2007 SEMA - TomTom 920 portable GPS

As competition in the GPS market continues to heat up, TomTom showed its first voice-command activated navigation system at SEMA. (We recently tested the Magellan Maestro 4050, considered the first portable unit with voice recognition.) The 920 allows users to enter a street address by speaking it to the unit rather than using a keyboard, which the manufacturer says makes it the first portable unit with this capability. Other recently introduced voice-command units can only take voice commands for pre-programmed addresses or items from their point-of-interest menu. The 920 also can continue to provide guidance when it temporarily loses its signal, such as when going through a tunnel. Another new feature enables users to press one button for their current location in an emergency, or to note where they’ve parked their car to help find it later. Called “Help Me,” this also enables users with a Bluetooth-enabled phone to summon police or a wrecker with one button, akin to a core feature of OnStar. Priced at $599.95, the 920 is in stores now. The 920 adds a traffic receiver for $100 if purchased with the unit including a one year subscription, or $129.95 if purchased later. Annual renewals cost $60 for the service. 

Voice-recognition programming is a big safety benefit for any GPS system. Without a helpful passenger, a driver trying to program a system by hand while driving is a big no-no because of the distraction from driving. While the best factory voice-recognition systems work well and are comprehensive in capability, we found the Maestro’s abilities were limited. Hopefully, the TomTom works better.

No word on whether the 920 could talk to itself with a downloaded celebrity voice...

—Jim Travers

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Comments

[Mary]

How do I open my sd card (with music) to open in my TomTom 920?
thanks

[Barry]

I recently purchased both the Garmin Nuvi 680 and the Tom Tom 920. I have been putting them both through rigorous tests and I would like the prospective buyer to be informed about both products. First, they are both very good GPS’s but they do have their strengths and weaknesses. The Nuvi 680 is more user-friendly out of the box and more of the screen is functionally visibly and available which is good for far-sighted individuals who need bigger letters and clearer fonts to see up close. The Tom Tom 920 is no slouch and if you are patient enough and are more prone to interface with your home computer it actually has some additional features that are attractive and not yet available on the Nuvi 680. I like the idea of being able to update and route streets then share it with other GPS users. The Tom Tom 920 does that. Updating maps can be expensive and I think as regular users we can help each other out a lot. I hope Garmin does that in the future. The Nuvi comes better equipped with a better suction mount and start-up capabilities. Turn the ignition and on it comes- just like a factory GPS. Both the Nuvi 680 and the Tom Tom 920 wireless transmitters send mpeg songs poorly to the stereo systems but there are many things that can negatively affect that such as city versus rural area, quality of car stereo system receiver, and so forth. Right now I consider it a split tie between both units but I am not crazy about an exterior transmitter that receives traffic information such as that on the Tom Tom 920T or the purchase upgrade for the 920. Tom Tom should begin to include a soft GPS protective carrying case like Garmin does. People do detach them regularly for security and the Nuvi 680 detachment mechanism is superb, the Tom Tom 920 does not come off so easy. Also, be aware that you have to connect your 920 to your computer to put in a security code with the Nuvi you do not have to. Whatever you do activate a security code and do not give the thief a GPS gift without a security password. Do this on both units. No excuse on the Nuvi 680 because it is very easy to do. Tom Tom 920 has a great separate remote that you can control important functions of the unit. It is about 4 by 2-1/2 inches and I do use it. It is a great idea because you can tend to some of the more-used functions on the unit with the remote while not taking your eyes very far away from the road. Users who like to tinker will like the Tom Tom 920 and it is styled very nicely. Get in and go type users will like the Nuvi 680 better. The Nuvi 680 Navteq and the Tom Tom 920 Tele Atlas are about sixes as far as I can tell. The Nuvi does tell you on what side of the road your destination is located on. Don't forget that the software and mapping system is the single most important part of a GPS unit.

I like them both and no I am not going to say, as of yet, which one I would pick if I could only have one. Basically they both are very good performers. The next test is longevity. That will take a couple of years to complete. Good luck on your decision.

