There is also a newer model available. You can check out TomTom GO 620 6-Inch GPS Navigator with Wifi-Connectivity and Smartphone Messaging.
Features at a glance:
- Lifetime Traffic Facility from TomTom – Smartphone connected
- Lifetime Map Updates of North America
- Excellent Interactive map facility with stunning 3D Maps feature
- Capacitve Touch Screen – 5 Inches
- IQ Routes + Spoken Street names + Advanced Lane Guidance + Parking Assist
This TomTom Go 500 review article will surely help in making an informative buying decision. It seems like map making lies in the company’s DNA. Although there is stiff competition from Garmin, the reliability of TomTom maps is something that makes you look at the units.
Their map share community boasts an impressive figure of 21 million drivers which is enough to bring to notice even the slightest change in road conditions. The Lifetime Maps facility gives you the option to download the latest maps ( 4 times in one year) for the entire lifespan of the device.
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Tom Tom GO 500 is an advanced portable vehicle GPS navigator. It has a 5 inch wide and 16:9 capacitive touch screen for better viewing of instructions and menus. The Touch screen is interactive and easy to pinch, zoom and swipe. Screen resolution stands at 480*272.
The box contains a click and go mount, USB cable and car charger, installation poster and adhesive disk along with the GPS unit. The navigator is light in weight and easy to install. The battery can last up to 2 hours of automotive operation.
TomTom GO 500 Review – Important Features
1. Lifetime Tom Tom traffic via smart phone
You can get lifetime traffic updates and real time traffic information via your smart phone. Simply connect with an android or ios phone and avail the service. The traffic information is something you can rely upon to avoid congestion and delays.
2. Fast Navigation
GO 500 uses features like Tom Tom Traffic and 3D maps for faster navigation. The landmarks and buildings allow users to recognize the surroundings pretty quick and the 3D feature adds a lot of reality to the data coming on screen.
3. Lifetime maps
You can install and update maps without any extra cost for the lifetime of the unit. In fact, there are no extra charges to get traffic information.
Users have the option to download 4 full map updates each year. You will receive all updates regarding road network, addresses and points of interest. The map covers a wide area including Canada, Mexico and United States and provides detailed traffic coverage in these areas. There is also a map share feature which informs about daily map changes.
4. Safety Cameras for 3 months
Tom Tom GO 500 gives you 3 months free trial to use safety cameras at no extra cost. You can drive with safety camera locations which will be updated in Tom Tom GO 500 for free for three months and experience it. The safety camera coverage is available for Canada, Mexico and United States.
5. Active Lane Guidance
The Active Lane Guidance is common for most of the GPS navigators. Tom Tom GO 500 also has got this feature. It helps to get a clear picture of lanes to follow at key junctions. This feature alerts you and saves you from sudden lane changes and missed turns.
6. Fully Interactive Screen
The fully interactive screen helps you to pinch, zoom and swipe the map more easily to get detail information and clearer overview. This will help you to explore more and get a clear picture of places around you.
7. Click and Go Mount
With the help of the click and Go Mount you can dock and unmount the device quickly and easily without any difficulty. The unique magnetic mount makes it hassle free.
8. 3D Maps
The 3D maps help you to recognize the landmarks around you so that you can drive easily to your exact location.
Free Updates
With Tom Tom GO 500 you will get free software updates which will assist you to include more features and provide you the best navigational experience.
Clear Audio Experience
With the latest software update the voice clarity has been corrected. Due to reviews about audibility of navigational instructions, the software has been updated to solve this issue. Now you can get clear voice instructions while driving. It will now also inform you about street names to make the turns more clear.
Data Reliability
It uses crowd sourced data from more than 350 millions drivers. It has the largest pool of crowd sourced data. Crowd sourcing is an excellent source of data for traffic information.
Parking Assist
You can find the nearest parking with the help of the Tom Tom GO 500. You can navigate directly to the parking while you plan your route.
Quick Search
This feature of quick search helps you to find the destination quickly. Enter the name of the destination and find the route almost instantly.
My Places
With the help of the My Place feature you can personalize your map and point out your favorite places. This helps in navigating to favorite locations.
Other Features
It has an inbuilt 8 GB memory and an extra micro SD slot. It supports around 28 languages as user interface and takes spoken instructions in Canadian French, Mexican Spanish and US English.
You can manage the trips anytime with the help of My Drive app. Send your destination through your smart phone before you get into the car. Before leaving you can check the traffic information to avoid traffic and know the time to leave. You can also add your favorite places of interest. My Drive can be easily installed in your iOS and Android phones.
Other than this you can navigate from home to work and vice versa. As the Home and Work options are always available in the main menu, you can set them up in My Places and navigate to any of the places faster. You can record the menu according to your preference.
You will also be able to use My Drive on your computer to import points of interest to Tom Tom GO 500. But keep in mind to keep the files in .ov2 format. It has got Route Bar which helps you to get necessary travel and traffic information at a glance so that you are aware of the road ahead. You can also use your Bluetooth connection for a hands free experience.
Though it is a fantastic GPS navigator, there are some minor flaws. For example, it sometimes fails to connect with Application for traffic data, searching points sometimes do not work etc. Many customers had given reviews about these difficulties.
Tom Tom GO 500 might have some difficulties, but with regular updates and improvement, the product has been getting good reaction from the customers. It is affordable and its navigational features make it a product which is worth buying.
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