have a “static” problem when using the phone? i mean when i call someone like my home for instance, my family could only hear static and sound was very distorted. My phone, however, is not part of the compatible ones listed so that might be the problem. Insights anyone? my phone is the LG CU500
Also, does anyone have a problem with the freeway where the 720 breaks up the distance on freeway? what i mean by that is that i go around 15 miles on freeway 101 and instead of telling me to go 15 miles on 101, it would break it into “parts” for no apparent reason (i.e. “continue for 7 miles on 101″ then “continue for 4 miles on 101″ then “continue for 4 miles on 101″ on the same freeway) Gets really annoying since i synced it to my stereo and it pauses my music every time with the instructions. Anyone have this problem?
In one of the Forums I recall that someone was unhappy because the TomTom GO 720 displayed the next street name at the bottom rather than the current street.
According to the TomTom manual on page 56 it is a user preference to either have the next street or the current street show.
(Tim is there some way to search the forums?)
TomTom seems to be the only manufactuer that has a 2 year P&L warranty on some of it’s line up. Why would the GO 720 have only 1 year?
JeepLover, there is a search link in the forums, it should be on most pages in the forums just under the top ad block.
John, that started with the ONE XL, I’m guessing it was a change they have made for models moving forward.
Does anyone know how much the map updates cost? Are you required to keep up-to-date with them? Is there a problem for instance if you missed a few updates, for example 4 of them, and then tried downloading the update #5. Would this update include the changes from #1 to #4 that you did not get?
Why wouldn’t TomTom have the traffic receiver built in or at least include it as is done with other manufacturers? I am just having a problem that this is an additional accessory that needs to be purchased.
binh, yes I do have the same “static” problem. I was able to get the 720 to pair with my LG VX8600, and I can make a call. The audio sounds good coming out of the 720, but in the other direction (to the person I’m calling), there is a nasty high pitched buzz over the audio. Looks like the same issue. I guess LG phones are out, they only list one as compatible. I could not get the 720 to pair with my wife’s Samsung SCH870, so no hands free options here. Hopefully, the LG buzz can get worked out at some point. Did you call TomTom on it yet?
Hi - Could anyone please advise if the 720 can be programmed for ‘way points’ - i.e insert a specific route to take rather than leaving it to the 720 to pick a route - I am about to purchase my first sat nav and this feature is important to me (The Garmin nuvi range does not have this feature) thank you
Ted, I had no problem inserting a waypoint in my itinerary using the 720. You can review the route as a map and zoom in on an area. Then you have the ability to move a cursor around, which can select roads, etc. This appears either as a recently mapped location, or you can add it as a favorite. You can then insert that into your itinerary, and arrange so it is an interim waypoint, which will cause it to be routed through. You can also set items in your itinerary as destinations, which I suppose will direct you there first (as part of a multi-part trip). The only gripe I have is that the cursor operation kinda fights with the map scrolling (you move the map with your finger) so it is a tad slower and harder than it need be. It would be great if you could toggle the cursor on and off, so the map dragging would work more effortlessly.
Jim H, thanks for your quick response - is it also possible to insert ‘multiple’ waypoints, for a single journey ?
thanks
Ted, yes. I’ve only put two in an itinerary so far, but it took both easily, and they can be reordered, turned into destinations, deleted, etc. I think it can handle up to 254 or so. I just removed one of the two waypoints, just so when I go on my trip it will have to recalculate (I want to see how it does). Going out on my maiden voyage now.
Jim H, Thanks - From what I have read so far the 720 looks to be what I am after (glad I did not go for the Garmin 660) Could you please report on your findings from your trip - thanks
I thought I’d report on Voice Recognition since it’s been talked about quite a lot on this forum. I bout a 720 yesterday at Best Buy in Detroit. I just spoke with Delel (sp?) in TomTom customer support. Page 15 of the 720 owner’s manual reads,
“Instead of typing addresses, you can now enter an address by speaking to your GO. Note: The speech recognition feature is currently only available for entering addresses and for responding to special notifications. In the Main Menu tap Navigate to…, then tap Address, then tap Spoken address and speak when prompted.”
I explained to her that I cannot get this feature to work, the icon for “Spoken Address” does NOT appear on my screen. She told me the feature “was supposed to be there, but they are working on it and no ETA on the update is available.” I am in the USA.
