Concord, Mass. — TomTom today added the ability to announce street names to its new One XL personal navigation device (PND) series offering a large, 4.3-inch screen and Map Share technology.
GPS devices that announce street names provide more specific turn-by-turn directions as they offer commands such as “Turn left on Main Street” instead of “Turn left in 500 yards.” This feature, also called text-to-speech, has rapidly migrated to lower price points this year, led by third-tier suppliers such as Mio and Navigon, which recently introduced PNDs with street name pronunciation at $250 for models with 3.5-inch screens. The new TomTom One XL-S is expected to ship at the end of October at a street price of $399.
Garmin’s lowest-cost PND with street name pronunciation starts at $374 for the c340 with a smaller 2.8-inch by 2.1-inch screen.
The One XL-S includes Map Share which lets users update maps using TomTom’s desktop software and share the changes with other TomTom users. It also includes an emergency feature that offers quick information on the nearest car repair service center, police station, hospital and/or emergency service provider.
