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 for feature request. Probably just contact their support department with it.
Is there a way to zoom the 720 so you can see maybe 20 miles ahead of you? Thanks!!!!!
I’m trying to decide between the garmin nuvi 350 and the TT 720. I’ve seen tons of fantastic reviews on the 350’s reliability/coverage, but it obviously has a few less features. 1) Is the coverage between the two comparable? 2) Are there any significant differences between the map sources for up to date maps? 3) Is there a noticable difference in the POI databases on the two units? Any comparative analysis would be appreciated.
Hi,
I don’t want to be repetitive, but is there some Canadians here that were able to put hands on the Tomtom 720 ? I’m waiting for the 750 units of FutureShop to arrive but no one can tell me when they’ll arrive (1 week, 2 weeks, end of August…)
FutureShop will sell it at 599$ CAD (a guy there told me that the promo price will be set at 582$ CAD… what a deal!). I found a website that will sell it at 529$ CAD… but it is only taking pre-orders for now.
Please help… if you can ! Thanks !
Mark, yes, you can zoom out using the zoom button in the top corners of the screen. It will zoom back in after a few seconds.
Russel (1) Coverage is pretty much the same. (2) The two map sources are now of similar quality. You can read my study here. Keep in mind that is looking at the big picture, there are city and regional differences that could favor one mapping provider over another in YOUR area. (3) The Nuvi database is a bit larger. You can compare those two devices here.
If you zoom out can you lock it in that mode?
Thanks
Yes, there is a preference to disable the automatic zoom. Then of course when you want to zoom back in you need to do it manually.
I’m currently using a Nuvi 660. It has better routing and higher destination accuracy (street numbers match the actual location) than my TomTom 910 (Stolen, sad story) and an indispensable feature: Left and right location information. I’m still looking at trading it for a TomTom 720, simply because I miss the pure elegance of the TomTom, the MUCH richer POI database of the 920 and the acceptable quality TTS voice! (Nuvi’s TTS voice sounds like a rheumatic tin can and mispronounces a LOT of words: Beverly DR turns into Beverly Doctor)
Questions: 1. Does the 720 have left and right side of the street info for locations? 2. Are the POIs as good as on the 910? 3. Is the 720 more accurate for street locations? 3. In downtown LA the 910 would take ages to locate satellites. Does the 720 use the same Chipset and algorithms? (The latter part of the question is probably only answered by speculation)
Thanks to all the cool people who participate in this discussion!
1) The underlying mapping database knows about it, but I haven’t seen any improvement in that information being used by the voice prompts.
2) It seems quite similar. The map is newer than what you had with the 910, so improvements have been made, but I can’t say for sure how much improved it will be for your area, etc.
3) It uses the same SiRFstarIII chipset. It also uses the QuickFix files you can download about once per week. Were you using QuickFix with your 910?
So, I’m kind of confused about this “QuickFix” feature and how it works (although I don’t have a compatible phone, so I don’t think I can use it without hooking up to my PC).
Aaanyway, my understanding is that it will download all the upcoming satellite positions for the next week. Then, when you turn on the TT720, if it doesn’t get a signal right away, it will use the downloaded info to determine where you are. BUT, if it can’t get a realtime signal, and you moved from the last time it was on, how can it know where you are? Maybe I’m missing something fundamental…?
It isn’t so much an issue of a “real time signal” or “not getting a signal”. GPS devices need to be listening to three satellites or more to really figure out your position. In order to listen to a satellite it needs to know where the satellites are. In a way it is a catch-22. QuickFix just helps your GPS know where to start looking for the satellites. So QuickFix doesn’t increase signal accuracy, it just gives the GPS a head start in knowing where to look for the satellites. If you move your GPS a considerable distance from where it was last used, QuickFix will still help, although it will also still take a little longer to find your initial position.
Tim,
Thank you for your very quick replies. 1. The left & right information is almost a deal breaker: Once you have that you can’t go back.
2. I actually upgraded the maps on the 910 to the latest a month before it got stolen (Still a sad story)
3. I was using the QuickFix ca. every two weeks, which took it from really bad to long wait. Only when I added the external antenna did I see some slight improvements, but that’s a really clunky solution, because it’s another wire running through the car.
To add: 4. Has anyone experienced the house number inaccuracy issue, where it will not get you to the right address? Combined with the lack of Left/Right info this makes arriving at a new destination uncomfortable enough for me to stick with the Nuvi 660, even though this means I get to miss out on all the TomTom goodness!
Any opinion on the 720 vs the intellinav V2 units now shipping ?
Martin, regarding #4, I’ve had to that happen to me in every GPS I’ve tested.
Couple of questions on the manual for the TT720, if anyone has any thoughts:
1) Pages 20 – 22: Using more than one speaker: “You can select different speakers to be used for specific events, such as using the internal speaker for TomTom GO instructions and external speakers for hearing handsfree phone calls and listening to music.”……”Note: Hands-free calls are always placed over the internal speaker”…..”Note: Hands-free calls are always played over the external speaker.”
From these three statements, it seems you can/cannot play phone calls over the radio. But, obviously, you can’t (I have one, and can’t get it to do it).
Am I nuts, or is the manual messed up (I know, these are not mutually exclusive!)
2) Page 61: It talks about “Car Preferences”: “Tap this button to change the way your GO responds to events in your car. -Link night view to headlights … -Instructions mute car stereo.” Uh, I don’t see it. Anyone else? How would this physically work, anyway?
3) I’ve uploaded my contact list via Bluetooth from my phone to the TT720. Is there a way to “Drive To” an address from that contact list, or did it just upload phone numbers? If not, is there a way to do a mass install of POI’s of addresses from my PC to the TT720? On that note, page 53 of the manual (”Manage POIs”) states, “For example, you could create a category of POIs called “Friends,” and add all your friends’ addresses as POIs in the category. You can even add your friends’ phone numbers with their address so you can call them from your GO.”…hmm…
4) (Not manual-related): I read somewhere that TeleAtlas will be coming out with 3D maps soon. Do you know if the TT720 will support these?
Sorry for the long-windedness, but thank you! This GPS is great!
(1) Correct, you can’t. (2) They might be referring to their car connect product. (3) You can add you friends as a POI category, manually. Contact list uploads via Bluetooth are numbers only. (4) The 720 shows “building footprints” in larger cities. I doubt it will be capable of showing true 3D maps when those become available.
Tim,
Thanks! Any idea when/where the Car Connect will be/is available?
No.
This may be a stupid question but I’m new to GPS… Can you enter a destination in GPS speak? like:
+46° 7′ 54.05″, -74° 26′ 33.18″
You can, but it will only route you to the nearest road point to those coordinates if the coordinates are not on a road.
Hi, I just bought my first GPS yesterday, the new TomTom go 720. It seems very accurate and easy to use. I have just two thinks I`am a little bit desapointed. The first one is, it seems the mapshare option is only available for free for one year. The second one (more silly) is:I cannot find any Starbucks!! I tried on every TomTom in the shop, and all of them have the Starbucks, but the 720 hasen`t
Any idea how I can add those coffe shop without encoding everytings?Is it a way to somebody with a precedent version export those data`s and for me to import them in my gps?
Thanks for your website and all the amazing infos we can find in it.
Floppy, not all POIs known come on GPS devices. However you can download Starbucks POI TomTom files, check out the 5th post in that thread for the files and a link to installation instructions.
What has happened with this forum? There have been no posts since 8/11. In addition, Best Buy no longer lists the Go 720 on its web site. Is there something we should be aware of?
I’m not sure anything “happened”. I think Best Buy probably just ran out of their initial stock. Most people are in the discussion forums talking about the 720 instead of here, you can find threads about the fm transmitter, cases, MP3 on SD cards, availability, Bluetooth, MapShare, etc.
Home, for the most seems to have the majority of extras (ex. traffic, and poi) for countries other than U.S. Is this going to change soon? Will more “extras” be available for U.S. soon?
Is there a way to get more computer voices? Since all human voices dont announce street names.
Would someone who already has a 720 please post what map version comes with it? It’s less expensive for me to buy the US version and the maps for Europe, but I don’t see the 720 listed in the maps section of the TomTom website. The highest map version I find there is 6.75, for the 710. Is this the same version that is in the 720? If not, does anyone know when TomTom might post maps for this version?
Meg, I have the 720 and versoin 705 is installed.
Jeff, I agree there are several places where TomTom needs to make things a little more North American centric when that preference has been set, like in prices for example. There are quite a few POI databases they make available for the USA (retail stores, dunkin donuts, baskin robins, jiwire hotspots, etc.) Sometimes they are just not that easy to find. And despite not listing the price in USD, traffic services are available in the USA. You should be able to download a few more voices into your 720 from the CD that came in the box. I recall finding a couple more on there.
Meg, the new map isn’t backwards compatible with older maps/devices, so the version number was bumped up to 7. It is still (too) hard to tell exactly what date it corresponds to, but my map version number is v705.1481.
Thanks Tim, I found one more female english uk computer voice on the disk. So far extremely happy with the 720.
Hi where can I get maps for Italy.
Thanks
You can purchase additional maps through the TomTom HOME software.
Any idea when maps will be available on the TomTom website? The 720 is not listed yet as a device on the UK, US or German websites and none of the other devices use version maps.
Does anyone know if the Canadian/US version can also announce distances in metric units? I prefer the metric system of measurement and was hoping that it could use distances in kilometers, meters, etc. versus miles, yards, etc.
Matt,
I have mine set to metric. You can change the settings back and forth…
How does everyone like the 720? So far compared to other gps this one seems to have the most bang for my buck. Definitely a great system.
To answer the critics that say there’s not been enough posting of late…
I’ve had the 720 for a couple of weeks now and I’m impressed.
I have been using the FM transmitter with no problem (volume has to be 100% on the tomtom) and the “jukebox” for entertainment is good (to break the monotony between directions!). I haven’t worked out how to get a playlist onto it yet. A challenge for another evening.
I’ve not got lost, and it has merrily guided me round a couple of snarl-ups that would have otherwise resulted in spending quite some time stuck in a traffic jam (although I’ve lost the traffic functions for now – see below). It seems ok at calculating the journey time (perhaps better on UK/Europe roads than USA, judging by some other posts) from what I’ve seen thus far.
The screen mount seems good – none of the problems I read about on the 910 fitting.
Downsides – there are some options it would be nice to drop straight into the “quick menu”. If you decide to listen to the real radio, you have to go into speaker preferences to redirect the directions to the internal speaker.
I had real problems with hands-free initially, which turned out to be a faulty mic, resulting in me having to return the unit and get a replacement. (I haven’t had time to test the mic properly in the new unit yet, but fingers crossed it’s ok…) The problem now is that my tomtom plus account won’t recognised the new device – the helpful people at tomtom (who told me to replace the unit) have now asked for a scan of the receipt to prove I’ve replaced it before they will transfer the tomtom plus subscription to traffic and speed (sorry… safety) cameras to the new 720.
And I would have liked the option of using an external mic – I wait to see how good the working internal mic is.
Generally, though, very good. I use the computer voices so they read out street names in fashion (I’m looking forward to going to Wales at some point to see what they make of road names there!!!), but it does help following the directions when travelling somewhere new.
