TomTom ONE XL
We got the early scoop on the TomTom ONE XL a few weeks back, but now we have the full details from TomTom. True to its name, the ONE XL is basically a bigger version of the TomTom ONE (read our review). There are two basic things that are added which make this ONE an XL. An optional traffic receiver and a widescreen display. Here is what we can tell you about those additional features.
Physical
The biggest difference about the TomTom ONE XL is the widescreen display. It is a 4.3 inch display running at 480×272 pixels versus the original ONE which has a 3.5 inch display running at 320×240 pixels. We have an entire article where we talk about the good and bad of widescreen GPS models which you can read. That advice applies here as well. The individual elements on the screen are not really bigger, you just get a wider view. It doesn’t really provide you with a bigger view of the road ahead.
To accommodate the widescreen display the entire ONE XL is bigger than the regular ONE. The XL measures 4.7 x 3.4 x 1.2 inches. While I haven’t yet measured the ONE, it doesn’t fit within our current stipulations of what we consider a “slim” GPS device. Currently we only classify a GPS as slim if its shortest dimension is 1.0 inches or less. Once we get our hands on the ONE XL we may revise what we consider slim, but as it stands now it doesn’t meet our definition of slim despite obviously being designed for that category.
As far as weight goes, the TomTom ONE XL falls into the middle of the pack of other GPS devices in this class, weighing in at 7.4 ounces. This is more than the Garmin Nuvi 600 series which are a little over 6 ounces but less than the Magellan Maestro series which comes in at about 8.5 ounces.
The placement of buttons and connectors is similar to the design on the ONE. On the top is the power button and on the bottom is the SD card slot, USB/power connector, and new to the TomTom ONE XL is the traffic receiver connector. (More on that later). We are still disappointed that the majority of the connectors are on the bottom of the ONE. We wish TomTom would drop the “rounded” sides of the ONE in favor of a square design, use the extra space to slim the device by a couple tenths of an inch, and then move all of the connectors to the side for easier mounting in a car.
This GPS comes with the same mount as found on the ONE. Simple, but it works fairly well.
Traffic
The other major difference between the original ONE and the ONE XL is the addition of a plug to connect a RDS-TMC traffic receiver. I’ve already heard some confusion over this specification, so let’s get this cleared up. The TomTom ONE XL comes with a port on the bottom of the device where you can connect an RDS-TMC traffic receiver. It does not come with that traffic receiver in the USA. You need to purchase the traffic receiver itself and traffic subscription separately. The TomTom ONE (not XL) does not come with this port, so you cannot connect the traffic receiver to that device. So in summary, the TomTom ONE XL does not come with a traffic receiver, but unlike the regular ONE it is at least possible to do so. We are still trying to get confirmation from TomTom regarding pricing of the traffic receiver, however we expect it will be around $135.
Routing
We expect that the routing, detour, and itinerary planning functions will be the same as that of the TomTom ONE (read our review). We will update this if we find anything different. These are the functions which really define TomTom and make their products great. TomTom does a great job of focusing on navigation features first, and the “extras” second.
There are two features people may be upset are not included in the TomTom ONE XL, Bluetooth hands free calling (the ONE XL does have Bluetooth, but only to access their PLUS services) and text-to-speech for street names. Why go to the trouble of adding Bluetooth for PLUS services but not offer it for hands free calling? And as primarily a navigational feature, more GPS manufacturers need to start offering text-to-speech on their lower end devices.
Finally, if you plan on using the TomTom ONE XL outside of your car in pedestrian mode, or anywhere you don’t have access to power, watch out for the battery life. The ONE XL has one of the shortest battery life specifications in the class at about 2 hours. Still, that won’t be a huge limitation for most people.
Purchasing Advice
While you won’t see this GPS on store shelves until May, I’m sure it will quickly become a hot seller. TomTom is touting the ONE as being “the world’s #1 selling personal navigation device” and I’m sure the ONE XL will be very hot.
| Store | Rating | Best Prices |
|---|---|---|
Compare all prices on the TomTom ONE XL Auto / Road GPS ranging from $99.95 to $223.75. | ||
 | In stock at iSave.com | $104.95 |
 |  In stock at Tech for Less | $185.97 |
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Just purchased the latest XL/S. I’ve been a longtime GPS user since I’m a commercial driver. First unit was the Garmin Street Pilot over 3 years ago @ $1200!
