TomTom GO 920
Special Note! The 920 and 920T are identical products except for the traffic receiver. We wanted to keep separate pages to track the slightly different specification and to keep the pricing separate, however to check out our review you will want to view our 920T Review Page. Just ignore the traffic section and you will have the correct info about the 920. We won’t have a separate review here since they are otherwise identical products.
As we had predicted, the TomTom 920 was announced. Most of our predictions of features were accurate or close, with very few misses. So what does the 920 offer? As with the 910, the biggest attraction of the 920 will be map coverage. Pre-installed are maps of the USA, Canada, Western Europe, and Central Europe for a total of coverage in 41 countries. To hold all of those maps the GO 920 comes with 4 GB of internal memory.
Update: It looks like it will come in two versions in the USA. The 920T will include the traffic receiver and the 920 (no “T”) will make the RDS-TMC traffic receiver optional.
Unlike the 720 which offers an optional RDS-TMC Traffic receiver, the 920T will include it in the box. We wish it would have been built into the device itself, but we’ll be sure to let you know how well it performs (and how much of a pain the external antenna will be) once we get our hands on it.
Something else offered that is unique to the 920 is something they are calling “Enhanced Positioning Technology”. What this does is use gravity and movement sensors to help calculate your position if satellite signals become unreliable. For example if you drive into a tunnel, or on the bottom deck of a multi deck highway the Enhanced Positioning system will help the GPS figure out where it is.
We had also predicted that the 920 would come with a remote control, and that prediction has come through. While polling TomTom 910 owners we found many of them didn’t use the included remote control, so it will be interesting to see customer reaction to the remote control included with the 920.
Speech recognition is listed as an included feature. However it was listed in the 720, but due to linguistic challenges in the USA it was only offered in select European countries. We’re not sure yet if speech recognition will be enabled for folks in the USA, however I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t available.
Also included, similar to the 720, is the unique MapShare program which lets users make map corrections they find, and even share those map corrections with other users. It is good to see more devices being able to take advantage of MapShare to increase the size of the community.
An FM transmitter, text to speech, Bluetooth hands free calling, recording your own voice for voice prompts, and customizable car icons are also available on the 920, again similar to the 720.
No word quite yet on pricing, but we know we won’t see this device on store shelves until at least October, possibly as late as December.
The 910 and 920 have different dimensions and port locations.
1. Will the 920 ever output handsfree to stereo via fm? I can’t hear the 920′s speaker even at 100% volume.
2. The read text message function actually works but I get “this feature is not supported” when I hit reply. Also, the create text message is greyed out.
3. On ETA – why does tomtom simply not use the speed and distance? Their ETA is way off. Are they incorporating gas and rest stops? Also, I’ve noticed that speed is consistently 3 mph low.
4. The lane change icon is active but I get a message that it is not supported by the map. Do I have to download a new set of maps to use this feature?
Otherwise, I’ve really enjoyed the go 920.
Thanks
1) I doubt it.
2) Different phones have different levels of support– unfortunately.
3) They are using estimated speed and distance, but in many cases the estimated speed is way too conservative. The new maps with IQ Routes data are much, much better with ETAs as it is based on actual driving time from other TomTom users.
4) Correct, you would need a new map set that incorporated that data.
I bought the 920 specifically to be able to use it in Europe while walking around and touring covered cities. I made sure the device was charged the night before (from the docking station) , then placed the 920 in my back-pack. The next morning I go to turn it on, and it is dead. Happened twice. I knew going in that this had ‘poor’ battery life, but I didn’t expect NO battery life. SHould I send this back, or is it a wasted cause?
There seems to be a bug in one of the newer application versions for the 720/920 that causes the device to wake itself periodically. That is probably what happened.
hi i’m looking at buying a 920 but to use it in South Africa, but i like the gamin 680, but does it have optional roughts like the 920? and if my maps are on a sd how can i listen to music that i have on another sd?