Hope that’s of use.
Hi,
is there anyone out there who knows what’s happening with the Tomtom 720 in Canada ? Some retailers are talking about late August… most of them are not even aware of this new GPS… I’m kind of tired to wait for something that is available in USA for more than 2 weeks !
Thanks !
Anyone get the new tom tom home progam. I got the update today. They changed home completely. No complaint. Just wondering why they changed it. Any thoughts? Also wondering why I cant get safety cameras downloaded. It doesnt seem to be available for Western New York. Will it be soon?
Jeff,
Thanks for the heads up! Before I download the new Home, can you share with us what changes you see?
Jeff/Paul: There’s plenty in the forums here and especially at Pocket GPS World on the new TomTom Home 2.0 application.
John: Do you have any direct links to those threads? Also, how do we get the latest version?
Paul, It seems they tried to simplify the program. There is large buttons to click on. Each with a different descripiton. Not sure about improvement havent used it too much. Will update.
Does TomTom (720) have a charge for the Mapshare software after the first year? I’ve seen other posts that mention something about an annual cost.
Don’t know yet Bud. But the 720 documentation says the first year is free which implies there might be a charge after that.
Ok, I have stupid problem I can’t get fixed. Somehow, a local movie theatre showed up as a touch screen menu item when I select Navigate to > Point of Interest. I can’t figure out how to remove it from the screen. Suggestions? Thanks!
Mark, it will show places you have recently added as destinations in that area for quick access.
When you say show places recently added, I presume as POI that I chose? Will it keep adding them or will the next one replace that one? How do you clear them out? Thanks!
Yes, those you created a route to. New routes to POIs will replace the ones there. I don’t know of an easy way to clear it.
Tim, thanks for the response on the Mapshare cost question. I’m not familiar with TomTom and can’t decide between it and the successful Garmin Nuvi 350/360.
One drawback to the Garmin is that the Lithium-Ion battery is not user replaceable. It has to be sent to a factory authorized service center to be changed and is not an inexpensive $20.00 charge. Is the 720’s battery user replaceable?
Based on past experience with other electronic devices, batteries eventually do stop holding a charge and have to be replaced – some sooner than others. But most are user replaceable too.
Thanks.
I am looking to purchase my first GPS device. When searching the web a couple of weeks ago, I found a nice review on a device that I don’t recall. Today, I have found the TT 720, and it looks like a winner so far. The feature that I read in the review (which I can’t recall) was with regards to the level of detail with the driving directions. For example, this unit was able to tell you to “Take a right, and then proceed to get into the left lane, in order to make the next left”. Do any of the Tom Tom devices provide such a level of detail? That type of information would be be great to know when following the directions.
Thanks.
Bud, the overwhelming majority of auto GPS devices come with non-replaceable batteries. For most people, using the device an hour or so a day, shouldn’t run into issues for several years and most will upgrade to a different device before that time.
Jonathan – Yes, when appropriate. If your next turn is to the right, in 1/4 mile and then the next turn is in 10 miles it won’t bother with the second instruction. However if the second maneuver is fairly quick after the first, it will give you a “do this, then do that” type instruction.
Just curious if the TT Go 720 can interface with an iPod as claimed and play your music through the built-in FM transmitter or if it requires a 2.5mm auxiliary cable to interface with the stereo system of the car?
Jeff, Yes it works as claimed, you don’t need another cable other than the iPod connect cable.
Can you hotwire this unit into the cars fuse box so that you don’t have a wire running to the 12v plug? If so, does it require a special wire?
Are there any gps’ or upcoming models that also play xm music radio? It sure would be nice to have one unit combined together.
thanks
I am confused about linking the 720 to a cell phone. What information does the phone send to the 720? Is this wireless? Does it use up my cell phone mins? Thanks for a great site.
Mike C – I’ve hotwired GPS devices before, so it is certainly possible although I’m not sure how it might impact your warranty. Some of the really big Garmin devices like the 2820 can play satellite radio.
Mark H – The 720 can function as a speaker and microphone for hands free calling. Also using a compatible data plan you can download weather information and live traffic reports (with subscription). How much your carrier charges for the data usage is dependent upon your plan.
I bought a tomtom 720 after I read rave reviews. After testing it’s feature for about two days, I found that the voice recognition feature is missing. This was confirmed with TomTom support. They say that the feature was removed one week before the release of the 720. But what’s more disturbing is that I had to wait about 8 minutes for the unit acquired the signal after I fired it the following two mornings. Here too, the Tom Tom support person said it’s possible for the unit to take up to 15 minutes to acquire signals. Is this normal, or acceptable. Anybody encountered the same. Please inform.
Emmanuel, Support gave you a bit of incorrect info about voice recognition. It was never planned for the USA from the beginning. The original press release announcing the product a month or so before it was available noted that voice recognition would not be available in the USA.
As to the time to fix, did you get the latest QuickFix data? Where was teh GPS located? I’ve sometimes seen bad QuickFix data downloaded as well. But in general my 720 has acquired a fix in about 5-10 seconds on average. But if has been turned off for a long time or in the rare occasion where I think I got bad QuickFix data I’ve seen it take a few minutes.
Tim, thanks for the quick response. The 8 minutes wait for signal acquisition occured only in the mornings after the unit was off over night. Can you please elaborate on your answer regarding the Quick Fix data download. Are you saying that I need to download some data from TomTom’s site?
You don’t need to, but using the QuickFix information will typically make your GPS get a signal much faster. You can use the included TomTom HOME program to have it download those updates. When you check for updates if a new QuickFix file is available it will automatically download it for you (and tell you). The QuickFix update just helps the GPS know where to start listening for satellites, giving it a head start in its search.
I saw this asked earlier and did not see a response.
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?
The updates from MapShare are free from one year. With the device you get a certificate that is good for a free update if new maps become available within 30 days of purchase. Otherwise, they are typically about $80 or so depending on the map you purchase. You are not required to keep up with updates. There is no issue if you skip an update.
I have personally been back and forth about whether to buy the tom tom go 720 or the Garmin Nuvi 680. I had not actually seen either or touched either in person, and after reading all of the forums I decided it was time for me to find this out myself. So I went to the nearest Best Buy, and there they both were in physical existence right in the store for testing. I went through both of them, got first impressions right away. I don’t care how many forums or technical advice and comments have been made on here. I’ll tell you one thing I noticed right away about the tom tom 720. It was flimsy, the screen was not vivid, the touch screen was slow to respond and looked cheap. What surprised me the most is that I was in this huge store surrounded by metal covering and the Garmin Nuvi 680 had no trouble aquiring a signal yet the the tom tom go 720 was permaneantly searching for aquired signals. Not to mention that the screen graphics was terrible. Comparing the Screen resolution of both GPS devices was to me like comparing Super Nintendo (tomtom go 720) to Playstation 2 (Garmin Nuvi 680).
The screen resolution was astounding on the Nuvi 680, and even the Nuvi 200 wide screen. I stepped back a couple feet as if I were in a car, and could hardly see the Tom tom screens, but the Garmins (all of them) were very vivid and could be read clearly. The tom tom’s there to me just looked cheaply in terms of quality, and they lagged in terms of processing speeds. I don’t care what you add to a GPs device,,, the bottom line is you are looking for a functional, price worthy, and beautiful piece of equipment which works well, and frankly the Tom tom is behind in appeal, high in software credentials, slow in processing speeds, and overly outshadowed by the vivid, practical and extremely functional screens and processing systems of the Nuvi brand. Hands down, I’m convinced the Nuvi is better. Sorry folks,, I’ve been sold on this one.. lol. first impressions are very important and the Tom tom was very upsetting to me. I would not pay for the 720, and i wouldn’t use it if it was given to me for free to tell you the truth. I’m not being biased; I’m just being truthful
Larry: Like you, I went to a local store (Fry’s, in my case) to compare the 720 with the Nuvis and Mio C520, and while I was expecting to prefer the Nuvi (the 670 was the model that most interested me) based on recommendations from friends, I found myself disappointed by the user interface, graphics, and lack of some basic features (e.g., waypoints — Garmin, what were you thinking???). Yes, the screen was nice and bright, but the 720 wasn’t far behind. I found the Mio’s interface fussy and difficult to navigate. I’ve had a 720 for a couple of days and am getting to know it, so too early to tell if I’ll keep it, but so far so good. If I decide it’s not quite right, I think the next candidate will be a Navigon 7100 (depending on when it is released in the US), but that’ll be another story for another time.
Frankly Larry, I don’t think that is a fair assessment of either device. I go into retail stores that sell GPS devices several times per week to check out their displays and talk with sales staff.
As far as it being “flimsy”, I find that hard to believe. I have a Nuvi 660 (same construction as 680) and a 720 in my hands right now. The 720 won’t bend at all when I grab it hard by the corners and twist. The Nuvi does exhibit flexing. But even so that doesn’t impact the performance of the device and I doubt it makes any considerable difference in the “ruggedness of the device”.
Other things I typically find are that some GPS devices are connected to external antennas in stores, while others are left to fend for themselves. Still others are programmed into a demo mode often Garmin models) which are just simulating a signal. My 720 [b]always[/b] gets a satellite signal faster than my Nuvi 600 series devices due to the QuickFix files that you can download once per week. Hands down it gets a signal faster and it (like most all recent devices) has never lots its satellite connection.
While talking through stores another thing I find is that often people have changed the color scheme, or adjusted the brightness settings so that the screens are darker than they could be.
The 720 seems to have a good speedy processor and the only time I’ve ever waited for it is when calculating a route, just as I would with any other device.
As a small speed test, my 720 booted in 6 seconds and acquired a signal 2 seconds later, at 8 seconds. My Nuvi 660 just booted in 12 seconds and acquired a signal at 40 seconds. I’m not suggesting that the Nuvi performance is bad, but I’ve got about 35 different devices in my office right now and the 720 is certainly one of the fastest.
While I encourage people go go to a store and checkout devices they are considering to purchase, know that there are often limitations in doing so based on how the GPS devices are individually configured. Ever thought a piece of clothing looked good in the store… then you took it home? GPS devices are similar. I get countless emails from people who try a few devices in the store, settle on one, and then once they get it home and start using it find that the “real world” performance is much different.
The 720 has a few issues, don’t get me wrong, but the things you saw in the store don’t appear to be issues to me.
Tim: Here, here! I’ve owned the TT720 for about 3 weeks now, and when I read Larry’s take on it, I was (almost) incensed! Then I realized that his assessment was simply too harsh on the TT and too “fan-boyish” on the Garmin. I, too, struggled between those models for a while. In fact, before the TT720 came out, I was sold on the Garmin. But, for the price Garmin wants (for comparable features), I couldn’t justify it.
But, that’s just my opinion. Tim, I agree with you.
Tim: one more question. When I setup my TT720, I put in my name, address, & phone to display on bootup. Now, however, I don’t really want it there anymore (one extra button press). Is there a way to have it skip that screen, or is there a way to remove it alltogether?
Thanks!