[Luis]

My Kids buy me a TT720 for Christmas, I returned it, I've reading several article's( GPSMagazine,Consummersreports ect.) and for the price of TT and little bit more Money I will buy the Garmin 680(TT720 from circuit city it is $ 399.00 and Garmin 680 from Costco it is $ 479.00).For Wat I've reading the 680 and the TT920T are piety close,.If any budy there sugest someting diferent, please post a coment. Thanks. Luis.

[Bob]

I recevied a TomTom One for Xmas. This is my first experience with a personal navigation device.

I immediatley found that the support website was frustratingly difficult to use. Ultimately I gave up on trying to undersatnd how it worked.

I have found the interface for the TomTom also quite frustrating and non-inutitive.

Another significant problem was that there appeared to be no way of altering the route recommended by the TomTom. I.e. I wanted to avoid a section of highway that I knew would have very thick stop-and-go traffic. The TomTom did not appear to have any way to allow me to do this.

What did I like about the TomTom? The screen was easy to read, and the reception seemed very sensitive. i.e. I picked up a signal while testing the unit inside my house.

Overall, the experience was negative. I will be trying to return the system as soon as possible and will switch to a different manufactuer.

[Harland]

Having had a Tom Tom 910 for about a year, with no repsonse to my concerns about features that just don't work, I am ready to dump it, especially because, in the Toronto area of Canada, the maps and instructions cannot get their compass directions correct on major highways, such as "Hwy 400 east" and "Hwy 404 west" - both highways only run north and south!

[Pat Partridge]

I purchased the tom 920 T. It is fabulous! I really love inputting the addresses via speaking to the unit.

Voice recognition works great! My wife uses a Garmin 350 and we compare notes often. Tom tom 920t is the best unit I have used. I have none of the problems the above user's complain about. One writer wrote he fealt Garmin is a better choice out of the Box for those whom do not want a unit with the " bells and whistles" and I agree with his opinion. If you need to use the unit every day like I do, the additional stuff is what makes using it fun!!!! Go with the GO 920T! It will not dissapoint!!!

Pat

[Bob]

I purchased a TomTom 920 from a warehouse club with a liberal return policy. I used it to go to Charleston SC and when I deviated from calculated route, it recalculated within seconds. There is a promo code with unit to update maps this year. For the user with shut down problems, she may look at the power saving settings. I have already plotted in a few of Guy's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives from Food Network for future trips.

[Lance]

I have a TT 920T and think it is a great GPS loaded with features. I did not experience any of the problems that others have posted on here and in fact while travelling with a friend who has a new Garmin Street Pilot (not sure of the model number)we did a side by side comparison and found the TT to be far superior. The graphics were better, the response times for reclculating were quicker, and TT seemed to have more up to date maps.

I previously owned a TT910 and found that their customer service and technical support in 2006 when I made the purchase was less than expected and although map upgades were free, the process was cumbersome, difficult, and required tech support. The tech support did improve though in 2007 which is why I went with TT again.

I've recommended TT to several friends who have purchased TT720, TT920, and like mine the TT920T and to date none have had any problems.

[Bill Byron]

Received my TT920 several weeks ago. It also came up in a different language even though I set it up as English US. However, a call to customer support solved the problem quickly. This is not an endorsement, though since I do not understand how a product can be marketed in the US, told to speak English and all insructions come up in Espanol. So far I am happy with the performance and have not had any major problems. Annoying things like telling you to stay in the left lane when you have 80 miles to go before you turn (repeatedly told to do so). After i use it longer I will know more and can speak with more authority.
Bill

[Gray Sullivan]

I bought a tt 920 for Christmas and have been using it every day since. I've never used one before and am very impressed with the 920. It's easy to use and set up, the voice recognition works well, and the handsfree bluetooth connection to my Moto Razr cell phone is great. I've notice some fairly recently added streets that don't show up on the map yet, but that's understandable. The one year free map upgrade that came with my unit is a good selling point. The screen is easy to view and spoken directions are clear.

[Barry Johnson]

I've been using TomTom since it was available on PDA's. And so I know this product inside out. And I am aware of issues that have come and gone over time.

