TomTom ONE v3 Review

It seems that ever since man invented the wheel, he has wanted to know where to go with it. Now the Global Positioning System or GPS/Sat Nav gives us the answer. There is a multitude of models and manufacturers to select from, each having pros and cons, so choose carefully before you decide.

From the house of TomTom comes the ONE 3RD EDITION. As you would expect from one of the industry leading manufacturers, this smart product is easy to use straight out of the box. The 3.5 inch LCD touchscreen is simple to use and avoids unnecessary buttons and clutter. Just type in your destination and away you go.

It's highly portable wallet size makes it an ideal choice to carry wherever you go. The lightweight windscreen holder, USB Car Charger and necessary cables come included in the basic package. If you want a carrying case though, you will need to buy that as an extra. User reviews have been rather scathing about battery life and charging options. Although the package only comes with a USB car charger, the AC adapter/charger is very affordable and has the advantage of working with UK, US and European plug sockets.

With 1GB of memory, it packs a lot of power into a very small unit. The internal Lithium-Ion battery will operate for 2 hours before being recharged. It measures a mere 96 mm x 82 mm x 25 mm and weighs in at only 174 grams.

TomTom's unique technology called MapShare allows you to add, update or personalize your maps and to share mapping error, such as one-way system changes, with other users. This social networking feature enables your information to be as up to date as possible. Latest maps of your particular region are preloaded and include details of house numbers, petrol stations and other points of interest.

As an optional extra you can choose to add the TMC Traffic Receiver to keep you up to date with alerts on accidents and congestion so you know which areas to avoid or manage your timing effectively. Included in the basic package, however is the speed and safety camera alert. Fixed safety camera locations are preloaded and you can buy a scratch card for a 12 month subscription. You can also choose the option to have the unit volume increase to warn you if you are speeding.

Once you enter your destination, the unit will tell you the shortest quickest route, when you will arrive and how long the journey will take. If you need to deviate from your route, an instant recalculation will get you back in the fast lane.

This is one of the best priced units on the market. It does not have the voice recognition of the GO 720 or the MP3 player features of the Magellan Crossover, but if you just want to know how to get from A to B without all the frills and add-ons of other models, then this is the ONE to go for.