I deliver for a major Pizza company and rely heavily on GPS since we have hundreds of courts in these sub-divisions. Although the Initial brand product (offered by QVC a year ago) offered a larger screen and a competent GPS, It required sending the unit back and $100 to get updated maps and software. Tomtom allows that on-line, BIG selling point.
OK, here is my issue on an otherwise great product. The Initial brand unit was “street” centric, in other words you typed the street and house number. If there were conflicts, you were given optional streets in different towns. Tomtom is “town/city” centric, which you need to know that before you can find a street. I our ordering system, we list an address, not the town/city it is in. I find that is is a major flaw in the software. For delivery drivers in a state, they might not know the exact town or city in their region, all they have is a street address. Now Tomtom does narrow down the appropriate town/city/metro regions, but it is not as good a a street centric concept. What is needed is a d-base that senses zip-codes based on the street address to find the appropriate town/city/metro.
Hi, have had my one xl for about a year now. It shows the new East Link on it, but when I try and navigate down to the Mornington Peninsula, it doesn’t recognise it. I presume that the map I have didn’t have East Link on it as it was not finished being built. It still shows it on the map, but will never go on it when I navigate along it. It just avoids it completely. And if I use the travel via feature, it will let me use a part of East Link, but then it will travel off it.
Is there a download (upgrade) just for the East Link or for any new roads?
I have a major problem with my One-XL, which I bought just a couple of weeks ago. The suction cup does not stay on!! It keeps falling off after about 15 minutes, no matter where I have attached it to. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
I tried many times to solve that problem and finally settled on this. Take some # 14 copper electric wire and make a frame to hold the unit. It is best if you or a friend solders the frame. Leave some wire long enough to fold over the top of your car visor. This keeps the unit at eye level, out of the sunlight, and resists all bumps. If you need I could send an email with attached photo.
HS
I HAVE SAME GPS,,I USE RUBBING ALCOHOL ON BOTH WINDOW AND SUCTION CUP,,,,,,WORKS GREAT…
Jim, see How to make GPS Suction Cup Mounts Stick.
Jim, you can get a better quality suction holder off ebay. much better than the origibal tomtom one that comes with the kit. You actually pump it so it gets a really good suction.
Thank you for the info Tim and Steve. I will definitely try your suggestions.
Hi! Was given an TOMTOM oneXl for my birthday. Suction mount doesn’t work well at all. Keeps falling off at random times. Last time it fell TOMTOM landed on gear shift and smashed screen. Called TOMTOM and they refuse to do anything other than offer $50 off next purchase. They say there is no problem with suction mount and if there was they would have recalled it. What a bunch of crap! It’s a design flaw and there are lots of blogs online to show the issue. This device is only 6 months old. So BEWARE of the suction mount. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW.
Helen, I agree with you with the poor design of the suction of the TomTom one XL. Mine has also fallen off many a time. I try to suction it close to the dash board to avoid it falling a long way or hitting something. I have been told the after market one that you can get off Ebay is quite good, and doesnt come off at all.. You actually place it on the windscreen and pump it so it sticks well.
I have a tomtom one xl and was wondering if there is a way to upload the maps from the sd card to the actual unit. I was told that it has 1g of internal memory. I have tried through tomtom home on my pc but with no success.
Steve, my understanding is that the XL was sold in two different configurations. One didn’t have an internal memory and the maps and application came on an SD card. The later configuration came with maps and application in an internal memory and while there is an SD card slot, no SD card was included as it wasn’t necessary.
So if your device came with maps and the application on an SD card, then I don’t believe there is an internal memory to transfer those items to.
Is this model ready “out of the box” or do you have to install the program. Thanks
No installation necessary. Take it out of the box, turn it on, go.