All in all TomTom is an excellent product. The only problem I have with the product is the motorway routing. IN that it does not tell you exactly which lane to be in. It will either say, "Keep left/right or go striaght on."

Some users have posted issues that are quite frankly a load of rubbish. For example, one user said that when they go off route, tomtom doesn't re-route, it just says, "Turn around." That's actually total rubbish. It will say turn around only if that is the best option. Otherwise it re-routes

Another use said that you can't add favourite routes. Yes you can.

My advice is that before you post information on this site, learn how to use the product. Don't be lazy.

[Mark]

I agree with Barry. Many people just don't know the product that much. Although, I don't blame you guys. The device comes with basic instructions and does not explain its many features. Also, its not as user-friendly as a Garmin. I'm a tech-freak, I sat down with the device and explored it until understanding the how to's. There is a little help understanding the device offered by this site http://www.crutchfieldenespanol.com/crutchfield/enes/24/_www_crutchfield_com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?i=625GO920&tp=145&tab=detailed_info .

[Mark]

Take the time to learn how to use your device: http://www.tomtom.com/lib/doc/device/manual.htm

[sonny]

I had Garmin650 and I had to return it due to being little slow,,oh boy that was a mistake. I went ahead and bought Magellan 4250 which was total disaster. First, it could not save locations and second it died after I set up my blue tooth. Now I bought Garmin 200W and I will return this one and wait for Garmin 680 to come on sale. I think Garmin is the best, although, not perfect.

[Jorg B.]

I bought a 920T a couple of weeks ago and I'm a little surprised that the unit if fairly buggy especially considering it's high price tag. I also own a TomTom Rider which I use on my motorcycle and I'm extremely pleased with that unit. Because I had such great experience with the TT Rider I decided to purchase a 920T for my car. The 920T shuts down when the battery is fully charged and plugging the unit into the car outlet. Apparently, per TomTom support, this is a "feature", which in my opinion is annoying and plain stupid. The 920T also has problems after being connected to a PC with the TomTom Home application. Once disconnected from the PC it looses some of it's configuration. Now, TomTom is pretty good about fixing these "bugs"... but I still have a hard time with spending big bugs for a unit that is still in Beta.

[Pol]

Does the 920 show the elevation together with lat and long?
Thanks

[George E]

I purchased a 920 for my wife and one for my for Christmas. Features and pretty good but the Maps leave a lot to be desired. Tech support was almost impossible to contact. The jury is still out on this for for me..............hopefully TomTOm will address some of the customer's concerns.

[Heidi D]

I bought a TomTom recently and I love it! It DID come up in a foreign language, but that was quickly fixed. It works great and I have used it extensively since I bought it. I have had no issues with using tomtom home; customer service has been great; and as for the mapping, it even showed a road they are still in the process of making! It was unnamed on the map, but it was there!

My only issue at the moment is how on earth do you open the remote?!? Not that it is really needed, but I like using ALL the toys that come with something.

[Rob Kittle]

I purchased and returned two 920T TomTomGO units recently as they both failed when I first tried to use them.

SW Florida airport is about 20 miles from where I live, but the TomTom is unable to find that location, as the airport has only been open 2 years. The reason for me returning the units, however, was not the failure to locate the airport, but the units crashed on trying to find the location and then eventually re-booted. So I was left with a frozen screen and the inability to operate the unit.

I contacted TomTom support both by email and phone, and although the agents were very pleasant they were unable to fix the problem or advise the availability of a software update.

[Rhett Russell]

I have a TomTom Go 920 that I am returning today. I bought this unit and a Magellan 4250 at Xmas -- While I'm not totally happy with either unit, the TomTom experience has been less than desireable. It started with an EXTREMELY difficult installation of the TomTom software on my home computer -- this took approximately 6 hours of my time, numerous "unresponsive" calls to tech support, and a lot of time searching the web for answers...

I like the features of the TomTom, they are easier to use than the Magellan, but the quality of the maps on TomTom are not what you would expect in a unit of this purported quality! I don't know if the maps are outdated or just plain wrong. Yesterday I went to 4 different locations and the Tom Tom unit was not able to find three of them. The fourth location was found, not because TomTom could find the address, but because I happened to use the cross street to navigate. All of these are addresses and streets that have been in existence for 10+ years.

