What is important to note about the TomTom 720 is that it is more than just a simple specifications bump to an existing model– This device brings a lot of brand new features to the TomTom line that we can expect to see in future TomTom devices. So while this device is thinner, faster, and has a nicer screen than many pervious models, it has a host of new features that make the 720 an important device. I’ve been able to log about 1,000 miles with the 720, and here is what we have found.

Design

In many ways, the TomTom 720 looks like the ONE XL, but it is slightly thinner than the ONE XL. It appears to use the same screen as the ONE XL so it is extremely bright and very easy to read. When viewed from very wide and very high angles the screen doesn’t wash out as much as other screens and the colors stay fairly true throughout a range of viewing angles. The screen is 4.3 inches and runs at 480×272 pixels. In bright sunlight, the 720 performs very well, equal to other devices commonly though to have some of the brightest and most readable screens such as the 600 Nuvi series.

On the top is the power button, and on the back is the speaker and a newly designed way for the mount to connect. Gone is the big “plate” on the suction cup mount, instead there is a tiny square about the size of a quarter which slides into the device. This reduces the size of the mount and makes it slightly easier to pack away. Otherwise the mount is similar to the mount on the ONE/XL and features the same suction cup and ball and socket joint. The mount has just about the right amount of tension so that it doesn’t move around or vibrate on dirt roads yet doesn’t take much force to adjust the angle.

On the bottom is the SD card slot, USB/power port, a reset button you hopefully won’t need, a port to connect a traffic receiver, as well as a headphone jack. I’ve mentioned it many times before, but I’ll say it again that i don’t prefer any cords attached to the bottom of GPS devices since it can limit how low on the dash it can be mounted. However TomTom improved this in one area. The end of the USB port now has a 90° angle at the very tip, so you now can mount the 720 just as low on the dash as you would like. It still doesn’t give you easy access to the USB cable while the device is on the mount, but the new cable design is a very welcome improvement.

Under the hood you will find a SiRFstarIII chipset, which makes for very fast signal acquisition, and that signal should stay in environments like urban canyones that are tough for older chipsets. In fact while inside a large building without windows I was able to occasionally obtain a fix. During road testing in a variety of environments the GPS never lost its signal and proved extremely accurate. Battery life is reported to be about five hours, and we were able to achieve that level in our tests. This is also a reason you might upgrade to a 720 over the ONE XL which has a meager 2 hour battery life.

The maps of the USA and Canada come pre-installed on 2 GB of internal flash memory. So the SD slot remains free for you to add maps of other countries, or to install MP3 files for the music player. A few people including myself had had trouble with certain brand/size SD cards. It seems that newer cards which are 1 GB in size to 4 GB in size seem to work consistently well. However older smaller cards are sometimes not being read by the 720.

Also under the hood you will find Bluetooth for data connectivity as well as hands free calling. As with all Bluetooth devices, check out TomTom’s compatibility charts to make sure your device is supported. My primary phone didn’t work too well, although it wasn’t listed as a supported device either so I didn’t have high expectations. It would pair, dial, and receive calls… and even transfer the phone book up to the 720. However while I could hear the person I was talking to very well, the person on the other end of the call reported it was difficult to hear me. Other phones I tried worked much better.

There is also an FM transmitter to pipe the music into the (likely) much better audio system in your vehicle. Note that currently hands free calling is not transfered over the FM transmitter. Many people prefer it that way, however it would have been nice to get a more clear output than the internal speaker provided. As has been the case with every GPS with an FM transmitter, people will have different results. Your results will depend on where you locate the 720 in your car, where your FM antenna is in your car, what type of FM antenna your car has, and the availability of open frequencies in your area. The FM transmitter has worked perfectly well, providing clear transfer of audio without static and at acceptable volume levels. In the thread linked to above in this paragraph you will see a few tips people have discovered like making sure the volume level is set to 100%. There are also reports of improved performance when the battery is fully charged.

In the box you get the 720, suction cup mount, adhesive mounting disk, charger, and dock. There is also a coupon offering a “Latest Map Guarantee”. Within 30 days of owning your 720 you can go to a special section of the TomTom website and enter in a special code. If your device was sitting on a store shelf while a map update was taking place you can upgrade to the latest map within that 30 day period.

Navigation

The world is also starting to look more 3D on the TomTom 720. Rivers and lakes are drawn “sunken” while in select cities building footprints are “raised” up off the ground view. This is yet another step forward of making the picture in the screen look more like the picture out the window. Elements like sports stadiums and playing fields are drawn in a different color for better representation.