Tim, Yeah thanks, I have the first one so it doesnt have the internal memory. I had backed up my maps when I first got it, so I found out that I could just buy a new SD card and restore the maps to this new card. Much better, cause I got a 2g card which gives me more room for updates as well. I also noticed that the newer map versions are more than 1g anyway, so if you needed to update the new maps, the original SD card that came with the pack wouldn’t have enough space. Anyway, I have restored the maps from my PC and working well.
My brand new TomTom One XL (that I bought new from a major chain) shows that my home address is “Gordon’s Castle” and it shows that I have previous destinations although I have not yet traveled with the unit. I called customer support and they said it sounded like I was sold a used unit. They had me set the reset button so it would go back to the original settings but my home address still shows as “Gordon’s Castle”. Any advice on how to change this to perhaps “Shannon’s Home” or something? I might try to return the unit but my receipt says must return within 15 days and it has been 30. Thank you.
Menu -> Change Preferences -> Change Home location
My wiife and I recently received a Tom Tom One XL as a gift. I have not been able to set up the bluetooth system between the Tom Tom with our Treo 700 and 750. We have Sprint as a carrier. Is this going to be possible? I have been on hold for over two hours for the past couple of days waiting for customer support to answer as the recording indcates will eventually take place. I have already paid for the Traffic download and would also like to know how to get a refund if my phones are not compatable.
TomTom doesn’t list those models as compatible with the Sprint Palm Treo 700 or 750.
Tim, How do I get a refund on my “Traffic” download $59.95? What model do I need to upgrade to in order to use “Traffic”? Shouldn’t there be better identification on the packaging or information as to what phones would be necessary in order to use the complete system. This item was purchased as a gift after being told that I wanted one that would have a “traffic” componant. Everything else about the unit is great…
I have also been on hold with your customer support for approximately 50 minutes and this would be good reason to return the item and look for a different vendor. Please have someone call me at 904-556-9402.
Paul, I have no affiliation with TomTom.
I have the one xl and signed up for traffic. It uses my cell phone internal bluetooth to receive the info. It works fine. The problem is that I cannot use the bluetooth in my ear because it says “bluetooth busy”. If I disable the traffic feature and restart my phone then I can use it fine. Anyway to use my bluetooth AND receive traffic?
Also, is there a list of which roads (Phila areaa) and how they receive traffic info?
Happy New Year to all!
No, that is a limitation of Bluetooth technology. When it is being used for one type of connection (data) it cannot be used for another at the same time (hands-free). Nor can it be used to connect to multiple devices at one time. You can find coverage maps on our Traffic info page.
Tim,
if you’re not affiliated with them, they should hire you. Your expedience alone would be one great asset!
I’ve downloaded the Italy map on a SD card for an April trip. Is there any way of knowing I’ve done right? When I push in the SD card I get the X symbol to get it out…that worries me! Unless when i go to Italy it will magically work…
i like tomtom one xl, i have one with me but the sd card was stolen. now i want to know if thre si any way to get another sd card with a south african map, please give me all the information as much as you can.
thank you
benjamin mutombo
south africa
I think your only option would be to contact TomTom directly.
I cannot get the SD card to readon my TomTom XL One. It either freezes the computer or the unit. I have to reset the GPS every time to get it to unfreeze. let me know if anyone has a similar problem or what can I do to fix this. Pleeeese!
What type of data are you trying to add to the card?
Maps if I go to Greece and pics in jpg format. It still does not recognise the card as it shows a picture on the GPS of the card being taken out with a big cross through it. Therefore the unit is not accepting it at all.
For Dave…you have to load the Tom Tom program onto the card where you downloaded Greece. What is happening is that the unit is seeing a SD card inserted but it has no program to run it. Once you put the program on the SD card you’ll be fine. Been there, done that!c
John than for your reply, what size SD card can the XL one take. My card is 4G. And how do you load the program on is this simple?
Dave
Dave,
call me at 484-802-2151 and I’ll explain it to you….