Paul, go to the menu -> change preferences -> preferences page 6 (depending on how your preferences are set) and look for ‘Set Owner’. You can change what is displayed from there.
Larry, I also examined the two units at BB before I purchased them. Other than the TT not being able to connect to the satellite (which is explained by Tim’s explanation about Garmin using a demo) I didn’t see what you did. The screen might be slightly brighter for Garmin, but when I looked at each screen from many different angles I can say that there was not a dramatic difference. To reinforce what Tim said about people playing with the settings on the units, let give you an example. I questioned a salesman about a sample printout of two printers that was interested in. One printed amazingly better than the other. The salesman was also surprised and then noted that the printer rep had been that day. He said that an old trick that the printer rep would pull would be to load in better quality print paper in his unit and load in lesser quality paper in the competition and also go into the printer setup and set the print quality to save on ink which means that it would print a lower quality print. (This has happened on TVs as well.) I have used my TT in the car in the morning, noon and afternoon light for the past three weeks and have not had any problems being able to read the screen. The screen display is very responsive when I touch it, no delays at all. As far the cheapness of the design and construction of the TT, it almost sounds like you picked up one of those plastic pretend models. Your comment on that issue makes no sense given the sturdy construction of the TT. Having said all of that though, Garmin does make a great unit, no doubt, and you can not go wrong by choosing the 680, you’ll just be paying a huge premium to own a Garmin.
Larry I honestly dont know where your coming from. It sounds to me that youre a garmin employee. My experience with the 720 has been nothing short of excellent. Some minor flaws? yes. In time, with updates, the 720 should be running great. I think you should take advice from tim and check into the antenna issue and check out the settings on the 720 it seems that someone played around with them.
Could anyone tell me why sometimes when I turn on my 720 I would hear the tomtom drums and sometimes when I turn it on I dont. Please explain.
Jeff, I think what you are seeing is similar to waking a laptop from “sleep” and starting it from a shutdown. I’m not sure what causes the device to shutdown versus “sleep”. Inserting or removing an SD card seems to be part of it. In short…. I don’t know exactly what causes which.
Hi Tim, thanks for all your help on this forum. I need your help. I just got my TTG720 today. This is my first GPS. I punched in an address in a neighboring town but it keeps giving me directions to an address in my own town on the same street. When I do a browse the map to the location the address numbers are all wrong. Then I try putting the address numbers the TTG720 comes up with and I get even different directions in my own town again. Is there a way of correcting this?
Thanks
Wayne, hit the ‘Contact’ button at the top and let me know the address(es) you are looking at so we can try to track down the issue.
I have been using my TT720 for a couple of weeks and would be grateful if someone could advise on the following:
1) I have a Sandisk Extreme III 2.0 GB SD Card that for some reason the 720 will not acctept i.e when fitted to the 720 the ‘Home’ programme will not let me get into the 720 – when I remove the SD Card and fit the dummy card the Home programme functions o’k – I understand from other forums that users are expereincing similar compatibility problems.
2) I have two computers and loaded the Home software on both. When I open the Home programme on computer two and try to login I always get a ‘network error’ message and when I fire up the 720 in the Home programme and look at the journey screen (with the car cursor) I get the message ‘waiting for a valid GPS signal’ – computer one function o’k
Could this be that you can only load the programme on just one computer (as some other software programmes) ?
3) I have tried Home 2 but this version appears to have some bugs and I reverted back to the version on the disk that came with the unit.
thanks
Ted – (1) I don’t have an answer, but we have been discussing that issue here. (2) You can load and use the program on more than one computer. The waiting for signal message just means it can’t get satellite reception where you are. (3) A few other people have done that as well.
Tim – thanks for the reply – I read the discussion notes from the topic thread you highlighted that is similar in content to another forum I have been monitoring – I am surprised that TOMTOM have put a product on the street (bearing in mind their expertise in the Sat Nav Market)that is causing problems such as this – the product should work straight from the box.
They also have upgraded the Home software that is also giving users problems.
The Sat Nav market is very competative and reputation for a sound product is vital. It would appear as if TomTom are using its customers to test this product for them.
This is my first Sat Nav and I was influenced by the additionla features the 720 has over the Garmin 660 (my other choice)What do I do – return the 720 for a refund and get a Garmin 660 – or persevere with the 720 ? Hmmmm,
Thanks again for your response
Ted, overall I’d say the people having issues is in the minority. When people are perfectly happy with their product they rarely report such. But when they have issues they will flock to forums like these. Overall satisfaction with the 720 seems to be high and I don’t see a higher level of complaints about the 720 than I do with other newly released devices.
I have had my 720 for a couple weeks. Was very excited about getting it. When I got it I was very disappointed to find that most features are not available here in the USA. Traffic, Weather, Traffic Cams. They advertise that it will do all this and then when you buy it you find it won’t do half of it.
My next issue is that it says it will read off your text messages for you. I can’t get my Blackberry text messages to do it. Is that also a non USA feature? Or are there settings that I can’t find? It connects with my BB8300 and answers calls, just never notices text messages.
Came in very handy while looking at new houses this week! Would never have found the places out in the country.
I like this device, yet disappointed in the false ads for features that we can’t use and they know to be a fact.
Daniel, traffic and weather are available in the USA. Both currently via Bluetooth connection to a TomTom PLUS compatible phone. The separate traffic receiver which doesn’t rely on a BT phone connection is supposed to be available shortly, but is seemingly behind schedule. There are not as many speed cameras here in the USA, instead we have more red light cameras. I’ve seen some third party POI programs for that, but nothing specific from TomTom.
Not all phones are capable of sending their text messages to other devices (same with PLUS services). I don’t see your 8300 listed as specifically being compatible.
If you go to the TomTom website to pay extra for the Plus services you will see a disclaimer on them saying they are available in European contries. Can’t believe I have 2 expensive modern devices and can’t use them. I refuse to buy a new phone just to use it with a GPS device. This sucks. I also have been trying it with my LG CU400, which probably isn’t on their list of 10 supported phones. Guess I should have followed the “in” crowd and bought a Razor phone last year.
Daniel, I can personally attest that they are available and functioning in the USA. Others can too. You can purchase them directly through TomTom HOME. I think the prices show up in Euros, but the traffic service and weather both work great here in the USA.
Tim, I dont see that traffic is avail. in U.S. I went to tomtom home and the only traffic avail. is in countries other than U.S.
Jeff, TomTom does a poor job of promoting it. But it is available in the USA. See comment number 31 in this post, plus this thread in the forums for people other than me who purchased it through TomTom HOME and have it working properly.
Does anyone have any idea about the amount of data the TomTom Plus services use? I have a compatible mobile phone to get the services over but the data plans suck in my area and i have a bad feeling it could get expensive. So I was just wondering a ball park for the difference services.
Chris, TomTom has provided some estimates here. I haven’t checked the details myself since I’ve got an unlimited data account.
Thanks for the info and the link Tim. After looking at that I checked into it and i can get unlimited for $7/month… The bad price was if i didn’t sign up I guess which would have been more like $45/month… Good to know the data amounts so i can make the right choice. Thanks again for answering all these questions.
Hi Tim I recently bought a TomTom GO 720 and I’m having a hard time with handsfree calling people cant hear me very well, I can’t find volume control for the mic and my go 720 only has one mic hole on the front the pictures show two did you have this problem and did yours only have one mic? Also the sensor for day/night seems to have trouble telling when its day and when its night. It doesnt change like its supposed to i thought this was just a broken device but I have exchanged it for a different one and still have the same problems.
Jeremy, other than the TT press photos, I’ve never seen or heard of anyone having a 720 with two mic holes. We are discussing that over here. I haven’t had any trouble with the light sensor.
Hi Tim, I posted this in the SanDisk memory thread and got no response so maybe it’s not a mem card problem. I just installed a 2gig SanDisk. It works fine. I can play music and see my pictures but now I can’t use Operate my TT720 from the Home V2 software. I keep getting the error “xulrunner.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.” This happens with the card installed or not installed or no matter if I chose internal memory or memory card when first booting up in the cradle. Operate my 720 from the Home 2 software worked fine before I installed the memory card. Anyone else have this problem?
Wayne, if you have your 720 paired to a Bluetooth cellphone, that is a known problem. Delete your phone and see if that doesn’t fix things. TomTom has acknowledged the issue and hopefully they’ll release a solution soon.
Thanks John, that was indeed the problem. How did we ever live without these forums and the smart and helpful people in them. I know I would be lost.
Thanks again
Wayne – I found this on another forum where users of 720’s have experienced similar “xulrunner.exe problems – reply from TomTom:
Dear Mr xxxxxxxx,
Thank you for contacting TomTom Customer Support.
This is currently under investigation. As a work around, To overcome this, disable Bluetooth on the TomTom device before connecting it to the computer. Go to Change preferences / Bluetooth preferences / Disable Bluetooth.
This will be addressed in one of the next software updates.
With Best Regards
The TomTom Customer Support Team
regards
Hello again, I read the other thread on the mic problems and now I know I’m not the only one with mic problems, I did notice the two holes on every pic from tomtom but all us devices only seem to have one, when I first had problems I called tomtom and they told me the device was originally having problems (before its NA release) and thats why they put two mics in it. so supposedly it does have two mics (thats what tomtom rep told me on the phone) but with the problems being had I think the US devices, for what ever reason, come with only one mic, and no possiblity of external mic because there is no jack for one! Oh well eh?
Hi All, I just realized that in Go720, TT will no longer have the electronic compass feature likewise in Go710 and Go910. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.
Written in Go910 spec: [Compass: Displays compass on screen, for even better orientation]
James my GO 720 can have the digital compase up while navigating it will also point which way is north at the same time. You do have to go under preferences and change it to put it up and what options you want it to show.
Does anyone know, For Sure, how big of a SD card the 720 will support?? tomtom website doenst say just says 2 gig internal and sd port (sd card sold seperate). Best buy.com says 2 gig max, so does crutchfield.com but people on here said 4 and 8 gig?? I know you can put your MP3’s on the SD card and still play them so you can save space on internal HDD.
Greg
This is the response I received from TomTom:
Thank you for contacting TomTom Customer Support.
SD card
The SD Memory Card measures 24mm by 32mm by 2.1mm.
SD Memory Cards are currently available in capacities varying form 256- & 512 MB up to 2-, 4- and 8 GB.
Reading speed
When using SD cards, ideally the reading speed should be at around 10MB/second, because the map data continuously will be read from the card. Bear in mind that this is just an estimate and not a rule of thumb.
Writing speed
The card writing speed is not important in this sense, because the application is not going to write on the card.
The writing speed specification “45x speed†means that the reading – respectively writing speed of the card is 45×150Kb/s and that is why it is only 6,75 MB/sec (60x speed means 60×150Kb/s and this is 9,00 MB/sec.).
The TomTom GO supports SD cards up to 4GB (as bigger size cards are released).
Some PDA’s CANNOT use or read/access SD-cards that are larger than 1GB
Regards
Thanks Greg!
Maybe TT just missed to include this feature in their spec details…
Hi, everyone. This is a great site!
