TomTom GO 720 and MapShare

UPDATE: Read our TomTom GO 720 review.

TomTom announced the TomTom GO 720 today, a wide-screen, (4.3") flat form factor GPS navigator. There are lots of juicy details, which we'll get to momentarily, but the big news is MapShare.

MapShare

From the press release....

This unique new map improvement technology allows TomTom users to easily improve their maps as soon as they spot changes in the roads with a few touches on the screen of their device. Via TomTom HOME, TomTom Map Share™ users also receive all map improvements made by others, making their maps as dynamic as the world they live in.

TomTom Map Share™ is a proprietary map improvement technology unique to TomTom, which enables users to easily and instantly improve maps. TomTom users can respond in real time to changes in the road network and correct the maps on their TomTom devices accordingly. Thanks to the smart user interface, it is easy to make improvements, such as to mark blocked or unblocked streets, reverse one way traffic or insert new street names, which will instantly take effect.

EDIT: Initially, six types of corrections will be allowed, though more are expected to be added later:

• (un)Block a street
• Reverse driving direction
• Change a street name
• Add a missing Point Of Interest (POI)
• Remove or rename a POI
• Add or change a POI phone number

TomTom GO 720

The TomTom GO 720 will feature:

• 3-D graphics - The press release says this will feature "building footprints," so don't expect to see perfectly detailed exteriors.
• Speech recognition - Sorry, not available in the U.S., only in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
• Bluetooth - TomTom cites an optimized acoustic design, enhanced noise reduction, echo cancellation and an automatic answer function. Maybe it will sound better than my nuvi, which could sure use the echo cancellation technology.
• FM transmitter - And the ability to connect an iPod to the 720.
• Traffic - Optional RDS-TMC traffic.

Drool. Can't wait to get my hands on one of these.

Laptop Mag is reporting that the TomTom GO 720 will be available at the end of July for $499.

Comments

[fernando]

is there any way to have maps of mexico for a tomtom?
thanks

[Rich Owings]

Fernando,

I don't think TomTom has maps of Mexico available at this point. There are some available for Garmin and Magellan devices.

[Ares]

Is there any way to have maps of Iraq for a TomTom?

[Rich Owings]

Ares,

I don't believe so. There are third-party Garmin maps for Iraq though.