I meant 484-702-2151…sorry for the typo…
My OneXL works perfectly and I have had it for a year. Today, when I hooked it up to my computer an error message came up on the computer screen. I did the error testing as advised, no problem found and pushed the reset button for 15 seconds. I have shut down and restarted the computer and the device. I still get the error message. Can you help?
TomTom support might be better equipped to help you, but what did the error message say?
I couldn’t read it. I did have it marked to be sent to TomTom. I will try them. Many thanks
Johnn thanks for your replies impractic to phone you from South Africa Cape Town. My work phone is block for outside calls to other countries. You can skype me on Dave – Offtrac 4×4 – Laptop and I will give you my email. Thank for the help.
i just bought a tom tom one from and individual who was going to pawn it but i did not get the install cd that comes with it. is there a web site that i can go to to get this. thank you.
Dear TomTom and user,
I am so frusted with my TOMTOM One XL. I bought it in Germany at a military AAFES as soon as I got stationed there, b/c if you know anything about military bases and the supply and demand, it’s not good. Two monthes after I settled in I opened my purchase brand new from the box and went on a road trip. Usually between 1.8 to 1.2 miles my tomtom will shut of my selected destination and go to the turn on sequence automatically, always loosing GPS signal and not coming back on for several minutes. I called TOMTOM in Germany they stated for me to send it in for repairs. I did and it came back unrepaired. They told me I had to send it in through UPS to them. Long story short I am single parent working full time, who has the time to, take off work and wait for UPS to pick up a package? My tomtom continues not to work, so any advice on getting it to work approriatly would be greatly appreciated instead of me having to buy another one. O and I had the same issue above with SD card. I still had to buy an SD card and then log on to TOMTOM home site and buy the Western Europe Map, since this is where I am currently living. More money, more money…
Best wishes to call
Hi, I reside in South Africa. Bought a TomTom One Xl in October last year and just love it. Unfortunately I pressed the screen by mistake and cracked it. so now my GPS doesn’t work anymore. Can this be repaired, and if so where can I send it for repair. Please help.
MY ONE XL…WHEN I PRESS TO START SCREEN SHOWS START UP SCREEN, THEN THE SIGN OFF SCREEN W/GPS IN SATCHEL, IT WORKED EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. I MADE A BRACKET TO HOLD IT ON MY DASH. IT HAS NOT WORKED SINCE.. I’VE ONLY USED IT THREE TIMES SINCE NEW.
I have a brand new Tom-Tom XL 530(I think that is the #)
The glare on the screen makes it absolutely useless in the daytime.I talked to your rep.onthe hone and followed the instruction aout adjusting brightness etc..to no avail. I took it back to the dealer yesterday .They agreed with my problem but would not take it back.(Yes like a dummy,I thtrew the box away -so much for trusting a product. I am stuck with a gps that works only at night.I went to Walmart and bought a Garmin(same price not fancy but I can travel int daytime as well night..
I had the same problem. tried several locations in the car. Finally made a wire bracket to hold it to the vior. It is up out of the sun or daylight and will not fall down. I cqn send you a picture if you lik.
hubert
my tom tom xl doesn’t properly disconnect from the first time i hooked it up to the computer for updates. i hit the eject…flashing red X. i try disconnect the device from the file menu…flashing red X. i let it run out of battery and restart…flashing red X. i did the 15 second restart…flashing red X. help!
Andy, you can use the HOME program to first delete, then reinstall the application. Since it didn’t disconnect properly the application is corrupt which is indicated by the red x. You can also check out these forum threads:
red x on TomTom 720 screen won’t start & reset doesn’t work
flashing X in a red circle — this can’t be good…
I just bought the One XL, and it has a nice color screen, except the map does not show up in colors. I’ve gone through all the color options for the map, including the advanced options, and all I get on the map is grey and blue. It’s really hard to see.
Took the unit back and tried another. It was the same. Yet all the literature and the manual shows nice color maps.
Is this normal, like the salesperson says? He says all Tom Toms are like that. Makes no sense since Garmin, etc. have a far nicer screen to view.x
That simply means the GPS doesn’t yet have a satellite signal. If the map is grey/blue/black then the GPS doesn’t have a satellite signal. Once it gets a signal it will be in color.
