TomTom One 130S
Manufacturer: TomTom Part number: 1EE.0052.02
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Bottom Line:
- The TomTom One 130S is a reasonably priced entry-level GPS with a solid set of features and ease of use. Unfortunately, the system's barely audible voice directions ruin the experience.
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CNET editors' review
TomTom One 130S price range: $95.95 - $172.66
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 05/08/2008
The good: The TomTom One 130S offers text-to-speech directions and ease of use. The portable navigation system also has a compact and simple design.
The bad: The system's speaker volume is low, making it very difficult to hear the voice-guided directions.
The bottom line: The TomTom One 130S is a reasonably priced entry-level GPS with a solid set of features and ease of use. Unfortunately, the system's barely audible voice directions ruin the experience.
The TomTom One 130 and TomTom One 130S mark a new beginning for the company's line of basic GPS. You still get TomTom's hallmark ease of use and community features, but the portable navigation systems now boast more compact designs as well as a new vehicle mount that can be easily and neatly stowed away with the device. The One 130S (the subject of this review), also includes text-to-speech functionality, which is nice to see in an entry-level device, and it's reasonably priced at $249.95. However, during our road tests, we discovered that the speaker volume on the One 130S is incredibly low and we could barely hear the voice prompts. And if you can't hear the directions, what's the point of the GPS? It's truly unfortunate since the TomTom One 130S is an otherwise solid navigation system for first-time buyers.
Design
The TomTom One 130S marks a new look for the One series of portable navigation devices. Unlike the previous models, including the TomTom One 3rd Edition, the One 130S has a more bubbly design, and it's smaller and lighter at 3.6 inches wide by 3 inches tall by 0.9 inch deep and 5.2 ounces.
In addition, TomTom revamped the vehicle mount and made the foldable accessory small enough that you could fit the whole contraption in a coat pocket, even with it still attached. The mount consists of a circular ring that attaches to three clips on the back of the device, and then an adjustable arm with a suction cup mount at the end (dashboard disc included in package). There's also a twisting lock to ensure a tight seal with your windshield. The entire apparatus is, indeed, neat and compact and while we had some initial concerns about the vehicle mount, it actually did a good job of holding the unit in place. We traveled over some bumpy roads, and the GPS didn't budge and the suction cup kept a secure seal with our windshield.

On the front, there's a 3.5-inch, 64,000-color QVGA touch screen with a 320x240 pixel resolution. Admittedly, the screen size is a bit small, but maps and text looked vibrant and clear on the display, and we were able to see it in various lighting conditions. Like most GPS, the One 130S can automatically switch between day and night map colors, and you also get the option to choose from several color themes.
The One 130S doesn't have very many external controls (a sole power button on top and a mini USB port on the bottom), so most of the device's operations are handled through the touch screen. It's responsive but given the smaller screen size, the onboard keyboard is fairly cramped. We do appreciate that you can switch the format from alphabetical to QWERTY, and unlike the Sony NV-U83T, the One 130S has predictive entry, so as soon as you enter letters for a state, city, or street, it will automatically start to fill in the word and list possible search results, which is a huge time-saver. TomTom's user interface is intuitive enough that you can probably use the device right out of the box without cracking open the user's manual. There are two main menu pages, and the icons are large and clearly identified with their function.
The TomTom One 130S ships with just the basics, including the aforementioned vehicle mount, a car charger, a USB cable, and reference material.
Features
The TomTom One 130S delivers a great feature set for first-time buyers and minimalists--the most essential navigation tools and nothing else. The system comes preloaded with maps of the United States and Canada, and you can enter your destination by address, city center, zip code, or intersection. Alternatively, you can choose a location from your Favorites or Recent destination lists and automatically route home from your current location by touching the Home icon. The One 130S is capable of calculating directions in numerous ways, including quickest or shortest route, with or without toll roads, and so forth. There are also pedestrian and bicycle modes. If at any time you want to avoid a part of your route, you can tap the Find Alternative icon to get new directions. The system also supports automatic route recalculations. The GPS can handle multidestination trips as well, so you can plan trips with multiple stops along your route.
The One 130S has a database of 5 million points of interest (POI) with all the major categories, including ATMs, gas stations, and lodging. Sadly, you can't search for restaurants by cuisine type. If you have more specialized interests, the catalog also features entries for beaches, campgrounds, cultural centers, and more. There are various ways to plot to POI; you can search for them along your route, near your destination, or near home.
