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TomTom Go 740 Live review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £295
inc VAT

Is TomTom's Live system the future of satnavs?

TomTom has been making a song and dance about its new Live system, with good reason.

After trying its features, it’s clear Live is the future of satellite navigation. There are three Live models: the 540, 740 and 940. All have the same Live functions, but the 740’s European maps make it the best value of the three.

The secret to Live is a built-in Vodafone mobile data connection. This means you get a supercharged traffic update system called HD Traffic. This provides proactive route change suggestions based on real-time conditions. It is the best implementation we’ve ever seen of traffic information.

The Live system also uses its mobile data connection to download current pricing for petrol stations. You have to do this manually for each specific type of fuel, but after that calling up the POI category will list nearby retailers by price, so you can always find the cheapest pumps. You can plan the stops on a long route accordingly.

The speed camera database is enhanced by Live. Updates arrive courtesy of Road Angel every three minutes, so you’ll always know about the locations of mobile cameras as well as fixed ones. One of the best features is Google Local Search, which allows you to find obscure POIs by name, knowing only that they are nearby. The catch to Live is that after 90 days of use you have to pay a monthly fee of £8 to keep using it. Roaming isn’t currently supported, so Live services work only in the country of purchase.

The 740 has an enhanced version of IQ Routes and the Lane Guidance system introduced with the Go x30 series. The voice- recognition system has been extended, too, allowing you to command numerous functions verbally, although we found this less polished than Garmin’s.

There isn’t enough space here to talk about all the Go 740 Live’s features, but there’s no doubt that the Live system works well and is money well spent if you do a lot of driving.

Details

Price £295
Details www.tomtom.com
Rating *****
Award Ultimate

Mapping

Navigation software TomTom Navigator
Map data TeleAtlas
Countries covered Europe
Traffic information GPRS
Toll road warning yes
Roadblock avoidance yes
Speed camera alerts yes

Hardware

Type standalone satnav
Viewable size 4.3in
Native resolution 480×272
Memory card support microSD
Memory card included 0MB
GPS receiver SiRFstarIII
Accessories Car charger, active dock screen mount, USB2 PC docking station
Extras LIVE services (HD Traffic, fuel prices, QuickGPSfix, Google Local Search), Voice Recognition
Size 85x127x23mm
Weight 224g

Buying Information

Price £295
Supplier http://www.amazon.co.uk
Details www.tomtom.com

Performance

GPS London route calculation test 11s
GPS UK route calculation test 1m 15s