* RE custom Pois- So glad this is now working. I actually was told the opposite when I called TT customer support this morning. Was told I would have to use "favorites." So can be Tyre be used with the Go500 without a bunch of workarounds? If I'm going on a trip could I save a group of places in a file and upload them to a Go 500?
Well, that about figures. Custom POI support HAS been released to production along with the new MyDrive program that supports it. It's a bit different than the way you grew accustomed to loading them with the 540, though the *.ov2 files as produced by Tyre are still the format being used.
* Re RDS-TMC - I understand that the Go 500 's sold here in the N American market have RDS-TMC disabled so that they can only use HD data. While I realize HD data is superior when available, it is frustrating that TT disablies the RDS system.
The RDS system in the U.S. is a problem (though it is in many places). The system is based upon a very limited 'almanac' of possible pieces of road that can be covered, so total coverage and precision of coverage is very much limited by that. Frankly, having experienced Live, I don't miss it. The difference is huge, and they aren't charging for it.
A phone is not always available, data is not always available, it is nice to have a system that is not dependent on TT's servers.
Most commuters have smart phones these days. Understand that TomTom used to sell units with built-in Live (like the GO 740 and GO 1535), but I think they tired of the U.S. cellular situation when AT&T announced they were going to cut 2G service. Unlike Europe, where it's all a pretty straightforward GSM market, we're pretty fractured here. The thinking was that no matter what the cell companies do here, a person is likely to have a phone that can get a connection in their area of service.
Most of all, it is inconvenient, and a tangle of clutter, to have to have both the phone and the satnav plugged in. and charging.
Whether the cell phone needs to be plugged in depends upon your drive. You certainly don't need it for normal commuting purposes, but if you were going to make a run down the eastern seaboard of the U.S., that's a lot of hours.
I normally keep bluetooth off on my phone to save battery power. So I wonder how much it runs down the phones battery when using a go 500.
When I was commuting 50 minutes, it wasn't an issue. It depends upon your use model and your phone's battery usage and capacity whether it really matters.
Bluetooth 4 has battery saving features, but it is a question of whether TT has implemented them on the Go 500. Earlier bluetooth sucked energy from the phones battery.
I'd be interested in what you mean by that. What are the 4 'battery saving features'? Apart from the device being able to shift output power from Class I down to Class 2 down to Class 3 (if your phone can actually do that), it pretty much is what it is.
* Too bad TT still requires ongoing payments for speedcams. And aren't they included in the Android app. Makes me want to keep my old xxl. I see the TT Go Android app price of $33 is for a three year subscription.
What I showed you before was the previous generation app. They do have a newer app now with a different fully subscription based business model. See here >>>
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tomtom.gplay.navapp
The idea, though, was to be able to update from the older app for 99 cents.
Regardless of that -- if you're worried about battery use, you really WILL want to keep your phone plugged in if you go to an Android based GPS app. Screen use alone will eat you up, not to mention GPS use. Using your phone as a data link sucks down a mere fraction of the power.
So what do you use / what would you buy for your own use?
I'm not a fan of the appearance of either the new or old app due to font sizes. Much depends upon how well your eyeballs can manage the information at dashboard distance in 2 point phonebook type. For that reason, I prefer the larger screen stand-alone units like the 600. At present, it's one of the units that is always in my vehicle. I have the TomTom app on my phone strictly for 'emergency use only'.