[snip]
Anyway, I haven’t opened the box yet because I’m still debating whether to keep this or go with the Garmin 350. Seems like that one is the biggest competitor to the TT. One thing I would like to know: it seems like the 720 only comes with a windshield mount, is that correct? The Garmin has a suction cup which can be used on the dash, which is where I would prefer to mount the unit. Anyone who has used the 720 can advise me if there is a dash mount option, I’d be very grateful.
Thanks!
Andrew
Couple more questions: 1) I currently own the Navigator 5 for Palm. One reason I am ditching that is because you cannot map a route from Canada to the US. You have to map from Canada to the border, and then create a second route once you’re there from the border to your US destination. Is that fixed with the 720?
2) Does TomTom make a carrying case (leather?) for the 720? I would like to have something to protect this, as it’s an investment, and also I understand it can be used while walking.
Thanks so much for your help.
Anyone try out the ClearTouch anti-glare screen protectors for the 720? They are sold on Amazon and look like a good idea, good way of protecting the screen (which I imagine is the most likely part to get damaged).
The 720 comes with the same mounting options as the 350, a suction cup mount and a adhesive plastic disk which can be stuck to the dash that then the suction mount can connect to.
With respect to the cross border routing, what you are asking about is called a “seamless map”. All of the TT devices (as opposed to software only products like Navigator) that are currently shipping use seamless maps. You will see many big improvements to the TT interface on the 720 versus your old Navigator software.
There is a case as an optional accessory. Their website is down for maintenance right now and I don’t recall the price.
Thanks, Tim for your incredibly fast response at this early hour of the morning! Appreciate the help.
What a fantastic site. I am looking to purchase 3 No Sat Nav units and at the moment am persuaded by the Garmin 660 over Tomtom 720 because of the Free traffic option the Garmin Offers, or is there something I’m missing.
The traffic service isn’t free. The receiver is included with the 660, along with (I think) three months of free service. After that you pay an annual subscription of around $60 per year.
Tim, I just got my tt 720 last week. But every time I try to activate my promotion code it says Promotion code does not exist or promotion has ended. Does this not apply to the US model?
I really don’t know. What was the promotion? The only code I recall was the latest map guarantee code.
Activate my promotion code is a button in the Home software. It takes me to a TT website for Plus Services. Where I can enter the code from a card that came with the tt720. But I just read the card it’s for Latest Map Guarantee and TomTom Map Share, which I already have. I guest this does not apply. Thanks Anyway. Do they still plan on making the RDS-TMC Reciever available for the 720 soon?
I haven’t heard otherwise regarding RDS-TMC.
Just thought I would throw this up here this is the response I got from TT customer support on problems with the microphone in my go 720;
So given they are working on a “FIX” for the sound and mic problems I am not the only one having them and it is an issue for other people hopefuly they fix it soon! Not to scare anyone off from the 720 this is the ONLY problem I have had and love my 720 even with mic problems.
I’m going to disable comments on this post, because this page is getting too large. However that doesn’t mean the end of discussion for this article! We have lots of conversations taking place in the forums regarding the 720 including topics on the fm transmitter, cases, MP3 on SD cards, availability, Bluetooth, MapShare, etc. Please add to the conversation there. I will update this post with any new 720 information, but will close general commenting now.
Great forum. I looked at some of the customer reviews on Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.fr – pretty bad concerning DOA units or failures after just a short time. Typically 2-2.5 stars after up to 26 reviews!! It has left me a bit confused as to whether or not to buy the TT GO720T. The TT tech support got quite a slamming as well!!
In general this was not the case in reading this forum. It is hard to believe that we are talking about the same product or Tech Support team!!
Hi Peter – I’m not sure how TT does support in the UK and France, but I know the USA support is subcontracted out to a USA based support provider. My experience with the USA support has been quite good overall. So we probably are not talking about the same tech support team.
Have TomTom think about this? How about developibng a navigator as an air plane black box. It is good idea to have especially video camera installed and its capacity holds serveral hours of recording with one button ‘do not erase the image current’ It can prevent steet crimes, prevent car accident disputs etc. Is it good idea?
Hi Tim (and everyone at this forum),
I’m seriously considering this GPS and I wonder if I can get answers to the following:
1. Does the unit have a stereo earphone socket? I prefer to route audio to the car radio via the radio’s Aux input rather than an FM radio link.
2. Scaling (zooming) Is this manually controllable? I haven’t seen any screen shots that indicate “touch” areas that allow this.
3. Latitude/longitude (Or UTM) outputs via the USB port that would allow the use of a computer running mapping/navigation software. OziExploer in my case.
It may be that this information is available at the TomTom site, but I haven’t been able to find it.
Thanks for reading.
Alan (1) Yes. (2) Yes, although it will go back to the default setting after a few seconds. (3) Some programs can read it, others cannot. You would need to check with OziExplorer.
Hi,
My main reason for purchasing a Go 720 is vehicle navigation but I am also interested in geocaching. Can the 720 be used for geocaching?
Thanks,
John, you could use it for geocaching, but it wouldn’t be as helpful as devices designed for the task and it isn’t designed to be used outdoors.
I have a blackberry 8820 do you know if it will work with the bluetooth for the Tom Tom 720. It is not listed as one of there compatatable phones, but the phone is quite new. Do you know if people have used it succesfully, or if there are any tricks to make it compatatble?
Hi everybody!
Well, I did purchase the Go 720, however I did returned. I’m new on GPS, I did so many research before, specially in this web site.
Why I returned? Because he sent me to a bridge and them at the middle of the bridge, he asks me to make a left turn, hehehehe. My house, he always missed for about 50 meters, it is too much and because it’s one way, if some used it to go at my place for the first time, will need to make a big turn all way around it.
I leave in Montreal (Quebec), is this a problem because of the Tele Atlas inaccuracy in North America, it is because I didn’t up-date (I thought it wasn’t necessary, once it’s a brand new model) or it’s a defective unity? I love all features, the way they made, it just amazing and would never return it if I didn’t have these problems. I probably can say that, if wasn’t for the navigation, it is the best in the market as the way they put all together.
I also like to make some suggestion to this good web site, could you fellows put in all review how many POI’s each unity has? Well, I’ve been in LA area last month, and I found very important and useful to have a lot of them. Before buy any GPS now, I would make sure they have a lot of them. Could you also have a hand’s on of the devices? Because of my problem with the Go 720, I made a lot of test drive in my friends GPS’s and so on, and I didn’t decide yet.
Carlos, many manufacturers no longer confirm exactly how many POIs they have installed, instead resorting to saying things like “millions”. Since they won’t confirm a number, we don’t have figures we can trust to pass along.
Tim,
I really aprecciate your job, thank you!!
However, I don’t know how you can be so good with so many people to answer, you really do a miracle, hehehehe!
Keep up the good work and God bless you!
Does the 720 have an option to remove all parkways or other types of roads? I recently used another model and each time I editted destination to remove the parkway, the device recalced and sent me to the same Pakway, but next entrance..
tks
Carlos – Thanks!
Bill G – You can set a preference to avoid highways, but not specifically parkways. After creating a route that goes over a parkway you can exclude that street and it won’t put you right back on at the next entrance, but you need to exclude it manually.
I have read a plethora of reviews on the TomTom Go 720. I am 90% sure it is the right system for me. I have one concern, I keep reading the options listed are for UK not USA. Especially, TTS and Voice Rec. Is this true? If so, is this something that could be rectified with a downloadable update? This is my first GPS so I am just not sure how that works. Thank you.
Tina – In the USA the following applies. Text to speech is on the 720 and 920. Voice Recognition is not on the 720 and is only on the 920.
Thank you, Tim. The TTS is more important to me. Out of curiosity, does this mean that if you have a Bluetooth capable phone – such as a Motorola V3 Razr – that you cannot do “Call Home” and have it dial? Thank you for your help.
You cannot “speak” to the 720 if that is what you mean.
does the 920 recognize voice commands to the phone for handsfree if your phone supports it
Amy – I don’t believe so.
Get IQ Routes on TomTom 720 920
I will keep my story very short. I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 680 long ago, was cute but couldn’t stand that the updates were well “outdated” and the thing just kept getting lost cause the new roads I was near was not on the so called updated map. At that time, more than a year ago I was very skeptical about the Tom Tom Go 720 but I got a refund for the Nuvi, and took a chance. I had even posted a negative review on here for the Go 720 without even trying it out myself. Boy was I in for a good surprise. Right out of the box, i loved it. Not only did it have the best map structure I”ve seen and not just “cute” like on the Nuvi’s,, it actually knew where it was going. It completely made me fall in love the day, (and note that this actually happened when I got this), two weeks after purchasing this, there was a bypas over a bridge to go onto the highway, and there was a day I came from work; the day before I did the MAPSHARE UPDATES AND, and the next day it was ironic, since I didn’t notice the new road construction had actually opened up the new exit from the Bridge. I had set the Go 720 to go “home”, and instead of having me turn left as usual, I noticed it told me “turn right in such and such yards etc or whatever”, my eyes went wide opened, and couldn’t believe it. The day that exit opened, my GPS knew it was there. “AMAZING”. And I swear I will not use any other ever again. Nothing matches that. Now there’s the I.Q,, I have to now decide do I want the new version, or wait to see if they will include the I.Q in current Go 720’s in the future.
Note:
One drawback of all TomTom’s is the will not tell you what side of the road your destination is on.
Most (not all) GPS units will state “You have arrived you destination is on the left”.
TomTom’s do not do this.
This is a major drawback if you are in a heavily popuplate area such as a city or a commercial area because a lot of times in these area address are not prominently displayed.
So you will find your self searching for the addresses once you arrive at you destination to actually find where you are going.
This feature also comes in handy when traveling on a multiple lane road because you may have to change lanes to get to your destination.
Jeff, while the TomTom will not verbally announce left/right, it will show you on the map most of the time.
The complaint I have is the 720 will calculate a primary route using the “fastest” route. If I want the short route, what can I do to change the preference?
David – Menu -> Change Preferences -> Planning Preferences.
Hi Tim,
You might remember me, I’m still undecided between a nuvi 260 (I like the large POI, more free space, SD card slot, restaurants by cuisine type, speaker) and tomtom 130s (like the speed limit display, mapshare, speaker, price), they seem to be lacking something for me. I’ll most likely return my magellan 3225(I like everything except for the inaccurate re-routing, not loud enough speaker, not much map or updates available for future use). Now I stumbled on Tomtom Go 720 and nuvi 255. With your help, I’m hoping that I can finally settle on one of them.
Questions on the Tomtom Go 720
1. Would you know if there are frequent cases of not being able to find a POI in this unit? I’ve seen a few reviews on the XL where the only issue was not being able to find a POI.
2. What’s the size of the original POI in MB that came with the unit?
3. Are you aware of any issues computing arrival time, I’ve seen reviews where the arrival time was always over estimated.
More power!
1) Most GPS devices only include about 5-25% of all known POIs, and the 720 is no exception to that rule. So yes– there will be many POIs not included.
2) I really don’t know… why would you need to know? Each company uses different compression technologies so the file size wouldn’t really compare to the POI file size from a different manufacturer. The 720 will have a few more than the XL series, but not quite as many as the 900 series.
