Given the fact that travelling has lately become one of the most sought after forms of entertainment and relaxation, the need for a navigation system that drives us to the right places at all times has become inevitable. And today we see more and more people getting attracted to the cute designs and great functionalities of these GPS devices seen in the market. Though there are GPS applications and features seen on lots of high end mobile phones and stuff, people are still going for these GPS navigating devices. We are now here to talk about one such navigating device from the far famed company TomTom. Putting the theory of the great Albert Einstein into practice, this company has introduced a new stylish GPS device, which is known as the TomTom Via Live 120. And this device is widely known for the gobs of features that it sports. We have decided that this device could make a difference when it comes to the world of GPS technology and hence we are here to review this very product. Let us now dive into the very details of this beauty fro TomTom.

Design

Standing apart from the routine designs we have been seeing all these days, the Via Live 120 looks a bit different. But having said that, it still retains the style and sleekness that a latest electronic gadget possesses. This is what we have liked about the design part of the device. It is certainly one elegant gadget you would want to have in your car. Of course one must get used to the cuteness of the device since otherwise they would keep staring at it while on the road, which is not advisable. Don’t be under the impression that we are exaggerating on the design here. Now let us remind you of the fact that the device measures about 119 mm wide, 80 mm high and, and most importantly just about 25 mm deep. These measurements are pretty tight and the device fits your hand without any problems at all. And with the weight of the device being just about 183 grams, you wouldn’t mind carrying it either. Yes, it certainly looks like one of those latest mobile phones. It also has got that glossy black look which does make it even more attractive. Seriously there is no choice for you if you have decided to buy a GPS device from TomTom. There is no better one than this one.

Display

Large 11cm (4.3″) high quality touch screen

Perhaps the display is the most important aspect of a GPS device since people try to purchase things by their very look. And if they find that the pictures seem pretty good on the device, they will surely be going for it. And there is no second thought if you are staring at the high quality Touch screen of the Via Live 120 GPS device. With the gigantic size of it, which happens to be 4.3 inches, measured diagonally, one would love to view the pictures on it. Since the device deals with maps and directions, one would love to have a nice clear view of it. And there is nothing better and at the same time bigger than a 11 cm screen displayed by the Via Live 120. While many GPS devices still are not sporting a touch responsive device and still come with buttons to deal with the screen options and features, providing a touch screen is always welcome since user interface will then be very much easier. You can select the maps, choose your options, zoom in and zoom out, pan the maps and do a whole lot of other stuff with ease when you have a touch responsive screen, since all you will have to give is a mere touch. This sort of newly implemented technology is a welcome approach taken by TomTom and we are already starting to like this.

Features

Now there are plenty of features on the Via Live 120 GPS Sat Nav System. It had left us wondering how one could fit in so many features in such a small device. While we were left unanswered, we thought we could decipher it by ourselves and explain them to you so that things will be as easy as ABC for you. Now hold on to your hats as we have got to start our campaign. We repeat; this is going to be such a long list of features and hence you are requested to go through each and every aspect as everything see on the device is certainly of great importance. Here we go!

T omTom HD Traffic

First up, we have got some good news for you. You can now watch live traffic in real high definition quality. Maybe you are left wondering why would one love to watch traffic, which is already disgusting, in high definition quality. Well, as we can say is that HD has now become a household name and whichever electronic device people intend to purchase, the one thing they are looking out for is whether or not the device has a HD tag to it. Though some of you may thing it doesn’t matter if it is HD or SD since it is all about graphical representation of traffic, the rest of us have got our own arguments. Being able to display traffic in High Definition is really cool, and everybody would love it once they come across it. And then you have such HD traffic updates in real quick time for every two minutes. This means every two minutes you will receive the latest updates regarding all the traffic in all the lanes in your vicinity. Is that not cool enough? Now this is almost seven times faster than any other GPS device on earth today. With such features in your arsenal, you can steer with merry since you will not be having any delays and you also know your destination and the best route to it, far before than anyone else. This device can show you maps from every nook and corner of Europe, with complete clarity.

Latest Map Guarantee

Now before you actually drive towards your destination, it is well advised that you have the latest map with you. Well, sometimes things do really turn bad and there might be some problems with the route which you are going to take. You will therefore need some updated view of the maps. The developers at TomTom regularly post newer maps and directions and these maps will be posted on their website. These are guaranteed latest maps from the website and you can definitely count on them.  You can keep checking the website from time to time and if there is a new map ready for your device and more importantly, if it is available within 90 days of your first use, you can then download that map once for free from the official website please. Make no mistake, you are allowed to download only once for free and the rest, you will need to pay for them. And sometimes, due to never ending developments which take place in the maps and map quality, some of the latest maps may not fit on the TomTom Via Live 120 GPS device. In such cases, one can view and download the detailed versions of the Map Zones which are on the website, offered for download. Then again, one will be able to use only one Map Zone on the device at a time.