This feature is the reason I went with the 720 over the One XL so I am disappointed that it isn’t available.
Blake, prior to purchasing the device, where did you hear that speech recognition would be available?
I bought mine at Best Buy yesterday and think it’s GREAT! I’d been using a Mag 2200t which worked quite well but didn’t have Mac compatibility. The TT does!
Great forum Tim, your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Joe G
I bought a tt 720 t in Holland. I do have problems connecting via bluetooth with the treo 650. After a while a got connection but no connection with the plus services. It says it is not DUNN compatable. However I can phone handsfree it does not get my phonebook but I see my last calls out and in.
This is different from what TomTom states in its website
Hi Jim, thanks for responding. I have yet to call TomTom about this issue but it seems that its static for other phones as well. I synced another phone, Motorola KRZR K1, that supports everything (text, phone book transfer, etc…) and tested it and it still sounds “static” and not to mention very low volume. You basically have to scream into it for the other end to hear. So yea, i’ll probably try calling tomtom about this issue and post if i know anything new.
Re Voice Recognition:
OK, the forum will not permit URLs, it’s on the TomTom 720 page:
Screen grab I made containing TomTom URL:
fireflystudios(dot)com(slash)tomtom
Blake, based on the list of models and the “western Europe map” reference, it looks like you are on the United Kingdom site of TomTom. (Language/region selector near the upper right, just above the edge of your screenshot.)
Hi Tim, I see what you are referring to, and curiously, when I do look at the USA portion of the site, that feature has vanished. Ahhh, so a 720 is a 720 but isn’t a 720. Still, it is in my PDF instruction manual supplied with my unit, so I’ll patiently wait for the feature here in the USA. If they knew the feature was N/A in the States they should have pulled it from the manual, if for no other reason than to cover themselves in touting a feature that does not exist. Or at minimum put a disclaimer next to it such as, “this feature not available in the USA.” Sloppy.
At the end of the day though, it is a nice unit, I’ve had no problems with the Bluetooth connection with my Verizon Crackberry 8830. The speaker connection for phone calls is very clear.
I agree, it shouldn’t be in the manual and/or there should be a disclaimer in the manual.
Do you think they’ll update the Bluetooth Compatibility list? I have a Cingular 8125. My phone finds my TomTom720, but TomTom can’t see the phone.
Also, what is everyone’s experience with the FM Transmitter? Is it loud? The only time I’ve tried it, seems like I had to have my stereo’s volume turned up very high to even remotely hear it. Should I try a different frequency?
Also, my earlier complaint about an included case was resolved when I found a Case Logic hard drive case. It’s a little long for the 720, but it has an elastic band to secure it in place. And, for $10 at BJ’s price club, it’s much better than the $29.99 from TomTom.
Eric, I am learning how best to use my 720 and I have also noticed that the FM transmitter requires me to turn up the radio volume way up in order to hear the directions. I need to experiment with it some more to see if I can use a different frequency and get it work better.
Eric and Roger: Apparently the regulatory agencies decree that FM transmitters need to be quite underpowered (so as not to interfere with others’ radios, I suppose), and so that creates one problem. The other is that there’s a trend in automobiles to put the FM antenna in odd places like the roof the the car which exacerbates the low-power problem.
In terms of the many posts discussing hands-free cellphone problems with outbound voice, several folks with the same issue in other forums have sent their 720s and found the replacements sent by TomTom no longer have the buzzing problem. Sounds like a problem at the Chinese factory that was corrected somewhere along the way.
I’m very impressed by what I’ve been reading about the 720 over the past few weeks. Being the current owner of a 700, I know I’d be absolutely thrilled with it. The improvements sound like terrific additions.
However, I think I’m going to hold out until the announcement as to features and price of the 920. For those who haven’t yet read the article, be sure to head over to http://www.gpsreview.net/tomtom-go-920/ for what we might expect to see. According to the article, some of the features some of us might wish were part of the 720 seem to at least be mentioned as within the realm of possibility for the 920.
If the additional features of the 920 turn out to be justified by its price, I’ll opt for the 920; otherwise, I’m sure I’d still be quite happy with the 720.
Tim, thanks very much to you for making this site such an excellent one. You knowledge, research, and willingness to answer questions and make suggestions in such a timely manner are tremendous. Thanks also to the community for its excellent contributions as far as the comments, questions, etc. are concerned. In my opinion, the site is a must-read for anyone interested at all in GPS.