3) The older TomTom devices tend to be conservative. The newer devices like the 730 and GO 930 have the new IQ Routes feature (see that linked page for info) that makes it much more accurate.
Thanks Tim!
1. I agree with you. I just want to get at least 5 million or so in a GPS.
2. I just want to make a rough estimate of the no. of POIs in the 720 since the 130s has about 68.6MB and if .5 MB is about 10,000 POIs (which I think is pretty accurate) that means the 130s has about 1.3M POIs only.
From your response to my other query in the 130s
comment #90
———————–
The original POI file size is 68.6 MB. My 130s has about 18 MB of free space on it. I wouldn’t read much into the size of the original POI file as it likely uses a different format than custom POI files do. I’ve got a custom POI file with 10,000 locations that takes up about 0.5 MB of space. So you could roughly estimate that 100,000 POI locations would take up 5 MB of space. So I could fit probably fit another 400,000 POIs on the device… If I could think of that many.
Tim – June 30th, 2008
——————
3. Would the IQroutes work in Canada? I might try your tips on how to get IQroutes work with the 720.
4. Tim, can you change speed limits on the 720? I noticed it can be done in the 130s. I played with a 720 display earlier and it didn’t allow changing speed limits, perhaps it just needs a software update.
5. if you have any tips, these are the GPS features I’m looking for:
- loud/clear speaker
- fast and accurate re-routing
- at least 5million POIs
- free space at least 100 to 200 MB or SD card slot for future updates
- shows speed limit
- preferably pocketable
Thanks!
i have a 720 tomtom home gps. as i was driving along,the word stalker came on ,is it in my machine
3) Yes.
4) Yes, with a firmware update.
can the tomtom 720 be uesd on a boat at the lake, pin pointing fishing spots and directions back to the landing docks
Tony – Not really. You can mark spots and see them on the map, but it won’t really provide directions “off-road” and it isn’t water resistant nor waterproof.
Tim, you are the greatest!! I have a 2 year old Magellan that just clunked out on me (6000T). Since your first posting on the TT720 in 2007 have they added anything new in the later editions? Should or can I have the Magellan serviced?
Added anything else to the 730 itself or added additional models? They’ve added a few new features to the 720, and the TomTom 730 will likely replace the 720 over time.
So,
I can not find how to change the compass setting on my 720. The instructions say you can and stuff on the web about the 720 mention this but I can not find this. Anyone else with this problem?
Can I use the bluetooth remote and hook to mobile phone via bluetooth at the same time?
Menu -> Change Preferences -> status bar preferences -> then you have options for ‘direction’ and ‘compass’.
Yes, you can use both at th esame time.
Hi Tim,
Thanks I did find that, but in the manual and elswhere on the internet it says that you can change the “display” of the compass. I can not seem to find that. thanks for the info on remote and phone. I have read alot of nice things about the remote.
Compass has changed a bit in later firmware versions, the manual still reflects the old style.
Ok, Here is a good one. Some times it keeps turning itself back on. Just used it and it turned itself on 4 or5 times. I put it in the cradle and it finally stopped. Weird or is there something I am missing
Some of the recent firmware updates changed the behavior of the power button slightly. You no longer need to hold it as long to turn it on and off. So that could be part of the issue and it has happened to others. If it continues you can also try a pin reset– turn it off, press the reset switch, then turn it back on. That can also help with power issues.
Thanks!
What a piece of junk. 15,000 kms around Southern Europe has proved the 720 next to useless. My wife and I gave up and got out the maps.
TomTom software is clunky, unfinished a la Microsoft. It crashes on updates, it locks if it needs a cross street, it resets itself randomly.
Look for mine on eBay
We just came back from vacation trip to the northern part of Michigan, southern part of North Carolina, the state of West Virgina, Virginia, and Kentucky with the TT720 in use. All I can say is TT720 has saved me and my family from getting lost in the woods and mountains so many times that I would never travel without it again. So in my case, TT720 has been great in showing directions. Way better than VZ Navigator in my phone.
Can the 720 show elevation and if so how do I turn it on?
There is no elevation display on the 720. I’ve heard of some third party programs that will display it, but that probably wouldn’t be convenient enough.
I have a TomTom 720 and while the unit works fine, the directions I receive SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For instance this morning I was traveling from my home to a Doctor’s office I had never visited in a neighboring city. Following TomTom when I got to the city I found my self being directed to exit the freeway and following a series of turn left, turn right etc. until I was on a street under construction. Finally, I arrived at my destination, concluded my business, and when I left, I found that I was about 100 meters from a different freeway exit. OMG how stupid tomtom is. My lesson is BUY AN AMERICAN PRODUCT, MADE IN AMERICA IF YOU WANT GOOD DIRECTIONS.
I don’t know of any GPS devices made in America.
Has anyone had luck get the 720 to work with a PDA phone? I have a sprint mogul and so far no luck with data, phone and phonebook were no problem
Go 720 software update removes voice recognition from the unit, DO NOT PURCHASE, the customer service are jerks,rude, and don’t give a crap.
The 720 update didn’t remove voice recognition from my device. Drop by our TomTom forums, I’m sure someone can help get it back running for you.
Regarding Routing … Can I give the TomTom 720 a list of destinations and ask TomTom to arrange them in the best order?
Mark – No, you must manually reorder them yourself.
Tim – I’m thinking about buying my 1st GPS – either the TomTom 720 or Garmin 750. Do either have WAAS? Someone posted a serious problem with their Nuvi 760 in Austin – being unable to distinguish between the freeway and the frontage road. I live in Austin. Thanks,
WAAS is disabled on those devices, even though both would support it hardware-wise. WAAS really wouldn’t provide any advantages, and has the disadvantage of sucking down battery life. If the GPS isn’t reporting you on the correct street, the quality of the signal isn’t the issue– the map is. WAAS wouldn’t make a difference.
I used the 720 to travel from New Hampshire to New Mexico this summer. Fantastic. I had no trouble navigating through and in cities and back roads. New routes were calculated very quickly if I went off track. Finding hotels and restaurants and calling ahead for reservations was a snap. I love this thing! I didn’t come across any dead spots. Only thing I’d hope for is a ten hour battery so I can get rid of the power cord when driving all day.
My wife just gave me a TomTom GO 720 as a gift. I expressed interest in a GPS for the car, but hadn’t done any research myself nor have I ever owned a navigation system. After reading this review, it looks like she did her homework. I can’t wait to take it for a spin!
I am purchasing a refurbished TT Go 720. Will I have the one year free updates?
Just wondering if the POIs for restaurants can be listed by cuisine type? I noticed that some of the Garmin ones are able to do that, but not sure if the TT720 can? Or are Garmins the only ones that can? Trying to get my 1st GPS, so would appreciate any advice. Cheers!
Sometimes the cuisine will be in the title, but no, there are not restaurant sub-categories.
Tim,
I am buying a GPS for the first time and looking for 4.3 inch wide screen and TTS option. I am not so crazyy for other features. Just want that the route calculation/finding POI’s/Locations should be faster and can plan trips with 2-3 stop overs. Which one I should go for? I went to the stores and found that garmin interface is the most friendly. Based on my needs which one I should go for?
If you want a Garmin with a widescreen and TTS, I’d look at the Garmin Nuvi 255w.
Tim,
But isnt Garmin 260w and advanced model than garmin 255w? I was just curious on your pick for 255w? also any model in tom-tom/magellan I should go for based on my needs?
No, the 255w is more recent and has more features than the 260w.
I read reviews that the voice from 255w gps is very unclear and sounds robotic and mispronouce the names….your thoughts on this? or you think it is not that of a problem?
I am wondering why the price of TomTom GO 720 ranging from $199.99 to $450.99. What’s the difference for each price ?
No difference, just different stores offering different prices. Some are being very price aggressive, others are a bit behind the times with the price.
Hi, We just purchased a go 720… love everything except for one BIG thing. DH wanted to use it to route his appointment and many are in rural communities. When typing in the street, he gets a message that no addresses are available. It then asks cross street… well if we knew that, then he wouldn’t need the gps. Any suggestions? TX
Not all streets are mapped with numbers in the map database. You can report the issue to mapinsight.teleatlas.com
Is there a way for the 720 to use counties instead of cities i work for a county emergency agencey and we use our gps and was wondering if this is possible to do with the tt 720 or any other gps out there the reason is there are so many different cities in one area its hard to know wich one to pick when tring to find a street i have three cities in my coverage area for instance just trying to save a lil time trying to find a street thanks
I don’t believe so Jason.
Hi,
I am considering the XL-S or 720 ($35 more). Can someone comment if the 720 sacrifices anything over the XL-S. I am mostly interested in the FM so I can pley tunes and directions over the car radio. How well does this work? Also, I am concerned about reports (not here) from some reviewers of inaccuracy with both units. Any advice and commentary on both of these units to help my decision would be appreciated. Thanks.
The XL-S doesn’t have anything the 720 does not have. FM transmitters are hit and miss. Sometimes people live in areas with few open stations which can make it difficult. Also the antenna type and antenna location in your car can make a difference. For example sometimes the antenna is imprinted on the back window which can make reception more difficult.
As to accuracy, you will find errors with any GPS you purchase. Given that the overall accuracy is good, if you find an area with an error, chances are if you look at a device from a different map vendor it probably won’t contain that same error— but statistically that doesn’t mean that overall it contains less errors… just different errors.
Tim,
When it comes down to it, what real risk and difference is there between the new and the refurbished GPS models if they are done by the original manufacturer? Also is it ever a good idea to buy the extended warranty for new and refurbished?
Nathan
We have an article on Refurbished GPS Devices.
Tim-How do I find restaurants on TT720 in a town that I am in when I do not know their location. POI appears to be rather cumbersome
John – Navigate to -> Point of Interest -> POI Near you -> Restaurant.
I can,t work anything with the SD card, in my TT 720, y have all of it in the card. suport is off never answer.
I read the discussion on refurbs but I was not able to decide based on the discussion. Can someone comment on whether this would be a smart option on a TT 720? Seems I can get TomTom map updates just the same as a new one. That is my biggest concern but any advice specific to this device is appreciated.
After reading about the review and comments on this page, I decided to return the XL330S purchased a week ago and upgraded to the 720. The difference in the speed of signal acquisition and route recalculation is very noticeable. Thanks for all the tips an info.
Tim, do you know if the Traffic feature works in Canada?
It works/is offered in a few Canada cities. I don’t know about the quality of the service there though.
I just bought a refurbished unit yesterday, ande read your updated article new vs. refurbished today.. How can I determine the age of the maps on my unit when I get it?
John, see the fourth post in this thread that will show you how to find out your current map version.
Update on the 720 refurb. I called TomTom and they informed me that they are now covering this for 1 year. Latest map guarantee also included.
Are screen protectors a good idea, or a gimmick?
Rob, there are some good threads in our forums debating screen protectors.
I got a 720 refurb today. It let me set a destination by speaking, rather than typing, the city and street names. Nice unit.
Hi can you tell me if the TT720 will support other mapping format like oziexplorer or just TT maps. Thanks
Andrew you might want to ask around our forums for info anyone might have on third party mapping for TomTom– I’m not aware of any.
