macnn/electronista
06/12/2008, 10:45am, EDT
Thursday, June 12thTomTom not working on iPhone nav software?
GPS maker TomTom may not be developing iPhone software at all, allegations say. A source within the company claims that despite public statements that TomTom has developed iPhone software, and has plans to sell it, there are actually no software prototypes in existence. The source adds that an e-mail memo was circulated through TomTom on Wednesday, with the message that "we haven't officially announced anything, we're just commenting to the press on a 'reactive not proactive' basis."
If real the memo may validate arguments that Apple's iPhone SDK bars third-party development of real-time navigation software. Apple already has static software in the form of Google Maps, and may intend to create its own real-time software; companies such as TomTom are said to be worried that if such software becomes popular, they will lose sales of dedicated GPS units.
Filed under: iPhone, industry, software
Other story tags: iPhone 3G, GPS, SDK, TomTom
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Someone better
Whether it is Apple or someone else...this feature HAS to be available.
Aw Damn!
Let's hope this is just a ['let's not piss Apple off'] sort of non-denial denail coming from TomTom. Besides, wasn't a jailroken version demoed at CES earlier this year?
Glad!
Good! TomTom is terrible anyway. A Google or Garmin solution (and I'm no Garmin fan) will be superior.
TomTom ALREADY does PDAs
TomTom ALREADY has their Navigator 6 software running on Palm Smartphones!! It works great. I use it. It is now selling on sale from Palm.com for $99 including Bluetooth GPS unit. So TomTom could do ths anytime they want at a reasonable price point. Statements like: "companies such as TomTom are said to be worried that if such software becomes popular, they will lose sales of dedicated GPS units." are clearly wrong. It is in the best interest of TomTom and other GPS companies to have their software running on as many platforms as possible.
re: Glad!
A Google solution would be HORRIBLE. I don't want to have to rely on a network connection for navigation. I don't want a $300 data roaming bill for using navigation in Europe, every single time I visit Europe!
And Garmin has their nuviphone planned so I doubt an iPhone solution will be their priority.
Frankly if real navigation software doesn't come out for the iPhone, I probably won't be sticking with it. I'll probably just unlock my current iPhone and use it as an iPod touch.
Who's it gonna be?
Somebody's likely to develop this app for 3G iPhone. TomTom would be wise to let it be them.
Apple Shooting Foot
Apple's SDK restriction on real-time navigation software seems completely arbitrary and wrong. How could it be anything but an advantage to let Tom Tom release their navigation software for the iPhone? Google Maps is NOT a replacement, with the aforementioned live network access requirement, making it unusable in any rural areas. All the capabilities are there to have an awesome GPS navigation solution for the iPhone, and other phone manufacturers have zero problems with GPS navigation software on their phones, so there's likely no liability issue. This is just Apple trying to muscle in on this software segment, or simply shooting themselves in the foot. An explanation would be nice, or as a shareholder, this concerns me.
It's really, really
NOT an allegation, unless not developing iPhone software is somehow illegal. You should use Ctrl Alt D more often, or else start looking up the terms your dodgy thesaurus suggests for you.
Marketspeak?
"we haven't officially announced anything, we're just commenting to the press on a 'reactive not proactive' basis."
Is this the new marketspeak for "lying?"