TomTom for iPhone
Update: You always have to wonder when the report doesn’t mention just “who” at TomTom they were quoting, but we seem to have more info now. There are now reports attributing the following quote to Annette Hendrickx who said this about running TomTom on the iPhone:
“We have tried, and it worked”
Yep, just coming out a few minutes ago, TomTom has (apparently) announced plans to release a version of their TomTom navigation software for the iPhone. They plan to start selling it for the new 3G iPhone, on the AppStore.
According to reuters, a TomTom spokesman said the following, but didn’t say when it would be available or if it would be available when the iPhone 3G hits the streets on July 11.
Our navigation system runs on the iPhone already
We shall see what really happens there. This doesn’t scream of an official announcement by any means, but it certainly would be welcome by many future iPhone owners.
Don’t suppose there is any information about a Symbian or WM version?
It appears that Apple’s licensing agreement will specifically ban 3rd party navigation apps from using the IPhones 3G connectivity. Seems that would apply to any plans TomTom might have for the IPhone.
I don’t think it is quite as black and white as that, gatorguy. Apple has licenses with companies like Google for their Maps program, Youtube, Yahoo for stock and weather data, etc. The license restrictions that those companies impose on Apple for how they use those apps are therefore passed back along to SDK developers.
The statement in the SDK about navigation apps is exactly, word for word, the license for Google Maps.
Therefore I think we can expect that the statement in the SDK terms is referring to how people use the Google Maps data. That then would have no impact on people building their own navigation applications provided they don’t rely on any of the Google Maps functionality that exists on the iPhone and “bring your own data” so to speak.
If on the other hand (and I don’t believe this is the case) it is Apple’s intention to restrict turn-by-turn application then that says to me that Apple already has a partner signed up to provide that service.
Either case doesn’t rule out TomTom building an application. In addition, Nav-N-Go and Wayfinder have also said that they are working on navigation applications for the iPhone. So I’m pretty convinced it will happen– from somewhere.
This quote just came in via Wired from a TomTom PR person.
If this is true and TomTom does indeed release navigation software for the iPhone, I will be first in line to buy it!
Another interesting interview here.
From Tele Atlas today, founder Alain De Taeye said this to Reuters: