Review on TomTom 4 3 Inch Bluetooth Navigator Recognition by Doug Booth

I recently bought a 4.3 inch TomTom Via 1405 GPS navigator as an upgrade to an old 2007 TomTom One Third Edition. I was planning an extended trip across Canada and wanted something new, faster and bigger. I also wanted "map updates for life" which is now a popular and inexpensive add-on at the time of purchase. Purchasing through Revain was easy - as always. Some impressions - the device is light, well made and starts quickly. However, I immediately noticed that this device is noticeably dimmer than the old TomTom One, even at maximum screen brightness. With the right lighting, this is very difficult to see tidily. I never had this problem with the old block. Second, the power plug has evolved from the widely used, well-known "mini-USB" to the less accessible "micro-USB". Also, the connector is in a recessed hole, making it difficult if not impossible to use some aftermarket charging cables. The supplied non-coiled micro USB power cord is quite long. My dash mount is about 15 inches from the cigarette lighter plug, so I have to deal with about 3 feet of extra cable. I tried two different coiled, shorter Micro USB 12V power cables, but neither of them worked properly with the device. I had to shave a bit on one to get the right fit, but it still didn't work properly. On the old TomTom One you could use almost any mini USB cable to power it. Another annoyance is that if the unit is dash mounted (rather than hanging from the window) it will result in the standard L-end cable pointing up. air before rotating 180 degrees to fall onto the cigarette lighter. The new mount is fully integrated into the back of the device. In my experience, the rubber suction cup loosens long before the device stops working. I try to pull the mount off every time I park my car for more than a few minutes. It doesn't look like this suction cup is easy to swap out. The mount itself sticks well to a clean surface, albeit not too far from the windshield. Any radical angle will result in the side of the frame touching the glass. Via devices also use a new API to connect to TomTom for updates etc. I don't like it compared to the old TomTom Home software. The new interface is a link to a web page. It doesn't allow you to control the device remotely like the old TomTom Home, and it's confusing to install updates, initialize your map subscriptions, etc. It took me a few tries to get my lifetime map subscription working and it seems it's me found the solution by accident. Looking back I can't remember what I did to achieve this, but after a few tries it suddenly worked. For those familiar with older TomTom devices, the new interface is good. It now displays streets and POIs in the correct style - no more lower case letters etc. The map route is quick and easy to understand. The common route I choose now renders correctly on the first try instead of the custom routing I had to invoke to make it work on the One series. The POI database is mostly up to date and simple and easy to use. Difficult junctions are now shown on a clear time display, allowing for very accurate lane guidance etc. All in all, I still like TomTom devices. However, I was quite surprised by some setbacks that I think the new departments have made. I think TomTom needs to work on the API and would like Via devices to be included in the older TomTom Home standalone software package.