Thanks for the fast reply, will ask around.Andrew
I plan to buy a GPS to use in a motor home –38 feet. Do any of them give info about RV accessibility?
No, things like height and length restrictions and avoidances are not in consumer level navigation systems.
I just bought the 720 but haven’t actually received it yet. Can you recommend accessories I might need? What about the traffic receiver? I have a Blackberry 8830. Is it any good with the 720? Thanks.
The most common accessory is a friction (bean bag) type mount, but most people will get along fine with the included mount. The BB 8830 isn’t listed as being compatible, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work.
When I select “Operate my device” function through TomTom home it says” “This function is not yet supported for your TomTom device or operating system”
Does it mean that it may be available soon or can I use it by changing my operating system? I really want to have this function. Please help.
Caner, check to make sure you are running the latest version of TomTom HOME. As far as I know it is working on PowerPC macs, Intel Macs, as well as PCs right now.
Tim, thanks for your answer. I reloaded tomtom home but it didn’t work. I think it is a county specific problem. I understand Tomtom has different product features in different countries. Anyways it is very upsetting that I cannot use this function.
While there are some features that differ from country to country, I’d expect that feature should work everywhere. I’d contact TomTom support.
If I were to buy the tomtom 720 is there anyway I can add to the POI’s already loaded onto the unit?
Yes, you can use the TomTom HOME program to load more as well as several third party sites. Or build your own.
Thanks tim, big help as always.
Tim,
Like most I’ve been doing a lot of reading. A friend let me use his Magellan Maestro 4000 and I really liked it. One of the functions I really liked was that the Magellan “beeped” before turns, ect. Do any other units have this feature?
All things being equal of the TT Go 720, Nuvi 750, or Magellan 4250 which would you choose?
Jerry – Most devices will speak before turns. I find that much more informative and actionable rather than just a beep.
Hi Tim,
I seem to have a problem with my 720. I’m using computer voice and I’ve tried few of them. TTS is always speaks street names unclearly, missing letters, words, breaking up badly. It’s not a speaker problem because it speaks fine for a phone. Is there a patch for TTS?
Thanks,
Gene, which application version are you running? The latest (8.3 I think) is causing lots of voice issues like that. If you upgraded you could roll back to a backup.
Tim,
Got a question similar to Jerry’s. Given a choice between Tom Tom 720 and Garmin 750, which one would you choose and why?
It isn’t that I want to be Switzerland, but the Garmin vs TomTom debate is much like a Pepsi vs Coke debate. It will largely come down to personal preference. Garmin is generally favored by someone who wants something solid, simple, and “just works” out of the box. TomTom is generally favored by people who want more control over the routing options, display options, and more customization. See this anecdote from someone who wentthe Garmin direction and then this article from someone who went the TomTom direction. Both people used both brands.
I’m considering buying a refurbished TT 720, but am getting conflicting information on whether it actually has voice recognition or not? Can anyone shed some light?
Hi Tim,
How do I back up to the previous version?
Thanks a lot for your response. How do I know what version I use? I think it’s the latest because I keep updating it hoping that a new update would fix the problem.
Colin – Officially it doesn’t, but many ship with it enabled and most people have been able to enable it on devices that didn’t come with it.
Gene – See this thread: Revert back to 8.01? You might want to join in the conversation there.
This is the message I found on another website. I did the same. Will try tomorrow. Tim thanks a lot for your help.
“Fixed the stuttering problem!
——————————————————————————–
I called TomTom tech support. They told me to re-install the version 8.3 application by connecting my 720 to my computer and, using TOMTOM Home, click “Add Maps,Traffic, Voices” then go to the last page and click “Items on my computer”.
Next, click the plus by applications and find the “TomTom application for GO 520/GO720/GO920″ version 8.3. Click more info to find the correct version number. The file size should be 46.4MB. Then set a destination and go drive around and see if it is fixed.
IT WAS!
The sluggishness after clicking a menu button is gone to.
Colin, I just got a refurbished 720 and mine does have the working voice recognition.
Just uploaded a new street using Map Share but it does not show up on my new 720??? I’m new to the 720 but it all seemed to go ok.
Gene, I know quite a few other people that have tried that without any change in the stuttering. Glad it worked for you.
Joseph, there are some changes you can make and share on your device and other types of changes you can only report. Missing streets can only be reported as you would not be able to gather enough data about the street to meet their requirements to add it directly to someone’s device.
Thanks for the response about Map Share. I thought you could upload a gps position such as a new street. Guess that is for upgrading the next TT map.
Thanks.
Just bought the Tom Tom 720, my first GPS, so I apologize if my question is stupid… Driving to work to test it, I drove a different way then it sent me. The map updated immediately, but the TTS no longer gave me voice commands. Do I need to do something when I take a different route, or is is possible that there is a problem with the unit? Thanks!
Nancy, I haven’t heard of that issue before. I’d contact TomTom support.
I’m considering buying a Tom Tom Go 720. Are rest stops/areas shown on calculated routes (similar to AAA trip tiks)?
Thanks
James, Yes, Rest Areas can be displayed on the map.
I was told the tom tom go 720 shows the speed limit for the road you are on plus how fast you are going. I can’t get the speed limit to show on my tom tom. Can it be done or was I misinformed?
Bill, it depends on your map version (and application version). Some of the most recent maps include that information, but many of the slightly older maps do not.
Is there a way for me to update my map so I can have the speed limit shown
You can purchase an update from TomTom HOME (tomtom.com/home). Make sure you have the latest application version for your device first, or you might not get offered the most recent map. If you have questions, check in our TomTom GO Forums.
I’m having the same problem as some others with the voice commands being “choppy” or “Stuttering”. This all started with the latest applicatio update. It seems to happen most when the device tries to pronounce a street name. Does anyone know of any solutions that may have been posted? I’ve tried re-installing v.8.3 of the application as well as resetting the device, purchasing a new map and installing the clearflash program provided by TomTom support. I’m at my wits end.
Rob see comments #408 and #409. Rolling back to the previous application version will fix the issue.
I read many of the posts here including Larry’s. Remember, Larry put the 720 down and later purchased one and posted how pleased he is.
My problem is somewhat different. Yes, I believe that I should purchased a GPS! Yes, I believe I should purchase one of the better TomTom units.
Should be a simple decision, right? Wrong! I am hung up on which to purchase, a 720 or the 730. Locally I can purchase a 720 for about $160 where as the 730 is in the $300 neighborhood. OK,OK— I understand this is a 720 thread but the two units are so similar we should be able to discuss the diferences between the two products.
Is the 730 worth the extra money??? I understand the the 730’s software is incompatable with the 720….. that is OK BUT! Has TomTom changed their software so much that what they use in the 730 represents a new industry standard?
Comments, PLEASE! I am going to purchase something before the year is over. The coming holiday sales should allow me to save money with either purchase. Note, this will be my first GPS.
Joe
Joe, it is not true that the 730’s software is incompatible with the 720. You can upgrade to the newer application and map and essentially turn a 720 into a 730.
Tim – you mentioned that, “You can upgrade to the newer application and map and essentially turn a 720 into a 730″ in your previous post. I’m kind of a newbie, but I have a 720 (about 1.5 yrs old now). How would I upgrade it, and how much does that cost?
You can use HOME to get a free application upgrade through the latest versions. Then you would need to pay for a map update as well since you would be outside of the Latest Map Guarantee program. That would probably cost about $120 but you can confirm inside of the HOME application. (tomtom.com/home)
Tim, that is good news. But if I do the math, it looks like the best path to a 730 is to purchase a 720 currently advertised almost nationally in the $160 range and then spend an additional $120 for a software upgrade.
I am not sure what direction to follow as I type. I am giving strong thoughts to purchasing the 720 only because I do not see that many additional benefits, atta-boys with the more expensive 730.
Joe – A couple of thoughts. 1) The $160 price is likely a refurb. The “first” devices are likely a little bit more. 2) If you purchased a new 720 now, you would qualify for the Latest Map Guarantee making the $120 map update price go away (for this update) and then the application update is free. 3) In many cases the Latest Map Guarantee doesn’t apply to refurbs.
Tim—
I cannot speak to the status of the units being sold but I would hope there were not that many “refurbished” units available taht would call in question TomTom’s quality. OK, I put that aside because I am still focused on the 720 family and I will make sure what I purchase is fresh, new and not refurbished.
Do you know when the free software update expires?
Thanks–
Joe
Joe, the Latest Map Guarantee (map update, not application update) is good for 30 days from date of purchase. Every GPS model out there has refurbished devices available. Remember refurbished doesn’t mean “repaired” nor “used”, but rather “open box” or a device that was returned but still working perfectly. Therefore it doesn’t speak to the quality of manufacturing.
Tim–
Thank you for your PROMPT answers! OK, this is what I have found out since my last post. MOST 720 UNITS IN THE $160 RANGE ARE REFURBISHED!!!. Yes, you’re right, most refurbished units are not necessarily repaired units, they could be units returned by purchasers for any reason. I take back my earlier comment.
But let me try to get a better understanding of what an upgrade means. See if I have this right. If I purchase a 720 that is NEW and not a refurb’d unit, I have 30 days to use the Home feature for an APPLICATION upgrade along with a free map upgrade to a 730.
That still sounds like a bargin that I will explore soon.
Thanks–
Joe
You’ve almost got it. Application updates are always free. Map updates are free (if a new map is available) within the first 30 days of purchase as part of the Latest Map Guarantee. Refurbished devices can receive the free application updates, but are not always entitled to the Latest Map Guarantee.
I would like to add a couple of comments and questions. First, I bought a refurb 720 from Radio Shack a couple months back. Within the 30 days, sure enough a new map came available. TomTom stood by their map guarantee even though it was a refurb. I just had to provide a proff of purchase to them. I had checked this out with their CS prior to purchase and they confirmed the guarantee and also that it has full warranty. I suggest doing this yourself if you are considering a refurb and get it documented.
Secondly, regarding the software issue to “essentially make a 720 into a 730″ I don’t quite understand the differences and how to access them. One thing I did notice since the latest map and 720 OS update is that “IQ Routes Disabled” appears at the bottom of my route Summary. I don’t recall ever having seen this prior to update, and I believe this is the key difference in a 730, right?
Lastly, related to the OS update, I am having the same stutter now as reported by others since updating. How can I get my device “equivalent to the 730″ but also fix the stuttering problem? Almost seems like I can’t have both
Rob–
I called TomTom regarding the 720, specifically questioned them about the risks purchasing a refurbished unit. Their answer was that it was the buyer’s choice which to purchase but TomTom did not differentiate between a so called “new” and the refurbished units.
Interestingly, their rep advised me to purchase the 730 if I wanted a 730 because there was no way to upgrade the 720 to the higher model. He talked about the differences which include voice recognition in the 730, not the 720.
OK– later I viewed a 720 demonstration on UTube or so other site where a video describes voice recognition along with how to operate that feature. Called TomTom back and told them about both my conversation with their rep along with the 720 video. Their response was the voice recognition that was in the 720 was deleted in a software upgrade because it had flaws.