You can view maps in 2D or 3D mode. A status bar at the bottom of the screen displays useful information, such as the distance and direction of your next turn, remaining distance, and estimated time of arrival. Tapping the left half of the status bar (where your next instruction is displayed) will repeat the voice directions and give you access to the volume control. There are also two icons in the upper-right and upper-left corners that let you zoom in and out of maps.
In addition to the visual cues, the TomTom One 130S offers voice-guided turn-by-turn directions with text-to-speech functionality. This means you'll hear actual street names instead of more general instructions (for example,"turn right in 100 feet"). We're big fans of this capability since the specific directions allow you to pay more attention to the road instead of the GPS screen, and we're happy to see it in an entry-level device like this.
While the above are the core functions of the TomTom One 130S, there are some additional goodies. Like the most recent TomTom GPS, the One 130S includes the "Help Me!" safety feature, which gives you access to a number of tools and information in case of an emergency. For example, there's a "Where am I?" function that will give you your current location, longitude and latitude, and nearest intersections. In addition, you can find the nearest police station, hospital, car repair shop, and other services with just a tap of the screen. It's very handy and gives you a bit of peace of mind if you're in a spot, especially in unfamiliar territory.
The One 130S also has the Map Share feature that first debuted in the TomTom GO 720. Map Share allows you to make adjustments to your maps (such as noting blocked roads, updating POI, adding new streets, and so on) and then share the information with other drivers. You can make the changes right on the device, save them, and then upload and share them with other users via the TomTom Home desktop companion. You can also download changes made by other TomTom users. At last check, Map Share had more than 1.5 million users, but if you prefer, you can opt to only download data verified by TomTom experts. Finally, you can get traffic updates on the One 130s, but you will have to purchase the RDS-TMC traffic receiver, which goes for around $130.
Performance
We tested the TomTom One 130S in San Francisco, and from a cold start, it took the unit about 3 minutes to get a fix on our location under clear skies, while subsequent starts took about a minute or less. While driving around the city on everyday errands, the system did an accurate job of tracking our location and didn't lag behind, unlike some other GPS we've tested.
As usual, we also entered our standard trip from the Marina district to CNET's downtown headquarters. Having just reviewed the Sony NV-U83T, where we struggled with the slow trip-planning process, the One 130S was a welcome relief with its predictive entry and overall seamless process. After entering all the information, the One 130S quickly calculated a route. Before setting off, we reviewed the text-based directions and found the directions to be accurate. Once on the road, we missed several turns to test the route recalculation rate, which was swift and got us back on track. However, we ran into a problem during our testing, and it was a big one--we could barely hear the voice prompts. We turned off our radio, rolled up our windows, and cranked the volume to its highest level, but even then, it was a struggle. The One 130S is even supposed to have an enhanced speaker system, but we certainly didn't see it. Sadly, this makes an otherwise solid GPS almost useless.
User reviews
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No volume issue!
by duttonjo on June 22, 2008
Pros: Fast routing, convenient windshield mount, ease of use
Cons: short battery life
Summary: I really cannot understand the Cnet review that seriously downgrades the rating of this unit due to a supposed volume issue. I have no problem hearing the verbal instructions even ...
Summary: I really cannot understand the Cnet review that seriously downgrades the rating of this unit due to a supposed volume issue. I have no problem hearing the verbal instructions even at 40% volume level.
I purchased the unit based on CR review and I couldn't agree more with their assessment of the model - a higly recommended model.
It is inexpensive and does what I want it to do - navigate effectively and it is very user friendly. Your review should factor in price in your rankings. Comparing this model on an equal footing with a $700 or $800 models is of questionable value.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Disagree with CNET reviewer.
by FatZebra on May 22, 2008
Pros: Intuitive; light; community;...
Cons: Wall charger needs to be bought separately.
Summary: Well, I had been looking for an entry-level gps for a while now, and had started out from a broad search among Tomtom, nuvi, mio, and other devices in the ...
Summary: Well, I had been looking for an entry-level gps for a while now, and had started out from a broad search among Tomtom, nuvi, mio, and other devices in the 150-250 price range. After some internet research I had eventually come to the tomtom, with at that point, a month ago, the new version of this gps not yet available. Hence I waited for the CNET review, and evidently was hugely disappointed when I read the sound quality was so low. Evidently this put me off from buying it, and I continued my search. However, as other reviews appeared here from users, stating that the sound quality was fine, I took the leap and bought the device.
And, consequently, I can confirm there is nothing wrong with the volume of speech, and at its standard 75percent setting is very audible.
On to the other elements of this device. I had operated a Mio gps before, and had had some problems finding my way around its menus. No such thing with this device though, and without touching the manual, I was able to immediatly route my way from home to any other destination, based on address, city, touristic attraction, etc. There are of course some little imperfections, such as a very small coastal village not existing on the map (the streets are there, but it is not indicated as a village). However, looking through the points of interests of a nearby city, I did find the village, but only as a 'beach of ...'. However, now that I know this, and have gotten used to the input system, I find it easy to use.
As for the cold start of the device, that took me some four minutes, but it was heavily clouded and raining at the time, so I suppose a longer startup time is normal then.
As for the directions and routing. Longer routes of around 500 miles evidently can take a while to calculate. You can also put waypoints in your route, which is very useful especially if you want to use it for tourist purposes.
Overall, I am very happy with my choice, and it is a very solid GPS. What i do find somewhat annoying is that one should buy many things separately, such as the wall charger, a pouch to store the device; and that maps are quite pricey. I hope however that mapshare will bring more longevity to my maps, but I cannot pronounce myself on this point, since Im a new user.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Honestly speaking folks - STAY AWAY FROM TOMTOM
by scorpio2562 on October 27, 2008
Pros: Good looking, compact design. Easyport mount is compact. Clear, crisp adjustable audio. Maps of different countries are available.
Cons: Mapping SUCKS, customer service ABSOLUTELY sucks. Text to voice is OK except that this unit has trouble pronouncing some street names, especially foreign street names. map corrections are very limited
Summary: OK folks, why do I hate TomTom? I have given this particular unit 3 chances. To use a baseball analogy, 3 strikes and you're out! This is a small, ...
Summary: OK folks, why do I hate TomTom? I have given this particular unit 3 chances. To use a baseball analogy, 3 strikes and you're out! This is a small, compact GPS. Unfortunately, there is much to be desired not only with this unit but with the whole TomTom line.
I purchased the One 130s 3x from Costco.com. The audio on this unit was very clear and distortion free. The mapping is not too good. I did a search for my brother in-law's address in Lancaster, CA and it could NOT find it. In fact, that whole community is missing from the map. Tech support said that I could do a map correction on the unit. I tried this but you cannot correct something if it doesn't even exist on their map! Tech support tried the same search on a TomTom 730 over the phone. They acknowledged that the address wasn't there. I went to my local retailer and tried looking up the address in their top of the line product - the 930T and again it could not find it. Then, thinking that just a US map would be more updated, I purchased that. WRONG! Same map except no Canada. Then came the real problems with tech support. This is where the lack of "technical" knowledge really came out. Over a three month period I must have called tech support 30-40 times. I did appreciate the fact that when I called, they picked up the phone almost immediately. BUT there were too many instances where anger took over because these people really do not know what they are doing. Being a systems administrator and a gadget geek, I know exactly what I am doing. I was able to find out on my own that downloading their map or updates online needs to be done on a USB 2.0 connection. If not, you will I/O errors because of the speed difference. Could they have told you that? NO because they don't know this. Anyway, somehow the map got corrupted. I did a map update via the computer and somehow it started calling my street which is Douglas Drive, Dover Air Force Base. Just a tad off wouldn't you say? Since this is basically flash storage for map files, storage is limited to 1gb. If you purchase a different map, because of space limitations and no SD card upgrade, you would need to remove one map to put another one on. Throw in your US/Canada map, POI files, voice additions and you're down to a few megabytes of remaining space. This slows down the unit big time.After dealing with TomTom's completely useless technical support, they finally determined that I should send in the unit for repair. Screw that. I returned this 1st unit to Costco and purchased the second unit. Gave 'em a second chance.
On this unit, I could barely hear the audio over the usual road noise and radio being on. This was the main reason for returning this 2nd unit. Gave 'em a 2nd chance.
