TomTom GO 740 LIVE
The GO 740 LIVE automatically delivers the latest traffic, weather, and fuel price information directly to your dashboard.
Connected devices, which integrate a cellular radio for up-to-the minute data delivery, haven't had an easy time establishing themselves in the GPS market. The first, the , was unsuccessful, and Dash Navigation exited the hardware market late last year. And last year's lacked many of the basic features found on nonconnected navigation devices. But TomTom's new GO 740 LIVE ($369.95 list), the first connected device from a veteran manufacturer, remedies many of these problems, and although it's very similar to the $349.95 GO 730, its connected features easily justify the $20 price difference.
Arguably the most important component of the 740 LIVE, the built-in GPRS cellular radio, provides a two-way data link without the need of an external antenna. This means the device can receive up-to-the minute data updates anywhere you can get a cell signal, and enables a number of features not possible on standalone devices, including TomTom Traffic, fuel pricing data, Google Local Search, and current weather conditions and forecasts for virtually any map location. Three months of service are included in the device's purchase price; the monthly data subscription costs $9.95 thereafter.
You get TeleAtlas map data for the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. And TomTom's free Map Share program, which lets users submit and download changes to existing maps via PC, makes it easy to keep your maps up to date. The included local database of three million points of interest (POIs) is relatively small for a premium-priced product, but because it can be supplemented with Google Local Search, the number of POIs is virtually unlimited.
Like the 730, the 5-by-3.9-by-0.9-inch, 7.9-ounce 740 LIVE is equipped with a 4.3-inch screen, but its mounting bracket is an improvement over the other model's ball-and-socket suction-cup windshield mount. Power and data are fed into the device through it, so you can just remove the GPS from the bracket instead of also having to unhook the power cable every time you want to remove the device from your windshield. A button on the bracket makes removal a simple, one-handed task.
TomTom hasn't broken much new ground with the 740 LIVE's user interface. With the exception of the connected features, the menu system is virtually identical to those found across the TomTom line, including on our recent Editors' Choice, the . The routes calculated on my standard tests and my in-car navigation experience weren't much different from what I observed on the 140-S. And, like all new TomTom products, the 740 LIVE has advanced lane guidance, which shows you the signs you'll see, along with the correct lane to choose to perform upcoming maneuvers on the highway.
Though the traffic data provided on the 740 LIVE is different from the live traffic offered on other TomTom models, the experience is the same. Working in conjunction with IQ Routes, which plans routes based on historical speed data, TomTom Traffic ensures you have the fastest route. If traffic conditions change, you'll be informed immediately if there's a new route available.
Google Local Search lets you search for destinations near you, in a particular city, or near your destination. I wish that you could add Google Local Search as an option on the device's quick menu. I particularly like the weather application: For any of the "Navigate to" options (including home, favorites, a specific address, and recent entries), you get a five-day forecast, and the minimum and maximum temperatures for the current day are read to you.
When checking fuel prices, you have the option of searching by distance, or by price. If you're on an active route, you can find the cheapest fuel on your route, for any of five different fuel grades. In my testing, which included a random sampling of local gas stations, I found the prices to be fairly accurate.
In addition to the live services, the 740 adds enhanced voice recognition. Using the same Nuance core engine found on models in the Garmin nüvi 800 series, such as the , the 740 LIVE recognizes 131 different voice commands. While I found the voice recognition fairly accurate, especially considering that it doesn't require training, you still have to use the touch screen to complete many tasks. For example, if you say "Navigate to a Favorite," you must touch the entry you want on the list the device displays—you can't choose by voice. Similarly, if you say, "Navigate to an Address," you input the address by touch. This is a step in the right direction but far from complete, hands-free voice control.
Other premium features include a Bluetooth phone interface, a document reader, and a photo viewer. My connected to the 740 LIVE without a problem, calls sounded good, and the GPS read my contacts' numbers from my phone but not their names. (Check out TomTom's supported phone list for more information on which handsets are supported.)
Connected devices are likely the next generation of GPS navigation, and the TomTom GO 740 LIVE integrates the live service features well—it's worth the $10 monthly subscription. But if you already have access to this data on a smartphone, you can save some money by buying You'll have to rely on two separate devices, and you won't get live traffic or the Bluetooth phone interface, but the actual navigation experience will be the same.
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