My feeling is the only flaw was that TomTom did not have enough selling points on the 730 to warrant the extra $150 charged for the unit.
I am holding off until just after Xmas before I make a purchase. OH, I don’t know anything about stuttering but I will check that out prior to purchasing anything.
Joe, based on user experiences, both of those things TomTom told you were incorrect. Plenty of people in our forums have purchased a 720 and upgraded it for free to the software and features of the 730, including voice recognition. It takes a little work upgrading, but it worked for them.
Second, TomTom states on their website that their refurbished devices don’t have the same warranty nor the same map guarantee. They say that on this page:
http://www.tomtom.com/page/refurbs?Lid=4/
Tim–
I am not trying to get a controversy started. As of now, I do plan to purchase something, most likely a 730 around Xmas.
Maybe TomTom has a communications problem causing product descriptions to be interpreted incorrectly. But be that as it may, two people told me there was no way to upgrade a 720 to a 730; both also told me the 720 did not accept voice commands. That one really took me back because I had just finished watching a video explaining the setup.
If you have a chance tomorrow, give them a call 866.486.6866 and consider sharing their discriptions/product features/limitations with us. There should be no reason for multiple sites giving different product descriptions.
I want to be clear to whomever reads this post that my intention is to not demean TomTom’s fine products. One of them is on my list to purchase.
Joe, no controversy at all. I’m sure TomTom support will tell you that the 720 doesn’t have voice recognition because it wasn’t originally speced with it. Numerous people who have purchased it will tell you however that it sometimes does come with voice recognition enabled, and if it isn’t– it is pretty easy to enable it. Tons of people including myself have done it.
As to converting it to the other software features the 730 comes with, I’ve done it myself with a 720. Again, I don’t really care what support says.
I’m sure that isn’t in their script. But as numerous people in our forums can tell you, it can be done.
Different people might give different specs between what the device might come with out of the box versus what you can update the software to… just as simple as that.
Tech support departments from any GPS company rarely known what their products are fully capable of aside from the script they are given, TomTom support included.
I just got a refurb. 720 and the voice command is working great. No other problems. Can you tell me how I can try and upgrade to the 730 functions?
Thanks.
When I connect my 720 to the computer it always wants to re-install TT Home??? Is this normal?
Maybe someone would be so kind as to post a step-by-step procedure for converting a 723 to a 730. I’ve also heard that there is a firmware upgrade (version 8.2xx) that makes the 720 run perfectly. How is that installed? If this isn’t the place for this, then maybe some links to the methods could be posted.
Thanks, Jim
Joseph & Jim, you can find people discussing how to do that in our TomTom Forums. The simple explanation is that you perform all of the application updates with TomTom HOME, and then use the Latest Map Guarantee to get the latest map. Then your device will be virtually identical to a 730.
I’m curious about what you get in the software update on the 720. Does it include the IQ routes and the Advanced lane warning? I really like those options, but I’m not sure they are worth the extra price of the 730, especially if I can get the 720 and upgrade to them.
I’m buying a GPS for my wife as a xmas present. Have narrowed it down between the TomTom 720 and Garmin 265. From what I can tell the TomTom has slightly slicker software and a few more features. My only concern is that I’ve heard a number of people complain about the battery life with this specific model. I also noticed that the Garmin 265 is listed as a “top pick” by the editors of this website while the TomTom is not. Can anyone speak to the battery issue and possibly give me some guidance on which unit to purchase?
David, I’m the Editor of this site and I don’t list “top picks” so I’m not sure what you are looking at.
Tim–
I am going to look around for a 720 rather than search out best pricing for a 730. Before I do that, I need to confirm that the unit can be returned and under what conditions. For example, a big selling feature the 730 has is voice recognition. I would be very happy with the 720 if I can get that feature operational.
Do you know their return policy? Of course, there will be no return if I do purchase the 720 and get the voice recognition working.
Joe, I can’t really speak to the return policy for any individual store or company. You should ask them directly for the most accurate answer.
Tim, looking at a 720 to buy. I’m in Turkey for a while and was wondering if you would know of any issues if I bought in the US and then bought the Turkey map upgrade. Thanks.
I don’t know of any issues, Jack. But I don’t know if I’ve heard any confirmations from people either.
I just bought a Garmin Nuvi 255W, and have liked it, but am disappointed in the TTS performance. Even at 70% volume it sounds distorted. I am interested in trying the Tom Tom 720 and wondered if the screen displays the speed limit for the area you are driving in on the screen while you are driving like the 255w does? Thanks
I have had one for a couple months now and everything on it is updated. Yesterday on a trip over in the DC area it started giving the speed limit and my speed??? Had not done it before.
Chris, the 720, with a more recent map will display speed limits in areas where it is known. There is not 100% coverage.
Thanks very much Tim……I think I am going to pick up a 720 and compare the two in my area….
Lost like a child in the wilderness. Purchased a TomTom GO720 for my daughter and ended up with a Nuvi 765T, which [deleted] gave me to replace a Nuvi 780, which was out of stock. I read with intense interest your review of the 765T and am concerned about the identification of upcoming streets and the identification of favorties.
I have $300 to spend, but not sure whether to keep the 765T or not.
What say?
We have not reviewed the 765t. What do you mean by “identification of upcoming streets”?
The Nokia 6103 is an older phone that shows as being compatible with the TomTom 720, I cannot find my Sprint/Samsung SPH-A640 listed as being compatible even though the Samsung is the newer of the two phones. Any answers out there???
The newer phones are less likely to have been tested yet which is why many times newer phones don’t appear on their lists.
I was wondering if the 720 pairs with the iPhone? I didn’t see it listed, but by this last port, it may be because it is a new phone? Anyone here tried it with the iPhone?
I realized that these maps are very outdates, from 2006 as a matter of fact. I purchased mine at the end of December 2008, and a friend bought the 730 at the same time. Her map was more current. I called TomTom and they are willing to provide an even newer map if they get a copy of your receipt. Call them at 1-866-486-6866
TomTom releases new map updates every three months. Depending on where it was purchased from and the shelf time, the same model can come with different versions of the map. Thus if your device doesn’t have the latest maps at the time of purchase, or if a new map is released within 30 days of purchase, you are entitled to receive the map update.
Read a review where a user had a battery that lasted about a year and found from tech support that it was soldered in a not replaceable. Has anyone else found this to be true or not?
The battery is not user replaceable, correct.
I have been reading the reviews and trying to decide on the Nuvi 760 or the TT720. I think I’m going to go with the Nuvi 760 mainly because it has the ability to search POI places to eat by cousine. Has anyone else found that the lack of subcategories for the POI’s in the TomTom’s to be a limiting factor? Is there anyway to update the POI’s in the TomTom with subcategories?
You can’t update it with subcategories, but you can add custom POI categories for specific chains through TomTom HOME.
Everytime I try to connect to TT online I have to reinstall the program??? After that it works fine.
You may wish to contact TomTom support.
Was voice recognition on the TomTom GO 720 disabled after the latest firmware? I have:
Firmware Version(?): 8.300
North America 2GB (v.710.1584)
In ASR folder: support_asr.dat (with only “1″)
Right now when I go to “Navigate to…/Address/
both Spoken address and Spoken address (dailog) icons are grayed out. I’ve looked everywhere for answers and have yet to find a solution or a definite answers that VR no longer works.
Thanks for any info in advance.
–Luis
You need to get the latest map version 8.3. After I did that, mine starting doing several things it didn’t do before including the voice navigation.
I have a TomTom GO 720 and used it when I went on a trim, spent the night in a motel and when I started home the TomTom would not detect a satellite signal. Any one know what the problem might be?
Thanks in advance, Ralph
See Acquiring Satellites.
I have had my Tom Tom 720 for just over a month. It starts playing music, and I can’t turn it off. There is a play or pause button, but nothing I can find to deselect the music. It’s whatever music was already on the GPS, as I have not added any. Any suggsstions?
Thanks, Nancy.
Yes, I have it paired with both mine and my husbands Iphones
I have had problems with the sound from the speaker cutting in and out but the persons at the other end say they can hear me just fine
I set up a new TT720 with a computer voice for text to speech. Periodically the the speech breaks up, ’stuttering’. Otherwise, seems to work well. Any thoughts,comments?
The stuttering is the result of something that happened in a recent application update. Your best bet is to just wait for TomTom to correct it, although some solutions (and many pages of discussion) can be found in the New Firmware 8.3 available from home for X20 thread of our forums.
Great web site you have here – very helpful! I got my 720 about a week ago at [deleted]. When I installed the software TomTom Home & checked under ‘Latest map guarantee’, it kept saying I had the latest map even though that wasnt the case – ended up getting the new map by calling customer service & having to download it over 3 hours! Cant believe for such a great GPS the software could suck so much! Anyway, thanks for the review & your followup comments.
Very disappointed in TomTom Support. I have the GO 720 and have been having problems with the speech ever since they upgraded their application to v 8.3 months ago. The speech is now broken and choppy. Very hard to follow directions. I specifically bought this unit because it pronounced street names. Now it is useless for that. Tomtom assures that it is aware of the problem, but yet nothing has been done. No patch, no fix, no sympathy. What a shame.
I am writing to advise all who need to know that I have never been so disappointed with any single purchase as I am with my purchase of Tom Tom GO 720. The issues I have had are too numerous to list, but it started the moment I turned it on, and then continued when I attempted to continue on to connect to my computer, and continues to this day, several months after purchase. What is worthy of sharing (an this applies to ALL Tom Tom devices), is the quality of customer support.
I have been in touch with Tom Tom Support on every occasion I have had to fix a problem. They are impersonal, unable to fix problems, and appear to not have any system knowledge. They do not read emails to clarify issues. They provide advise for the wrong operating system (despite the OS being a data input via pull down menu). The support website is not stright forward to use. Their website is also false in relation to mobile phones that are compatible (and god knows what else). It says mine is, then when it didnt work and I told them they said \After researching the details of your Phone, we have found that your phone is not compatible\. They then went on to make an excuse about how hard it is to test all phones. The last straw for me before being so annoyed I had to write a review, was advising them they had [again] providing me advice for Windows OS (I have Mac). They were rude, obnoxious and insulting. I can take wrong advise. I wont, as a consumer, be be spoken to in this manner by a provider.
I appreciate customer service is a \catch phrase\ of the 90s, and no longer exists, but in this economic climate consumers need to know they are spending their money in the right place, and getting value for money. If you want a GPS unit, I wouldn’t waste your increasingly valuable hard earned dollar on Tom Tom.
I’ve typically found TomTom’s email support to be fairly poor, but their phone support to be quite good.
Hi Tim,
I am taking a motorcycle trip this summer. I am looking for a GPS that will work for the car and bike. If I keep the 720 dry would it work and does it have a jack that I could plug in an ear phone so I could hear the directions under my helmet ? Thanks
Dear Tim
Great site. I live in South Africa and recently bought a TomTom GO 720 and have a few questions:
* I read above \As to converting it to the other software features the 730 comes with, I’ve done it myself with a 720.\ What does that mean? Can I convert my 720 to a 730? How? And how will I win by doing so?