Hi John,
My TT720 bought in France have the problem of Buzzy outbound voice when hands-free calls.
Do you have others informations about this problem?
Are all new TT shipped now problem free?
Can we know if a model have this problem with his serialnumber?
Thanks…
Does the 720 announce upcoming manuvers like the magellen with the street name. Does it give any type of tone like the magellan does when your suppose to turn or manuver
Francois: Assuming it’s OK to post the names of other online forums, you may want to look at tomtomforums, yournav, and pocketgps. I don’t recall seeing mention of this at gpspassion, but on at least a couple of the other sites different people have mentioned having the noise/buzz problem fixed by a replacement unit. Because your 720 is under warranty, you should be able to get it replaced because of this defect.
Kevin - Yes, it announces street names. It gives you a warning before the turn, and then just before the turn instead of a tone it will say something like “turn right”.
So after spending 7 hours in the car yesterday with my new 720, I’m happy to say, it’s a very nice unit. I really liked the text to speech reading of the road names. The information display is exactly what you need to navigate. The recalculations were prompt, and the trip was pleasant. All voice prompts seemed to be spot on. It gave 2 miles warning on the highway, with a reminder at .5 miles, and then another terse directional command right as you hit the turn. On slower roads, it gave .25 miles warning and the reminder. It does a reasonable job reading the road names, and gives exit numbers and route numbers, very handy.
I did find the FM transmitter to be nearly unusable, since it broadcasts so weakly. I tried a bunch of empty stations at the bottom and top of the dial, and had to turn the stereo to max to get just an acceptable sound level. I hope they can further boost this, but I’m not holding my breath. Too bad, since even weak radio stations were 5 times louder. I guess I’ll have to look into line in.
I’m glad there may be a way to fix the buzzy bluetooth outbound audio. I’ll be contacting TomTom to see and report back. It would be great if it is just as easy as an equipment swap.
All in all I’m pleased with the purchase. I was going to go for the One, but the extra screen real estate and the voice prompts (not to mention faster processor and up to date maps) make me glad I chose the 720.
Hi, I live in Australia and am looking to update from my Garmin Quest , which I use for a mixture of Suburban and Off Road work, as I can input Routes, Waypoints etc. I am thinking along the lines of the Tom Tom 720 Garmin Nuvi 6– series or the new Magellan Crossover. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Is it possible to load maps of lakes and rivers to the 720? Would be nice to be able to use it on a boat.
Jim H good review. I have not had time to experiment any more with the FM transmitter but it sounds like you tried every which way to get it sound louder so I don’t need to waste my time. Tim, is it possible that TT can improve the sound level by way of a firmware upgrade? For that matter, can these units have their firmware upgraded?
Roger
Mark - No, although the maps do show a good deal of lakes and rivers. But keep in mind it isn’t waterproof, nor even water resistant. One inopportune splash could ruin the device.
Roger - firmware updates are possible, but I wouldn’t expect the FM transmitter to change much. The power output is limited by the FCC and all of these FM transmitters are running at the maximum allowed power output.
Hi everyone, I’m not buying the speculation about the FM transmitter needing to be low due to USA FCC regs. After all, the FM transmitter in my Sirius satellite receiver works loud and clear. So does the inexpensive (US$30) FM transmitter that plugs into the earphone jack of my iPod. It’s a TT issue me thinks.
Tim, is there a straightforward way to get line-out functionality from a 720 that can be fed into an auto sound system’s Aux (or Aux-like) input?
Blake - I’m not saying that all FM transmitters are exactly equal in performance. Some are just better designed than others. However the output power IS limited by FCC regulation and virtually all FM transmitters, including the one in the 720, are putting out the maximum power. Certain things like the location of the transmitter within the device, and the location of the device within your car can have a significant impact, positively and negatively. Sometimes moving my FM transmitter (or GPS with FM transmitter) just an inch or two in my car can have a significant impact on the signal quality. So I’m not saying the 720 is as good as it could possibly be, but rather that they won’t be able to just boost the power output.
John - There is a headphone jack/line out on the bottom of the 720. Your car’s sound system will just need to be able to accept the input.
