How difficult is it to upgrade 720 to 730 or 740?

[yo3]

To all more experienced members:

If I buy a 720 now I understand that (with the copy of the receipt) I can upgrade my maps/software via TomTom site and it will become a 730. I have a few questions:
1- Is that process pretty simple and easy?
2- I've read a bit some of the posts here and it seems that after the upgrade, there used to be some problems, i.e. some features were not functioning correctly. Has TomTom fixed those so that after the upgrade everything works without a problem?

All I am trying to find out is how difficult and what technical skills are needed to upgrade to a 730 and if after the upgrade you do get a fully functional 730?

As a side note, I see some upgrades to 740 but I assume that those are more technical and it is not simply a matter of downloading stuff off TomTom's site, correct?

Many thanks.

 

[doctormstein1]

Basically the 720 and the 730 are the same. their was a difference in software which was eventually release to make them equal. i f you have the 720 you really don't need the 730. As far as the 740 is concerned this unit is ecentually a different product because of the inclusion of the Sim chip which makes for live traffic. You cannot update a 730 to the 740 because of the inclusion of this chip set. With the 740 you get live traffic and google updates without the need for a compatable cell phone. Your only need of a cell phone with 740 unit would be the inclusion of bluetooth whereby it enables your tom tom to receive and dial cell numbers. It is my opinion that if you want the best and can afford it would to purchase the 740 live unit. A definate improvement over former units.

 

[yo3]

Upgrade 720 to 730

OK, then I am not interested in 740 right now. I just want to get a 720 and upgrade it to 730. Going back to my original questions, can you tell me:

- upgrading the software on a 720 right now, does it give me a fully functional 730 without any bugs or features that do not work? I know in January this year people who tried this were getting a 730 but it had some features that were not working. Has TomTom come up with new releases since then that fixed all those problems?
- And in general how easy is the upgrade process? I just send TomTom the copy of the receipt, then they let me download the updated software for 720, install it, and then I have a fully functional 730? Thanks.

 

[mvl]

To upgrade a 720, you install Tomtom HOME on your computer from here, then plug in your Tomtom 720. HOME will ask you to upgrade and if you say yes, it will install the latest software on the Tomtom. You don't need a receipt.

Tomtom released IQroutes2, a major software update for both devices last November. It essentially made the devices identical from a software perspective. But the software was very buggy, and they also annoyed people by globally disabling FM transmission to comply with a UK-only law.

Many software corrections have come out since, and the latest software has fixed many of the issues. But there still are a few outstanding problems, which you can see in this discussion.

It's really easy to upgrade the software with HOME, but if you don't like the newly introduced bugs, it is more technical (people in this forum can still explain the steps) to downgrade to a prior software version.

Many of the features, however, require the latest Tomtom map (released every 3 months). A 720 is shipped with an older map than a 730, but both need upgrades to get the latest IQ2 features. Tomtom will give you the latest map for free with a "new" model (ie: not a "refurb" model) of either a 720 or 730. Most of the time Tomtom HOME will do it for you, but if it doesn''t (which happens a lot), you'll need to call tomotm and fax your receipt to get the free map. If you have a refurb model, you'll have to pay for the map.

 

[yo3]

Great

MVL, thanks for the detailed response and links. That helps a lot. So, does a brand new 730 GPS have the exact same issues that a "720 upgraded to a 730" has?

 

[mvl]

Not exactly. A brand new 720 and a brand new 730 have minimal (if any) issues.

The same software upgrade is offered for both (required for the latest maps), and that upgrade introduces the same issues for both models.

 

[YouthInAsia]

Grab a new 720 while you still can, and enjoy it after the upgrade - it makes a big difference. Had mine about 6 weeks, and I think the TomTom customization, IQ Routes, and features are great.

I don't have any issues with mine...well none that weren't induced by me anyway...

 

[momcat1]

From reading this thread, it appears that by updating Home to include IQ routes and the other recent additional functions, my 720 becomes a 730, even though on the copyright p is age of the unit, 720 is still shown. Is there more to this, or is that it?

The reason I ask is because according to TT, my phone is compatible with a 730, but not a 720, and tech support will not address the problem except to say, sorry it's not compatible. The phone worked fine UNTIL I upgraded Home, which is when all of the problems started, with phone compatibility, and with the general stability of the unit. But I cannot get support to understand this. My attempts to downgrade to before that point have been unsuccessful.

So what else makes a 720 into a 730?

 

[dhn]

Just the Navcore 8 application and version 8 maps effectively transformed a 720 into a 730. No other files were necessary.