Map Share™ technology

Map Share is a new kind of technology introduced by TomTom and it allows you to make changes to your own maps. There may be some changes in the directions of the road or maybe there is some new construction which you noticed isn’t there in the map. You can hence edit your own maps and also add all such developments so that you yourself will make the map more accurate and up to date. Though the maps will be verified by TomTom and newer maps are put up on to the website every day, if you think you could make some changes to the maps and directions, you certainly can, since TomTom gives you such an option.

Advanced Lane Guidance

The Via Live 120 Satellite Navigation System has gone one step further when it comes to showing you the way to your destinations. It not only shows you the overall map and the direction in which you are going, but it also very vividly displays all the lanes which are near your route. The lane in which you are going will be shown clearly marked with all the directions you need. The device also shows, on its pretty large display, all the junctions at the lanes, and clearly marks the junction at which you will have to take a turn. This makes sure that you will not miss the route you should drive in order to reach your destination. You can also view the realistic three dimensional pictures off that brilliant display and this helps you while you are amidst difficult highway intersections, or stuck in traffic. Sometimes, it also shows you some shortcut paths, if available, to your destination, and this also helps you in reaching your place faster than you planned to reach, at the start.

Plug & Go

The Via Live 120 has got one of the quickest start-up times ever. All you have to in order to start the device is give a mere touch on the screen after you plug it in. Once you plug it in your car and then caress the screen lightly, the user interface opens up for you instantaneously, making the Via Live 120 a pretty quick device. It will be helpful to you all kinds of traffic and the moment you need it, it will be ready for you showing all the details of the traffic, lanes, and stuff. This is way better than many other similar GPS devices and we too are happy about this since a lot of high end GPS devices today take quite a time to load themselves and the user interface also appears after considerable amount of time.

Spoken street names

In order to keep your focus on the road and not to take your eyes off it, TomTom has come up with a new idea. From now on, you can hear spoken instructions off your GPS device and while you drive, you can listen to what the Via Live 120 is saying to you and hence follow the instructions in order to reach your destination. Though this feature is already known to many and is also seen in many devices previously, for the first time ever, a GPS device could utter even the names of streets and junctions. This makes you turn, and steer properly and hence it also, in a way, avoids road accidents. The device does not always speak, but it can, whenever you need. There is an option to choose to switch on or off the speaker and when it is the speaker mode, one would certainly enjoy the ride with the instructions being given continuously.

IQ Routes™ technology

Along with knowing how to reach your destination, it is equally important to know when you will actually be reaching there. The TomTom Via Live 120 GPS System is very useful regarding this aspect. TomTom takes the data from many GPS devices used by many travelers in order to calculate the approximate time taken by millions of its users to travel from one place to another. TomTom uses actual speed data in order to give you all the information needed regarding the time of travel and the speed required to reach in different times. It also takes into account all conditions like traffic lights, rush hour, shopping crowds, and even weather conditions in order to try and give almost accurate numbers. Hence, given the solidity of information, you can rely on these numbers provided by TomTom and thereby make your trip pleasurable and planned too.

Mobile Speed cameras

The unit gets updates like camera locations for real-time mobile Speed with the inclusion of reports from various other users. There are also alerts provided for average speed check for the route ahead along with fixed safety cameras helping you drive in a relaxed manner and more safely thus helping you save on your speeding tickets.

QuickGPSfix

QuickGPSfix is that feature which enables the device to refresh itself whenever the signal from satellites is poor or cut off. This feature bridges the connection faster and hence the time to fix the position of your GPS is reduced drastically. This also results in faster loading of maps and directions, which is again a very welcome aspect, regarding the TomTom Via Live 120 GPS device.

Hands-free calling

The Tom Tom Via Live 120 GPS device works now as a car-kit too for your hand phone. The facility is provided such that people would enjoy a hands free talk while driving. Now answering and making phone calls as you drive can be done with complete safety making you drive with complete control over the road and the situation. Since you will be able to handle phone calls through the Via Live 120 GPS device, one would expect there is support for Bluetooth. And yes, the device supports Bluetooth and hence also allows you to perform hands free calling while you are busy on the road driving. But one needs to purchase the hands free kit separately as it is not included in the bag that contains the Via Live 120. Now, you can drive and speak on the phone simultaneously, although this is not an advisable act. Users are advised to attempt only emergency calls since speaking on the phone while driving is considered unsafe. Happy Driving!

Help Me! Emergency menu

There is always a need for an emergency while you are driving. You don’t know what may happen while travelling. Hence, as a precautionary measure, an emergency menu is provided on the Via Live 120 Sat Nav Unit. You can thus find considerable help in the form of local emergency service information. It is like an SOS service. You call either the police, or the hospitals or the fire brigade using the information available in the emergency menu. This information will be at your fingertips always and hence it will look after the safety measures to be taken in case something unwanted happens. Since the device also support phone calling services, you can call any one of the above services and seek help immediately. This certainly is a commendable effort put in by the people at TomTom.