Finally, a current street name field has been added to the primary interface, something lots of people have asked for, but frankly I’ve never found a use for. You can also move most of the fields from the bottom of the display to the right side of the display to take better advantage of the widescreen.

Brand logos for certain POIs are now displayed on the map which they call “brand icons”. So instead of driving by a bank and seeing a generic bank icon, you might see the logo for Bank of America. Due to a faster processor and more RAM, the 720 produced much faster routes and a faster interface than offered in the ONE and ONE XL devices. Reroutes were also extremely fast if you happen to miss a turn.

Multiple Segment Routing, multi destination routing, whatever you want to call it  , is available through the TomTom Itinerary Planning feature. We really like the ability to wrap up a bunch of destinations into one big route, and then see how far and how long the entire trip will take. I do wish they would enhance the feature so that if you have an itinerary filled with waypoints (as opposed to destinations) that the itinerary will notify you upon reaching one of the waypoints. Of course you could convert the waypoints to destinations, however then you don’t get the total itinerary summary. Still, the Itinerary feature goes well beyond what most of the competition currently offers.

New Safety Features

Safety is a key priority in the development of all TomTom products. The new TomTom GO 720 comes with uniquely designed safety features so drivers always have direct access to extensive safety and roadside assistance information wherever they go. The extensive ‘Help Me!’ menu includes information such as the way to the nearest hospital, car maintenance information and first aid instructions. Another new safety feature is the short-cut menu, which enables drivers to jump straight to their favourite, most accessed information with just one touch on the screen for even easier and safer navigation
 
Help Me
 
The new safety options include a ‘help me’ button in the menu. Users can use this button to access links to useful locations, phone numbers, car maintenance information and other information (including medical info), and get assistance with a large number of different problems. The ‘help me’ button provides direct access to the most relevant car assistance services of a certain country. TomTom has made cooperation deals with a lot of services for this, such as: The British AA, the Irish AA, the Dutch ANWB, the Italian ACI, the Luxembourg ACL, the Portuguese ACP, the French ACTA, the German ADAC, the Finnish Al, the Danish FDM, the Swedish Motormännen, the Norwegian NAF, the Austrian ÖMATC, the Spanish RACE, the Polish Starter, the Belgian SOS Touring, the Swiss TCS and the Czech UAMK.

The TomTom GO 520 and 720 both contain a complete database of important locations and phone numbers, like the numbers of emergency services, but also information on the nearest car dealer, pharmacy or police station which are all displayed very intuitively. The user can dial the phone number which is displayed on the screen, while the TomTom system pinpoints where the user is, both on the map, and in text, and even with satellite coordinates, precise up to one metre. In the mean time, or instead, the user can plan his route to the nearest location. This can be by a car or a pedestrian route. Thanks to the seamless software integration and TomTom’s handsfree functionality, the system also offers the possibility of directly dialling the number of a car assistance service via a handsfree connection to a mobile phone with Bluetooth connection.

Traffic Ready

The new TomTom GO 720 offers the latest and most up-to-date traffic information through its compatibility with RDS-TMC Traffic and TomTom’s Traffic subscription, making drivers’ journeys more efficient and stress-free. The enhanced traffic information user interface provides drivers with the most accurate route calculation by taking into account the current traffic information on the road and giving precise information about traffic incidents.

Smart and Fun Extras

With the new Tom Tom GO 720, drivers can choose from a host of smart extras, making sure the destination is reached in a relaxed and enjoyable way. A number of personalisation options, such as recording your own driving instructions, have been added for the first time so users can easily record their own voice, or be guided to their destination by the voices of their children, family or friends. Drivers can also view documents and pictures and exchange positions, destinations and other content with other TomTom GO users, through Bluetooth® wireless technology.

To compliment the new GO range, TomTom will bring to market a full range of accessories which have been designed specifically to match the design and finish of the new GO range. The range includes a leather carry case, a soft touch carry case, a remote control and a home charger.

Conclusion

I liked the TomTom GO 720 enough that I may have to update my auto GPS recommendations. Bottom line...if you want something drop dead easy, get a Garmin nuvi. If you want an intuitive interface and lots of options, the TomTom GO 720 is a great choice (though if you need live traffic info, be aware of the issue with their TMC receivers).