You can find the maps TomTom offers at the following link, I don’t believe you will find much from South Africa:
http://www.tomtom.com/products/maps/select.php
I recently purchased the 920 and the unit works great, but i cannot install or download the TomTom Home software. I have contacted TomTom support, but they are down for the weekend (Nov.1 and 2). I have a good pc that runs windows ME and I have downloaded many other types of software via high-speed Internet. The error that I get from the CD is that I do not have Administrator Privileges! This is a home PC and not networked (but connected to the Internet). The error that I get from the Tom Tom website is: DSTLATESTINSTALLER.EXE has caused an error and will shut down.
I really like the 920 unit and I want to get all the functionality of the Home website. If I can’t install TomTom Home on my pc I might have to return the 920.
Have you seen these types of errors before?
John, Windows ME is not supported by TomTom. Microsoft discontinued providing security updates to Windows ME in July of 2006. I hope you don’t have any sensitive data (banking info, passwords, email, other personal info, etc) on that computer as it is very vulnerable to attack, intrusion, or being exploited by spammers to send mail through without you knowing about it.
I have a tomtom 910 that started giving me problems intermittently during the first year.It would change the display for no apparent reason. I worked around this for some time. I did not use it for two weeks and when I did start it up, a flashing red x screen was displayed. Tomtom directed me to the particular page that dealt with this problem. No luck. My device was not recognized. More calls, and someone decided that it could not be fixed, and promised a replacement. Supplied them with the purchase info and it was determined I had owned it longer than a year and warranty would not be honoured. From different blogs this flashing x is a common, inherent problem that cannot be resolved. Tried reinstalling many times on various computers but my device was not recognized. When following the steps on the tomtom help page, the word “formatting” showed up on the GPS screen. Was told by a tomtom tech to disconnect the device because the formatting of the device could damge my computer. Now I am left with a useless device. Any ideas? Otherwise no more tomtom for me! And will make sure that all I know will not buy a tomtom either!
Have had the tt 920 for approx a year and love it, my only problem is that i have recently purchaced a HTC 6800 and was all excited about having two of the latest technoligies. But come to find out i can no longer recieve messages on my tomtom or write messeges. For the money a guy spends on gadgets it sure would be nice if they would work together!!
Any Help Would Be Deeply Appreciated, Thank You!
I liked my tom-tom GO 920T. My SUV was broken-in and it was stolen.
I have a security pin on it.
How secure is my information?
Can it be hacked?
Can the Pin reset or deletion of application enable the thief to view the information?
Any help to understand will be appreciated.
It does have speech recognition but u have to activate by adding a text file in its directory.
Thanks for all the great info here!
I own a 920, and my problem is that the TT Home program crashes when trying to update my maps, add POI’s, etc. Basically it’s when Home tries to access their website. I always get the following message: “HOMERuntime.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.” I’ve gone ’round and ’round with TT Support and the only thing they can offer is that I have to wait for the next update to the Home software. I’ve uninstalled then reinstalled the Home software several times, even downgrading the the previous Home version. All to no avail.
Before I picked up the 920, I had a ONE XL 330S. I got the 330S for Christmas and subsequently found a 920 on sale for the same price so I upgraded. I never had the problem with the 300S and only began having the problem after the first use of the 920.
Also, the 920 will not perform the Text-to-Speech. Yes, I’ve set the 920 voice to the “computer” voice and told it not to use my custom voice. The provided “real” voices and my custom voice work fine, except for the T-to-S of course.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Do you have the “.NET Framework” installed on your computer? If not try getting it from here or possibly even if you have it, try updating it from there. That is typically the cause of the error you describe.
Thanks, Tim. I installed the latest version of the .net framework and Home still crashes with the same error. Could this be a problem with my firewall? I have the Windows firewall and Norton IS disabled, as there is a hardware firewall on my AT&T Uverse router.
Why are there so very many refurbished TomTom 920s on the market? There don’t seem to be any 920Ts. Is there high failure rate?
There are always lots of refurbs after the holidays. The 920T had a very, very tiny production run as the 920 + optional traffic receiver was an easier combination for retail stores to stock.
Hi, I’m thinking of getting a used or refurbished model Tomtom 910 or 920. While the differences between 720 and 920 are well explained, not much is said on the net about the 910. Why was it canceled? What are ALL the differences between the 910 and 920? I’m aware of the HD size of 20GB. Thanks.