Output power of an FM transmitter and volume are two different things. I’m pretty sure the volume level needs to be adjusted in software. Like someone else was saying, sirius radio and ipod transmitters fall under the same regulations and don’t have this issue.
Has anyone tried setting the 720 to use the FM transmitter then turning the 720’s volume setting to max and see how it works? I know with my $30 fm transmitter I use with my ipod if the ipod’s volume isn’t max then I need to crank the car stereo but if I turn my ipod volume to the max then I can keep the car stereo at a normal volume level.
I’ve bought a TT720 in the UK - found a few stores that had in stock for mail order, but a Comet in Cumbria had it to pick up, and because I’m travelling all over in the next few weeks, thought I’d go for it…
Anyway, a couple of observations.
I agree with comments about the volume on the FM transmitter. Having said that, you can direct both MP3 and directions through the transmitter, which means they come out at the same level (just be wary of changing channels on the radio without thinking about the radio volume first!). I will look into the line out at some point (has anyone tried it yet and found out if it’s a better level?)
My more significant gripe is over the quality of the microphone. One of the reasones that I didn’t go for a Garmin and waited for the 720 was that the 710/910 accommodated an external mic. You can barely hear me (some may say no bad thing) when on a call. Having read other posts it looks like it might be a faulty unit, so I will contact Tomtom and see if any joy - although here the contract is with the vendor, but I doubt I’ll get much joy and probably only another faulty one from the same batch!
Assuming I get the phone mic problem sorted I would say that overall it’s an excellent machine. I just need to work out how to put playlists on it next…
Chris, yes. I assume that is how other people are using it as well, but perhaps that is an incorrect assumption. The problem is that even at 100%, the volume produced isn’t as loud as the volume from from other FM radio stations despite the car’s volume being set at the same level.
In thinking more about it, and based on the others saying Sirus doesn’t have this problem, I’m thinking that TT just isn’t scaling the FM transmitter signal properly. It’s not a question of lock, the signal _is_ locked on the radio, and when you travel into a region that has a station in that band, the other station starts to fight with the TomTom (ultimately winning). Usually, when an FM station starts to fade, the volume decreases somewhat, but you start to hear some static and distortion as the receiver loses lock. This is not the case with the 720. Also, the way FM works, the frequency is modulated to carry the radio signal, NOT the amplitude (like AM), so in theory, you don’t need a ton of power to have a signal with large amplitude (though power may figure in somehow). Perhaps there is hope that TT can fix the problem without having to boost the power. Right now, with the TT set to 100% volume and the radio set to full volume, the signal is just loud enough to hear in a moving vehicle.
After several requests for same, I just plugged my cassette adaptor into the car’s cassette slot and plugged the adaptor’s cable into the bottom of the 720. VOILA!!! Both music (MP3) and Lori’s announcements came through LOUD & CLEAR. Although the FM worked fine (on 87.9 for me), this method is much, much clearer.
Thanks for the input, Jim. With the TT volume set to 100%, I only have to turn up the volume on my stereo just a little bit to make the volume loud enough at highway speeds. I don’t need both to be on max volume. That is the case too with other FM transmitters I have. Even with those devices turned up as much as they will go, I still need to turn up the volume a little bit on my stereo to get an acceptable sound level.
I’m not saying there isn’t an issue with the FM transmitter on the 720, I’m agreeing that it isn’t loud enough, but the performance I’m getting with it is on par with other FM transmitters I’ve been using with the same stereo. Others have reported they are not getting the same performance as other FM transmitters they use.
The comments on this post are moving into more of a conversation style. Since the comments here are not really setup for that type of conversation, let’s try to move the discussions about the FM transmitter over here, and the discussions about Bluetooth compatibility over here. That way we won’t stir up a whole bunch of email notifications to people not interested in those two topics and we can discuss more freely with those interested. Thanks!
One more question to anyone that owns or has used a 720. When you are on the freeway and it’s giving navigation instructions, does it tell you what lane you have to be in (whether you’re exiting the freeway, or merging onto a different freeway). My dad’s Infinity does this with it’s built-in navigation and it’s a very nice feature. Thanks for the help!
One more thing, Tim you were correct (TomTom’s website verifies this) that the iPod cable for the 720 is the same as the one for the Go 910 and 510.
Trevor, in some cases it will, when the underlying data has enough information to provide that. It will occasionally say things like “turn right and then stay in the right lane”. But it doesn’t do that in all multi-lane situations.