* When trying to update the gps and add more voices, etc, I was quite shocked to learn that my device’s flash memory is around 500MB and almost full. (At the bottom of the box it stated 512MB). Nowhere have I read any reviews about a 512MB device, all the reviews I read said 2GB. And the puzzled guy at support said that the device’s serial number points to a 2GB product. However, when I formatted the device because of errors, suddenly the internal flash memory was 2GB! Why on earth would TomTom downscale 2GB memory to only allow 512MB?
* Does the voice recognition tool depend on your country’s map / country where you bought the device? Is it at all possible to download some fix or program to allow you to at least try the voice recognition?
* Just a note: I only had good experiences with the customer support. The guys were friendly and help me sort out most of my problems in no time.
Thanks for your great and timely responses!
Yes, you can essentially convert your 720 to a 730. See this thread in our TomTom forums : Make 720 a 730.
As to the flash memory… I really have no idea. I’ve never heard of that happening before.
Yes, the voice recognition files depend on where the product was purchased. You can check the thread How to get VR to work everywhere, if you lack the files. for information on that. Keep in mind those files can be huge and you might run out of space.
Thanks for the fast reply, Tim. I’m a bit of a dodo, so please explain to me why I would want to convert from 720 to 730 (the advantages, etc).
Also, surely I wouldn’t be able to use the VR on Southern African maps? Or is there any relief for us down here?
Rudi
Hi
I also live in South Africa and recently purchased a Go 720.
Same problem as yours.Supposed to be 2gb but also got around 500mb internal flash memory.Wrote to support on TT website and asked about this 2 days ago but still no explanation from them.Even the supplier cannot explain this.
Seems we in SA being taken for a ride as usual.
Can you please explain how you formatted and re-loaded the unit with all the software.Thanks.Raju
I hear a number of people bitching about their Tom Tom GO720’s and about poor customer support. Well my experience is completely the opposite, I have had my GO 720 for over six months and the only issue I have had with it was last Sunday when I downloaded and installed an Application Upgrade for GO 520, 720 & 920. After this upgrade I could not operate my device from my computer. After contacting customer support ( who were very friendly and courteous ) my problem was resolved within 48hrs. The 720 is the best GPS I have ever owned and Tom Tom’s customer support is second to none. Maurice
Sorry if this is a silly question… I just can’t seem to find the answer on the Web. When you are listening to MP3’s with headphones will you hear the direction commands through the headphones?
For everyone that has been waiting on a stuttering fix, check out this thread in our forums and check HOME for an application update.
For those living in NJ, be aware that there are some inaccuracies & missing streets as well (eg.no left turn allowed at US 1 when approaching from Green st -instead its three right turns but I took the time to let them know but still dont see the correction either on my tomtom or on their map so i’m not sure what the point of the map share is. ofcourse google maps makes the same mistake given they too use teleatlas but they’re free so one can’t really expect them to be error free or are under an obligation to correct it once someone lets them know
Hi, I bought a TT 730go in January this year and have been trying unsuccessfully to link it up with the fm radio in the car. On the third attempt it actually worked….for about three seconds. Now all I get when binding the frequencies is the sound of the tomtom drums. Then I press done and get absolutely nothing. Please..any suggestions? Can’t get through to the help line.
I have Tom Tom 720. It works pretty well for me. There are a lot more functions than I could normally use. I think it’s a great buy.
Hi, I had TomTom software on my pocket pc at my old job and miss it terribly. I’m in the market for a dedicated unti but it seems I’m spoilt for chice. Is the Go930 significantly better the=an the 720?
I have noticed that my 720 shows my location when I am off the beaten path of a roadway. I am an avid offroader and was wondering if it is possible for the 720 to track the trails that I drive, so if i get lost or disoriented I could fnd my way back to the starting point. Thanks
Brad, no, the 720 doesn’t have a tracklog function.
Hi, I bought a TomTom 720 and few things jumped out at me.. can you tell what you think?
1) Device seems to have an issue with highways.. in Boston, I got on I-93 and it was recommending sideroads.. and, in Chicago, was taking highway from Ohare to convention center and it wanted me to get off highway a couple miles into the trip..
2 The voice cuts in and out… at first I thought it did it only when unit was low on power – now, I’ve seen it when it is charged
3 When I’m in a new town, only way I can pick a starting point is to change my “home” preference to my desired departure point (so I live in Boston, but had to change my home to O’Hare)
4 Can’t find way to simply ask, “where am I now?”.. and just track my movement on a map… one of my favorite features on an iPhone
5 After landing in Chicago and each time I turned unit on there, literally took 10 minutes to find a GPS signal
Thanks much…
1) I frequently drive in Boston and the I-93 corridor through NH and I haven’t seen that issue.
2) Are you running the latest firmware?
3) I’m not sure what you mean. But you can pick any starting point (other than your current point) by using the ‘Plan Route’ button.
4) If you don’t enter any destination (or use “clear route”) and it will track along.
5) That is a function of how the GPS system works. If you turn the device on in a place that is a good distance away from where it last had a signal it will take a longer time to get a signal. 10 minutes is probably common in the scenario you described.
i hear ther the best navigational feature on a gps is route optimization..does tt720 have it?
I’m not sure that route optimization is the “best navigational feature”. For those that need it, route optimization of multiple points is essential. But very few people, less than 1% I’d assume, need that feature. It is not on the 720, probably for that reason.
Hi,
Is there away to download an address book in to the GPS? I’d like to get a GPS for my wife and pre-enter family, soccer fields, stores, kids playmate etc addresses so she can select them and go….otherwise we’d be back to her calling me to get the address.
Thanks,
I asked this while I was calling support for another issue. There is no address book, but you can use the “Favorites” as one.
Hi, When I bought my tt730go a few months back I changed the start up splash picture to one of the exotic ones by selecting music and media and then selecting my choice and ending with the Done feature. I would like to change it again now but cannot do it using this method. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Forgot to tick would like to be notified by email. Sorry.
Does the TT720 have an option/screen that shows your current GPS coordinates? The only mention of coordinates I’ve found in the .PDF version of the manual only says how to enter coordinates for a destination.
Patrick, tap on the satellite reception icon and then tap on it again near the top right. You will see your current coordinates.
can the 720 play movies?
Hi Tim
I am trying to purchase an updated map for my go 930,but the unit is saying not enough space available,so can you tell me what is recommended for me to delete or is it better to put it on another memory (sd card)and if it is how do I do that…..Thanks
Anthony
Anthony, you might try deleting some of the voice files that you don’t use or some of the speech recognition files for countries/states you won’t use them. People in our TomTom GO Forum can give more specific assistance if you need it.
hi…tomtom 720 go gps. bought used, supposed to be hardly out of the box for air. can’ get it tolk to me. could you talk me thru the steps as lord knows i’ve tried. thanks, andy
Hey Mr. Moderator, you deleted my post made today that attempted to share with others the poor performance of my TomTom 730!!!
What do we have here, a Sunshine forum where nobody is allowed to tell the king he has no clothes???
I will wait to see if and how long this gets posted
Hey Mr Joe. I didn’t delete your comment. Your comment was not about the TomTom 720 which is what this page is about. Your comment was about the TomTom 730, so I moved it to the TomTom 730 page. So effectively– you got twice your money’s worth since it got emailed to the 720 subscribers on this page plus it is displayed on the 730 page.
Hey Mr. Tim–
That is GREAT!
Hi, can you please tell me how to get on to the tomtom 730 page. Many thanks.
Antony.
http://www.gpsreview.net/tomtom-730/
for the 730
I have a friend with a much older garmin. His device is capable of telling him the elapse trip time, stop time, driving time, and average mph. I recently got a 720 go and am wondering if this device is capable of doing the same? I found some software called tripmaster, but it seemed to be incompatible with the latest version of software. Also, my screen will intermittently go black for a few seconds, has anyone else been having this trouble? Thanks
HOW TO GET VOICE RECOGNITION ON YOUR GO 720 IF NOT ALREADY SUPPORTED
1 – create a wordpad file in your ASR directory on your TomTom
2 – Call it support_asr.dat and save it.
3 – Open support_asr.dat with wordpad (when asked) and type ONLY the number 1
4 – Close and SAVE the file
Restart the TomTom and you should have it as a settable option in Quick Menu. (only place i could find to access it)
If this doesnt work you need to edit one more file on the root of the TomTom called ttgo.bif (again open with wordpad)
Inside it will list the Features= (scroll down to find the list)
After ,VoiceRecording, add ASR followed by a , (if there isnt one there already.
So it should read something like Features=blah,blah,blah,VoiceRecording,ASR,TTS….. and so on.
Save the file. Restart TomTom and add Voice Recognition to your Quick menu (in options) and you should be good to go.
I used my Macbook to create the Support_asr.dat file (using Text-edit). However, I was unable to open or edit the ttgo.bif file. I can see it it being listed in the root directory but it is only shown in light grey (ie, not available to be edited). Any hints would help. I live in Canada and I am most disapointed of not having the voice recognition feature.
Cheers,
The input power connector is detached from the printed circuit board on my 720. Where is a good, reasonable place to get it repaired.
I am looking to purchase my first automotive GPS. Your review of the GO 720 is awesome. Up until reading this, I was going to purchase the XL 330s, but now I am liking the GO 720. I can’t find an in-depth review of the XL 330s, and was wondering which is better: GO 720 or XL 330s? Thanks for any help.
Shannon, the 720 is better than the XL 330s.
How does the 340s compare?
Thanks Tim. That sealed the deal for me. The prices are comparable, and the features are out of sight. I will definitely be going with the GO 720. Your reviews of GPS’s are awesome! Do you review any other electronics? Thanks again.
have a 720 go for 1 1/2 yrs. and battery would not hold a charge, customer service says “too bad” they don’t work on or trouble shoot after warranty. toke apart on my own and seems easy fix if i could find a VF8 Sony 503759 A8 battery.
help
I’m looking at getting a Go720. I’ve had a tomtom one for just over a year (would still use it but someone broke into car and took from glove box) I was looking at Navigon but someone said the just pulled out of the NA market.
I just got a question with the tomtom. Does the mapfix thing really work. I tried so many times to add a road on the map on my old one and it never did. It’s an important road and has been there for at least 30 years. Added to the tele atlas website and still isn’t there either.(oddly enough shows up on navteq)
Is there a big difference from the one to the go720 besides TTS? is there a better gps with equivalent or more features under my 175 budget? (definitely need western Canada map)
Thanks
was just wondering how if at all I can change the default time zone. I moved from maryland to california and my go 720 still has the maryland time. I thought i looked in every option but maybe not. I cant imagine something so simple can not be changed
Click on the change preferences Ikon, then scroll through to page eight, then click on Set Clock Ikon.
Maurice, October 24th, 2009.
Hi. Writing to you from New Zealand. Couldnt be without my Tomtom Go720 it performs well. Im now searching the market for a mounting cradle for use in my vehicle which will also charge the unit.. is there one available which is not unlike the one in which is provided with the unit which plugs into the usb for updates etc. Just seems that all the in car mounts available require the charging lead to be plugged into the base of the unit. Grateful for any help on this. Thankyou Scott