I wouldn’t consider a 910 at this point. It is very old (as far as GPS devices go), is bigger, and isn’t being updated anymore.
I wanted to know if you can upgrade this gps by downloading info on web for to avoid hazards if you have a truck with hazardous material
Granted I have big fingers. And while I get where I want to go the touchscreen is not very good. If I tap a number dead center I often get that number plus the one to the right of it. Mostly I type in addresses through my computer keyboard. And, generally I find the TomTom 920 not very user friendly.
I want to buy a GPS for Europe and the US. The Tomtom GO 920 and the Garmin Nuvi 275T are about the same price. Which would you recommend? Does Tomtom have the “New Map Guarantee” on a model as old as the 920?
George
Hi, I purchased a tomtom go 920 in South Africa recently. My question is where can I see “battery life” or indication of time left.
Thanks.
I have a Go920 and use it in Canada. When I want to search location by Postcode, I only have 3 digits which is not enough to find accurately a location. Compared to GARMIN who can do it.
Do you know if a firmware or something else exists for using 6 digits LNL-LNL on TOMTOM
Thanks for your advice
I have a 920 which I really like, I also have a Garmin 255W which I don’t like as much, mainly because it doesn’t tell me how many miles left to the destination, which for some reason I consider important info. Anyway, my 920 has just started changing or flipping screens by itself. In other words, I will program a route, and it will do the route, then it will go back to the main menu all by itself, it has gone to other screens too, finding local police stations etc. Anyone had this problem with theirs? I have called TomTom support, they have had me reinstall the application, which seems to have made it worse. It is like you program the route and then you hit the screen to make the main menu come up. It sometimes will go to the sub menus also. I thought maybe something was stuck between the screen and the bezel so I have cleaned that out. Didn’t really find much.. Thanks! Dave
Dave, sounds like something might be physically wrong with the touch-screen. Is it still under warranty?
I don’t think it is still under warranty. I did talk to them on it…
I have this same issue on a 920 I purchased. Tomtom has had me uninstall and reinstall the application but it still inserts its own characters and rapidly flips to other screens.
Utterly useless. Tomtom says all they can do is send me another unit, unfortunately refurbished.
I bought this unit on June 15, 2009. Piece of junk.
Same thing is happening to mine. Only none of the buttons work on it. Seemed to happen after installing an application or update. It worked just fine before that.
Dear Sir
Does the Tom Tom 920 offers multidestination with route optimization.
If it does not,can you advice me in one of the Tom Tom line or some other MFG i need to use it in Europe.
P.S. I need one with Bluetooth.
Thank You/Best Regards
Saverio
None of the TomTom devices will optimize a multi-stop route.
I have had my TT920 since it first came out. I paid over $450 for this unit. I have loved it! Since new maps became available, I have had nothing but issues! Reboots/shuts off at random, takes forever to startup, takes forever to find a Satellite signal, etc.
What is rediculous is that to update the map in my 920, it costs $89. You can buy a NEW GPS for under $100 now. I can even activate the GPS service on my phone for less than $89/year!!!!
I am very disappointed in the prices of the map updates…being so far out of line and the fact that my 920, coincidentally, has issues since new maps are available
i get message “hidden image”…what does this state?
My palm pre worked fine with my tomtom go 930 until the latest update which I installed about a week ago. Now my tomtom gives me an error that reads something like: phone doesn’t have necessary features. Anyone know anything about this?
My TT Go920 HandsFree used to work fine paired with my iPhone, and suddenly it’s ‘misbehaving’! It’s not linking via bluetooth, does not want to connect every second day. And i get the message: “This phone does not seem to be capable of making a wireless datea connection. TOmTom services cannot be used with this phone” !!! WHy? What to do?
I have now owned my first and last TomTom. It started locking up and after several attempts including a full format it still won’t work. Since it is out of warranty they will not fix it even at a price. When I bought it they had to send 3 units to get one that would work and now this. Obviously they don’t expect it to last much more than a year then you junk it.
Hi, how can I delete or edit phone numbers from my contact list in my TOMTOM 920
The contact list comes from your phone. If it isn’t updating then you may need to delete the pairing on the GPS and pair again.