Headline Feeds
Since the new version of the iPhone's operating system has been released, at least half a dozen software vendors have announced turn-by-turn, GPS navigation systems for Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) mobile 
phone. However, when a company that's already sold 30 million standalone nav systems decides to join the fray, it's a sign this app category is starting to be really serious business.
Last week, after two months of anticipation, Amsterdam-based TomTom unwrapped its eponymous app for the iPhone and started selling it on the iTunes store for US$99.99.
Although the iPhone version of TomTom isn't as feature-rich as the standalone edition, it's still a robust offering.
It has fast route planning and automatic re-routing if a turn is missed.
It will display a route map when planning a trip and allows a route to be customized to avoid roadblocks or toll booths, or to look for carpool lanes.
Its display can be personalized in a number of ways. Landscape or portrait mode can be chosen. Night and day modes are available to accommodate lighting conditions. Maps can be viewed is 2-D or 3-D mode.
Drive Like a Local
What's more, the software has hooks into iPhone features like swipe, pinch and zoom, as well as navigation to contacts in the mobile's address book and direct calling of "points of interest" found in the app's 6 million-entry POI database.
Like TomTom's standalone units, the iPhone app has the company's IQ Route technology.
"When we develop a route recommendation for you, it's not just based on the posted speed limit," TomTom Vice President for Marketing Tom Murray told MacNewsWorld. "It's based on literally trillions of pieces of data that we've captured from the millions of people who have been driving with TomToms for the last couple of years.
"By capturing this data provided by willing TomTom consumers," he continued, "we're able to give you a much more accurate and real world estimate of how fast you will travel on any given road at any time of day on any day of the week.
"It allows you to drive like a local no matter where you are," he added.
iPhone Challenges
One of the biggest challenges in bringing TomTom to the iPhone, Murray noted, was managing disk space, because the company wanted to have the maps used by the software aboard the device.
"The maps are big," he explained. "It's over a gigabyte to have a map of North America on a device."
"When we built a dedicated TomTom device, we designed it around that need," he continued. "In the case of an iPhone, we have to be sensitive to other things that people want to use their storage for. As we considered that, it had an impact upon how comprehensive a feature set we built into the initial version of the application."
Reports of PND's Death Greatly Exaggerated
When TomTom introduced its iPhone app, some zealous soothsayers predicted the software was the overture to the end of the standalone GPS system. That view, however, is far from universal.
"We think the PND [Personal Navigation Device] market will continue to grow at a healthy rate," Jessica Myers, media relations manager for navigation system maker Garmin (Nasdaq: GRMN) in Olathe, Kan., told MacNewsWorld.
"There are many distinct advantages to the dedicated navigation device," TomTom's Murray added. "In the short term, this [iPhone app] will probably be incremental to the market."
Amont the advantages of a standalone devices Murray cited: bigger displays, better battery life and easier sharing. "You aren't likely to share your phone with other members of your household," he observed.
"In time, more and more cars will have built-in navigation systems," he added. "In time, the capabilities of the smartphone will improve and tradeoffs will diminish. But we still see a very healthy demand in our core navigation device business."
Talkback: 