I used the Magellan at the same time and it worked flawlessly as far as the navigation. My complaints about the Magellan are all centered around their bluetooth interface for my phone. It drops calls on a regular basis. And, I do have a supported phone!.

I would like to see the features of the TomTom integrated with the map quality and navigation of the Magellan -- I'm still looking and hope that both of these companies catch up with their weaknesses.

[Donald Kaufman]

I also just got a 920T and would like to know how to open the remote.

[Donald Kaufman]

I finally figured out how to open the remote. Hold it carefully by the sides and with a small screwdriver blade push up and in on the tab. The front will then pop out. When the batteries are installed it appears to have a continual flashing blue light at the top of the remote face,for what purpose I don't know.

[Ron]

I researched a few GPS systems before finally opting for the TT 920. I decided agianst the 920T (the "T" designates traffic capability) since the sales person said that it is a benefit only if you live in New York, Chicago or LA. I live in Canada (near Toronto) and have taken it on many trips through Ontario and into the USA and have had no issues with it.

Many people above comment on what their GPS can and can not do. I agree with Barry's comment above. Read the manual. Yes, the Tom Tom 920 comes with a basic instruction book, but that is for jsut operating the Tom Tom on a very basic level. I had mine up and running minutes after leaving the store. Do you know that CD that was in the box that the 920 came in? Put it in your computer and see what happens. A full instruction manual convenient on your computer will present itself. This manual has everything and I even found that playing with the 920 without reading most sections allowed me to figure out the features - and there are a lot of features! I tried the 920 to and from work to see what route it woudl give me. I typically take a different route since I am quite familiar with the city and wondered if I could add that to the GPS so it woudl know the best route. I turned my computer on accessed the "full" owners manual and there it was. To reiteare what Barry said above "don't be lazy".

I can not say enough about the remote. Use it just a few times and you will find you can access anything on the unit thereby not reaching over to touch the screen. The remote has a great power saving feature where it shuts down after about 20 seconds without use and two presses of the remote reactivates it. The screen on my 920 never needs cleaning since I never have to touch it.

When I store my 920, I was going to buy just the case for the screen, but a sales person suggested that I buy a small camcorder case (Lowepro) to hold everything. A brilliant idea since the case is actually very small and it holds the recharger, the suction cup, the unit itself and that clever little remote in one handy case.

You have to keep in mind that no GPS will be absolutely perfect. You just have to decide what features you want, what features you need, and how much you are willing to pay.

I have no regrets with my TomTom 920.

Remember...read the full manual.

[Martin Boult]

I am in Europe and I have read many good and bad comments about the 920T. The reason I was searching for comments is that I feel like driving to Holland to throw my unit back at the Directors but by using it I doubt if it will find the place!
It has been the worse buy of my life, switching off for no reason, locking up, very unusual routes, file errors, postcodes not found, POI's not available, bluetooth phone working one minute then jamming up. This is just a small snapshot of the problems in just 4 months. I have followed all the advice given by customer service both by phone and email threads. They are very scripted responses and if you try to disagree having already followed the instructions they come back at you with "The problems are clearly a user issue". I would love to know how a machine that switches itself off and then on again without being touched is a user issue. I was informed that the postcode function only works in UK and Holland but of course only after reporting the problem, not as advertised.
We can only go on our own experiences but I also feel people should be warned. I have in theory upgraded from my other TomTom device and have a Sony navu. My unit is awful and I would have thought that customer service would try to help but it has not been my experience and I would recommend thinking long and hard before buying the 920T or any of their products in terms of customer service as when the unit is clearly faulty they are mostly polite but very defensive. No replacement has been offered just keep on resetting it, re-pairing the phone and try to borrow another RDS traffic ariel from a shop to see if another one will work. These are not solutions!
Good luck if you do buy one.

[Nawigacja]

I have a TomTom 920- the previous model and it works with my 8310 with the Bluetooth speaker phone.