The 3rd unit came and I have had enough of the mapping and POI issues. 3rd strike and you're out TomTom. I returned the 3rd unit and re-purchased the one I originally bought - a Magellan 3250 which I never should have returned in the first place. No worries about mapping or POI's. Voice command is really limited but I am able to disable this feature. Audio could be louder but the mapping is very reliable and the POI's? Can't go wrong - 6 million POI's. I have been through several brand name changes ie: Garmin 250W, Magellan 3250, Navigon 2100max, the 3 TomTom One 130s' and back to the Magellan 3250. As far as user friendliness, by far the Magellan is the one to get and the most flexible. Most if the time, if you try the unit inside the store, searching is limited because some of these units have trouble finding satellites inside a building. If you happen to purchase this One 130S or any TomTom model, I found out one thing: from the most basic unit to the most expensive, the map is exactly the same on all of them. If you enter an address in the One 130S and cannot find it, enter the same address in the top of the line model and cannot find it, RETURN IT! Put aside all the bells and whistles in the upper models and its the same useless map. I went to a local Best Buy, entered my brother in-law's address on a Garmin and BAMMO there it was! As a consumer stay away from TomTom, Navigon and all the small time companies like MIO or even Sony. Their specialty is audio and video products NOT GPS. If these 2 wannabe's want to play with the big boys, they've gotta listen to the consumers. Garmin and Magellan are so far ahead of TomTom and everyone else its not funny. I hope this review helps!3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Near Perfect
by dhawanpuneet on June 18, 2008
Pros: Excellent performence, clear and loud enough sound
Cons: a bit slow cold start
Summary: This is the best GPS with TTS at entry level. a bit slow in getting signals at cold start but after that it is perfect and very fast in recalculating ...
Summary: This is the best GPS with TTS at entry level. a bit slow in getting signals at cold start but after that it is perfect and very fast in recalculating the route etc.
Highly recommended!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Disappointing accuracy
by rcabe2000 on May 14, 2008
Pros: Quick route calculation
Cons: Map not up-to-date
Summary: While it does quickly route you to a street in its memory, house numbers are usually about 100 yards off. This is surprising because it is able to track your ...
Summary: While it does quickly route you to a street in its memory, house numbers are usually about 100 yards off. This is surprising because it is able to track your movement as you turn through an intersection.
Also, it doesn't have streets in business parks that are less than 2 YEARS old.
As a delivery driver, I need to be able to get accurate directions to a given address.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Buyer Beware!!
CAUTION-BUYER BEWAREby PCGeek2Be on November 21, 2009
Pros: Easy to set up and use. Appears durable enough.
Cons: Not 100% reliable. Needs access to satellites to work or doesn't work at all. Loses signal even on sunny days.
Summary: I bought this item after the last time I drove aimlessly about trying to find a destination with just a map and directions. The item works great overall. Some of ...
Summary: I bought this item after the last time I drove aimlessly about trying to find a destination with just a map and directions. The item works great overall. Some of the time. As packaged, this GPS covers all our needs. Warning: A GPS needs to have clear access satellites. This one needs access to four satellites. If it can?t reach the satellites, you don?t get a signal. When you don?t get a signal the TomTom is totally useless. Picutre a paperweight with graphics on it. I could not get a signal in an area surrounded by a forest. I could not get a signal during an overcast day, and on another day I couldn?t get a signal on a partly sunny day. Good thing I knew the area I could not acquire a signal or I would have been lost. And that did happen a few days later while driving to a new destination. The TomTom lost the signal while I was making a turn and I no longer had directions from the GPS how to proceed after the turn. I wound up pulling into a parking lot to wait for a signal. It took 10 mins to eventually get one. Sometimes, I?ve had to wait as long as 20 minutes to acquire a signal.From then on, I still carry a map and directions in case the TomTom loses its signal. Hence, though I like the concept of the GPS and enjoy using it while it has a signal, it?s too unreliable for me to rate it any higher than I did. If you can?t acquire a signal to guide you, what good is a GPS, any GPS?
Important warning for US consumers: if you purchase anything from the TomTom.com website, or TomTom Home, which connects to the websit, be forewarned that the bill will be processed from their office in Amsterdam, Netherlands and NOT in the USA. As a result, your credit card may or may not charge you a foreign transaction fee/finance charge for the purchase. And note, nowhere on the TomTom website, nor on your receipt nor ahywahere else will you be told this. You won?t find out until you are charged on your credit card. I learned about it in this exact way. My Mastercard charged me 3%.
FYI: I contacted TomTom by phone about this, and they basically don?t care with the reply that ?they?re not required to tell the U.S. consumer anything because not all credit cards charge a fee.? Hello, how many credit card companies do you know of that don?t charge a fee for foreign transactions.I then asked, ?How about just adding a disclaimer to inform your customers that they may incur additonal fees from performing a foreign transaction?? They didn?t care:it?s not their legal responsibility, so they can care less.If you want to buy American, stay away from tomtom. I wouldn?t mind the purchase if I was warned up front, a disclaimer would have made me an informed consumer; a professional courtesy would have been appreciated, but I wasn?t told at all until the credit card company billed me. Shame on you, tomtom. They list an address in the U.S., which is listed as their contact address, as if they are out of the U.S.A., BUT they?re NOT. They deliberately lead you to believe that your purchase is billed in the USA. Are they hiding something here? They do no list their address in the Netherlands. I wonder why. Buyer Beware.
