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July 1, 2008

TomTom GO 930 Review

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GPSmagazine Rating: 4 of 5
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22. Bluetooth

If you have a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, you can use the GO 930 to place and receive phone calls, send and receive messages, and connect wirelessly to TomTom's Services.

The GO 930 didn't fully support most Bluetooth phones I tested, making it impossible to leverage TomTom's Services, such as Traffic, Weather, and Fuel Prices. Hands-free speakerphone quality was generally good, and callers didn't report hearing any echo or excessive background noise.

Enabling Bluetooth on the GO 930
Figure 124: Enabling Bluetooth on the GO 930

Before you can make use of the Bluetooth related features, you'll need to pair the GO 930 with a compatible cell phone. To begin the pairing process, tap "Mobile phone" from the Main Menu.

Enable Bluetooth Connection
Figure 125: Enable Bluetooth Connection

Tap "Yes" to turn on the GO 930's Bluetooth receiver and begin the pairing process.

Start Searching for Phones
Figure 126: Start Searching for Phones

Make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your cell phone, then tap "Yes" to search for nearby Bluetooth devices.

Searching for Phones
Figure 127: Searching for Phones

The GO 930 searches for nearby Bluetooth enabled cell phones. This process takes around 60 seconds.

No Phones Found
Figure 128: No Phones Found

The GO 930 only appears to support a limited number of Bluetooth enabled cell phones. I had to try connecting several phones before I found one that even partially worked.

Despite trying to use three different Bluetooth equipped cell phones, none of the devices I used were fully compatible with the GO 930, and none of the data services, such as TomTom's Services, worked.

You should check TomTom's Phone Connectivity site (www.tomtom.com/phones/) before buying the GO 930 and verify that your phone will work.

Connect to the iPhone
Figure 129: Connect to the iPhone

Although the GO 930 successfully recognized my Apple iPhone, it only supports the voice features and none of the data features. That means I won't be able to connect to TomTom's Services (traffic, weather, etc.), or connect to the iPhone's SMS text messaging features via the TomTom GO 930.

Tap "YES" to confirm that you want to initiate a connection between the GO 930 and the cell phone.

Checking Phone Features
Figure 130: Checking Phone Features

When the GO 930 attempts to connect to your cell phone, the phone will likely ask for a password to verify that the connection is authorized. It's a good idea to add the TomTom GO as a trusted device on your phone. Otherwise you'll have to enter the password every time.

Phone is Now Connected
Figure 131: Phone is Now Connected

The TomTom GO reports that the device is now successfully paired with a Bluetooth enabled phone, and ready for hands-free calling. However, only the hands-free calling and phonebook features will work on the GPS.

TomTom Services Not Compatible with Apple iPhone
Figure 132: TomTom Services Not Compatible with Apple iPhone

The GO 930 won't be able to connect to TomTom's Services using the Apple iPhone. I also tried a Blackberry 8800, and a Blackberry 8700, none of which were fully supported by the GO 930.

Phone Menu
Figure 133: Phone Menu

The Phone Main Menu, shown above, lets users redial the last used number, place a new call, lookup numbers from your phone's address book, read and write SMS messages, and change phone preferences.

Phone Preferences
Figure 134: Phone Preferences

Phone settings can be customized via the "Phone preferences" menu, shown above. This menu allows you to change the saved Home phone number, delete a paired phone, add a new phone, or change the auto-answer setting (when turned on, the GO 930 can be set to automatically accept incoming calls).

Call Menu
Figure 135: Call Menu

To make a phone call using the GO 930, tap "Mobile Phone" in the Main Menu, the tap "Call". The Call menu appears, shown above. The following call options are available:

  • Home - dials the saved phone number for your Home location.
  • Number - tap Number to enter a number to call
  • Point of Interest - Tap "Point of Interest" to choose a POI to call
  • Phonebook entry - dials a contact from the phonebook (this option is only available if your phonebook has been copied to the GO 930)

Dialing A Number
Figure 136: Dialing A Number

The on-screen dial pad can be used to manually dial a number.

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