Has there been any indication when accessories for the 720 will be available? I’d love to have a decent carry case and would like the alternative mount for my car. Thanks.
I haven’t heard anything specific.
Mark,
I called TT on this specific issue,they told me they had no new information. I too…want a carrying case (bad decision to not include). All accessories (wall plug in charger etc) are on a TBD basis…the TT person confirmed to me that this is a “European Company” and the US is apparently not in the first line of release.
This is also evident if you check the TT website for accessories and find pricing in Euro’s only!ahhh… to be not a priority…..it would be nice to be able to purchase some accessory since the units ahve bben reslesed here…….waiting…..
The USA TomTom website lists prices in USD.
Tim,
You are correct…yesterday it was Euro’s…you are on top of your game!
I’ve always had trouble with the country/language setting on the TomTom website. I think the accessories have always displayed in USD on the USA site, but you might be experiencing the same issues with the language/country selector as I have. You will notice subtle other differences on the other country pages as well such as referring to “petrol” stations instead of the USA native “gas” or “fuel” stations.
Tim,
Not to carry the string on…but..
I asked specifically about the costs in Euros and was told they were working on it.
TomTom Scenic Routes (on Tom Ton Home site) also ONLY have European “scenic routes” to date…that too wa told to me to be due to the European centric company…the US would be later….
Blake D. You mentioned:
“At the end of the day though, it is a nice unit, I’ve had no problems with the Bluetooth connection with my Verizon Crackberry 8830. The speaker connection for phone calls is very clear.”
You have the 8830 on Verizon. Do you have the $15 tethering option on your call plan? If so have you tried the Tomtom Plus services with your 8830 - the 8830 supports Bluetooth DUN on Verizon, so I am thinking it will work with Plus even though Tomtom has no Verizon devices listed. It definitely works with Macs and PCs.
syadasti wrote:
“If so have you tried the Tomtom Plus services with your 8830 - the 8830 supports Bluetooth DUN on Verizon, so I am thinking it will work with Plus even though Tomtom has no Verizon devices listed. It definitely works with Macs and PCs.”
I do have the $15 tethering option on the Verizon BB 8830. I’ve tried doing what you suggest with no success. Because the BB8830 is not listed as a phone and Verizon is not listed as a carrier in the Plus setup, I clicked “manual setup” and was asked for “Access Point Name”, shich I didn’t know and Verizon tech won’t reveal. Next is “User Name” and “Password” which I’m not sure what they would be since I’ve never set them for this purpose. Tim, if you want this topic moved out of this forum, let me know where to move it to. I’d like to figure this out since I think I am close to setting it up properly. If anyone wants to contact me offlist, it’s blake at fireflystudios dot com. Thanks syadasti for your suggestion.
Verizon Wireless Bluetooth DUN setup (should work on TomTom Go 720 or other Tomtom):
Access Point Name: leave blank
username: yournumberhere@vzw3g.com
(your number being a ten digit verizon wireless phone number)
password: vzw
I am sure there are lots of potential or current Tomtom users who are eager to know if that works (it works on PC, Linux, Mac, etc…)
Tom,
Like so many others have said before me, THANK YOU for such an awesome site! It has helped me decide on the TT720, after ditching my “POC” Navman 520.
So I purchased the TT720 this weekend at my local Best Buy. So far, I’m really enjoying it.
Two questions for you (or anyone else):
1. I was able to pair it with my BlackBerry 7100t (soon to be replaced with something…what, I don’t know yet). I’m able to make and take calls, and transfer my phone book. However, it doesn’t seem to pump the caller’s voice out to the FM like it does for the music and directions. Is there a setting to do this? It’d be very handy.
2. Has anyone gotten the optional remote? Is it any good? Are they even shipping it yet?
Thanks!
Paul - (1) It doesn’t do that. Hands free takes place through the internal speaker only. (2) No, but I’ve used it on their 910. I don’t think it is shipping yet. Most people I’ve talked with don’t use it with their 910. It might be good if the GPS was out of reach, such as in an RV. Others might find it more valuable than I did.
Tim - Thanks for the quick answers. On (1), is there anyway to contact the right people at TT to request they add that feature? Re (2), again, thanks.
I don’t know of any specific channel fo