By the way, they were supposed to have called me back WITHIN a week for a Customer Service Representative to explain the terms of their site, not to work with the consumer. NOTE: Its been over a week now and no call has been made to me. I did receive an email that I can't respond to(It comes from Do Not Reply) that says "since you did not contact us, this issue is closed." I did contact them. I'm waiting for that call back. -
Mine has plenty of volume.
by Fuzrock on October 7, 2009
Pros: Small, easy to use, love the mount, and got a smoking deal on it.
Cons: None so far. Text to speech "computer voice" is noticeably quieter than prerecorded voices. I could still hear just fine.
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unit has the same defect as 5 others.
by carlcav8r on August 23, 2009
Pros: The unit is small, light weght.
Cons: This is my third ONE line and all 3 have the same undesirable feature...it will turn itself on... I in CA, my brother in FL and niece in MD all have the same malady. We purchased our units from different sources.
Summary: First of all the Phantom activation is a turn off. Secondly, the speaker volume is a too low for highway operation. I have been told (by the unit) that I ...
Summary: First of all the Phantom activation is a turn off. Secondly, the speaker volume is a too low for highway operation. I have been told (by the unit) that I have reached my destination while still several hundred feet away from destination. The unit will not recognize a short cut that I have selected and constantly tells me to turn around, even though the unit knows where we are on the internal map.
My latest unit is also guilty of uncommanded operation - it turns itself on. I have reported this problem to the service department person, and that person is hiding behind his voice mail and will not return my telephone call. -
Good product - no problem with volume!
by edsup on August 23, 2009
Pros: Small
Great window mount
East to useCons: Screen cracked for some unknown reason!
Summary: Great little GPS for a small price. I bought mine at PepBoys refurbished for $69.99.
Summary: Great little GPS for a small price. I bought mine at PepBoys refurbished for $69.99.
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Good Point to Point GPS - You get what you pay for
by dpower04 on August 13, 2009
Pros: Cheap $68 MIR, TTS intuitive easy, sufficient features simple n finite menu No problem with volume mines at 60% and it?s enough but I have a car with sound sealant Screen brightness in sufficient in a mid day 102 sunshine didn?t have any problem.
Cons: Address finding not as progressive, few useful POI, Flimsy Speaker gives cheap output, memory 1 GB no exp slot, Refurb - No map update Only 6 months warranty cannot return just tech support.
Summary: (Refurb) Just got it, used it for 2 days, so far so good... Its must 1st GPS so I am really enjoying it, nothing to compare it to besides some ...
Summary: (Refurb) Just got it, used it for 2 days, so far so good... Its must 1st GPS so I am really enjoying it, nothing to compare it to besides some in rental cars and friend's cars. My thoughts are based on my expectations and experience with other electronic gadgets. I must add that I am getting old and loosing the patience and aptitude to play around with the new generation gadgets.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: TomTom
- Part number: 1EE.0052.02
- Description: PRODUCT FEATURES: Text-to-speech for spoken street names Plug and go EasyPort mount Map Share technology
General
- Width 3.8 in
- Depth 1 in
- Height 3.2 in
- Weight 6.1 oz
GPS System
- Recommended Use Automotive
- Connectivity USB
- GPS Functions / Services Electronic compass
- Voice Navigation instructions
- Antenna Built-in
- Features Downloadable POIs, TomTom PLUS ready, Speed limit warning, 2D / 3D map perspective, TomTom PLUS ready (via Bluetooth), TMC (Traffic Message Channel) ready, Optional external GPS antenna connection
- Built-in Memory 1 GB
- Maps Included USA, Canada
- Software Included TomTom HOME
Navigation
- Trip computer Quickest route, Avoid toll roads, Fast/short route
Built-in Display
- Type TFT
- Resolution 320 x 240
- Diagonal Size 3.5 in
- Color Support Color
- Features Anti-glare, Touch screen
Connections
- Connector Type Antenna, USB
Battery
- Battery Enclosure Type Internal
- Battery included qty 1
- Battery required qty 1
- Battery technology Lithium ion
- Mfr estimated battery life 2 hour(s)
Miscellaneous
- Included GPS accessories USB cable, Car power adapter, Windshield holder
Environmental Parameters
- Min operating temperature 14 °F
- Max operating temperature 131 °F


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