TomTom Via 120: Full Review

Subscores

Published: December 17, 2010 12:00 AM
By Fabien Pionneau

The TomTom Via 120 is identical to the TomTom Via 110 that we have also tested, with just two differences: it has a map for Europe (45 countries) and offers a Bluetooth hands-free feature, which is great for receiving calls through link-up with your mobile phone.

Hardware: minimalist essentials

Features: a touch of the high-end about it

Navigation: only lacking connected features

Extra Features: TomTom speed camera and emergency services

For more details:

> Full test of the TomTom Via 110

Locked or premature launch?

Like the TomTom GO LIVE 1000 at launch, the TomTom Via 110 does not yet have its full complement of features. The new MyTomTom service is not yet fully operational. The manufacturer says that although it's currently behind schedule, it will be offering regular updates. The situation could well last for a few more months, though the Dutch giant does seem to be taking the problem very seriously and the updates should come rapidly.

As things stand, the sat nav's memory is read-only. You can't add your own points of interest, speed camera locations or voices downloaded from the Internet. TomTom is hoping to reduce the number of problems (and support requests) that might be caused should users have direct access to their device's memory. For the time being, though, it's a particularly irritating step backwards.

Fortunately, the TomTom GO LIVE 1000 is perfectly stable as it is. We'll be sure to check up on the missing features over the next few months but for the time being, these restrictions have obviously had a negative impact on the sat nav's final score.

3/5 TomTom Via 120 DigitalVersus 2010-12-17 00:00:00

Pros

Rapid menus and route calculation
Simple interface, nice to use
Excellent finish
Compact with mount built-on
Bluetooth hands free

Cons

Memory access currently locked!
Voice recognition could be improved

Conclusion

Rapid, compact and with full road functionality, all that's missing on the TomTom Via 120 are the connected services. Assuredly excellent value for money, we hope the memory limitations will soon be lifted and allow us to increase our rating.

OUR SCORE