My TomTom One XL does not announce the street names, as in turn right onto I75. It just says turn right which is not always helpful with sun on the screen an multiple exits. My Old Navman did that and it was a really helpful feature. Can The XL be made to do that or do I need to buy another make of GPS?
David, The XL does not have Text To Speech, but the XL-S does. You cannot add it to the XL.
Thanks for your fast reply. It looks like it will be going on eBay
Is there a GPS that, one you have entered the state, lets you enter the street and then offers a choice of towns? I ask because my previous one in the UK did that. It makes it easier when a street is it away from a town centre and you are not sure which town the GPS thinks it is in.
Thanks
Hi
I have a regional UK and Ireland tom tom ONE new edition. I now want to buy a US and Canada SD card as I will be going there soon. Any idea IF my TOM TOM Regional will be able to run maps from other regions. I am asking this because the name suggests that TOM TOM regional might only work in the region it was purchased for.
I have a TomTom XL
Have had it charging on my computer,and connected to home when I went to disconnect the device it has frozen on the start up image, unable to turn off.Any tips please
try holding the power button in for much longer than normal. Maybe as long as 30 seconds. That worked with mine.
They also appear to “hang” when changing from one map to another. They actually just take several minutes o reset to the new map. If you wait long enough, a map change should be OK.
Just bought the tom one xl.Im going on holiday to Spain
soon and want to use it in Pedestrian Mode.
Does the Spain road map you use for driving in the car,
double for the pedestrian map,or do I have to buy a seperate
map for this
I wish to enter my own scenic route from my pc into the GPS. Is this possible? If, can I enter more than one route at a time and call it up when I am ready to use it? Thanks.
I was given a Tom Tom One XL as a Christmas gift while living in the UK. I have now moved to South Africa, have purchased the SA maps, but when I switch on my device, it is unable to obtain a valid GPS signal. Can the Tom Tom ONE XL work in South Africa?
don’t see why not because the satellites circle the globe. My unit performs much better after I bought an antenna for my xl one
hubert
My partners Tom Tom One XL sd card is corrupt, needless to say he didn’t back-up, can seem to get hold of Tom Tom One (not XL) Western Europe sd cards easier and cheaper than the XL ones but can anyone tell me if they are compatible?
Thanx
I have a TomTom one XL – never been connected to my computer- how do I get updates (new maps,roads and streets)?
also, do I need to get a SD card for the update?..thanks
I bought a secondhand TomTom ONE XL, it worked for a while but now, when i want to start it shows a window with a memory card crossed in red or sometimes it does not switch off at all, please help me.
I have been given a used TomTom one XL. Can you charge it from your computer by usb connection or with cellphone charger from inside your house if you have a connection plug socket that fits it power port? ….Thanks
Maybe… some will work, some will not. It will also charge much slower via USB.
I used this and it is just plain old junk. The company has a vaulted opinion of itself and will not listen to the customer. It has no option for driving something like a motor home or an 18-wheeler. It sent me to the wrong place. I must admit we were only 4 miles from our destination. It shows gas stations where there are none. The volume control is clunky and buried in menus. Menu navigation is not easy. Save your money and buy a Garmin. Our Magellan experience was similar to this. Tom Tom needs to start listening and scrap all of its designs. This one may wind up under the wheels of our motorhome.
I just received a Tom Tom One XL, I am also a school bus driver and would like to program all my stops into the GPS. There were no directions in the box to complete this task. Could you please tell me how to do it. Thank you.
TomTom does not improve their maps/software. We bought one about 2 years ago and an annoyance was the fact that the voice said “highway one west one” when it referred to “highway one-oh-one”. We called them and told them. Recently we bought another TomTom (which we have returned for other reasons) and it had the same problem! No big deal, you say. Well I feel this is typical of TomTom’s attitude. Plus the fact that street names are regularly mispronounced and words are clipped short at the end. Bye Bye to Tom Tom!