Voice control

And finally there came the feature we are longing for since quite some time now. From now onwards, you can talk to your device and it automatically understand what you are speaking. More than twenty different languages from all parts of the globe are included in the memory of the Via Live 120 and it can record and detect voices too. When you speak, it understands it and if the speech refers to any function, then the device follows it suit. This is perhaps the quickest, and the easiest possible way to use the device. All you got to do is simply talk to the device as if it was a person. Direct it, and tell it what you want, it provides you with it. You can hence open, browse through, change and close maps and directions using your voice commands. Hence, without the use of hands, and simply with the help of voice commands and control, you can steer both the car and the device in an efficient manner.

Speeding alert

Speeding Alert on a GPS device? Yes, you have read it right. The Via Live 120 GPS device comes with a very special feature which alerts with speeding, or if the recommended speed limit in that particular area is exceeded. This feature works regardless of the On/off status of the navigation mode. There is a small alarm sounds that is produced when the speed is exceeded and there is also a voice command that warns you regarding it. It is a cool feature at the end of the day, making the device very amusing to have in the car.

Integrated mounting

Now when you use the GPS while you are in your car, you will need to mount the device somewhere. For this you need a mounting. No, you don’t need to purchase it separately since TomTom is providing you with one already. The Via Live 120 has come with a convenient foldaway mount which is already integrated into your device. Thus this means that it is always there stuck on to your device and it can help make the device stand, when you need it. It is so well designed that it can also be easily attached to your windscreen. And there is an option for you to purchase an optional mounting disk, which is so flexible that you can mount your device even on the dashboard of your car. It hence makes the device flexible to place and hence comfortable to view.

Weather

Knowing about the weather is very essential; in fact it is the most important factor one needs to check properly before planning for a trip, especially a long one. The TomTom Via Live 120 GPS device hence receives the local weather forecast for you and shows you on the screen, the conditions which may affect your driving. It also shows you a five-day weather forecast beforehand so that you can make solid plans of going out on long journeys, if the weather is suitable. Hence, you will not need to switch on the TV and wait for the weather reports in order to go forward with your plans of going on a trip to the countryside.

Frequent destinations

More often than not, people go the same old places, like from office to home, or to your native place, or some favourite restaurant or to the family doctor. One can hence sort out these frequent destinations and put them separately. You can also choose some icons that mark these locations on the maps and also add some text or notes to it. This definitely makes navigation a lot easier and quicker than ever before. You can choose from the select places or destinations and hence enable the GPS device to take you there. The instructions from the device will then follow.

Local Search with Google

There is also a small search engine provided by TomTom in case you will need to search for something. And this small search engine is commonly known as the Google search engine and is capable of searching anything in the world for you. If you want to have a look at the information regarding the local places, monuments, restaurants, malls, etcetera, all you need to do is just tap some words on the search engine and all the latest local Google listings will appear on the screen within no time. You can also type some keywords and the places that match to those keywords are sorted properly and listed so that you can visit them.

That is it. We are now finished with the features part of the device. Now that was a pretty long journey, wasn’t it? Let us now move on to see if the performance levels are as expected or not.

Performance

As we have seen all the features on the Via Live 120 GPS device, all we can say is that the performance of the device can be regarded as top notch, and better than most other similar devices. Though it looks quite simple to the eye, it has got numerous features which can be of pretty good use at any time of the day. And regarding the video performance, the flow is pretty smooth, the speed, and the accuracy are admirable. This makes the Via Live 120 one of the better performing GPS devices available in the market today. The overall performance is better than what we expected in the beginning and hence we are completely satisfied with its performance during our tests.

Battery

With the new battery mechanism adopted by TomTom in the Via Live 120 GPS device, one can expect the device to work without any problems for at least 2 hours after full charge. The battery is rechargeable and hence one is advised to take the charging kit along with them so that it would be useful during long journeys.

Warranty

The TomTom Via Live GPS Device comes with parts and labour warranty for a period of one year from the original date of purchase. Buyers can also alter this warranty period and choose their warranty scheme while purchasing online.

Verdict

Well, we have already expressed everything regarding the Via Live 120 GPS device in the review itself. Now, if you want to put it in one line, we would say we would never ever hesitate to recommend this gem of a piece from TomTom. We have not seen such a nice device with as many positives and as fewer negatives. Hence, we give you a green signal and you can go forward with your decision off purchasing the device. And if you are looking for more devices, you can continue reading the reviews of some of the other competent GPS devices here.

TomTom Via Live 120 Sat Nav – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer TomTom
Model Name TomTom Via Live 120
GPS Application In car and pedestrian
Dimensions (W x H x D) 119 X 80 X 25 mm
Weight 183 g
Display TFT LCD
Display screen size 4.3 inch
Display resolution 480 x 272
Memory type internal solid state
Memory card No
Map provider TomTom
Maps included Base map, preloaded street maps
Ability to add additional maps Yes
Waypoints/favourites/locations Provided by default
Voice Voice commands
Connector type Plug In
Compatibility Windows XP and above, and Mac OS X 10.4 and above
Water Proof No
Includes lifetime map updates Yes
Features HD Traffic
Advanced Lane Guidance
Voice prompts
Speaks street names
Voice-activated navigation
Lane assist
3-D traffic view
Auto sort multiple destinations
Bluetooth® wireless technology
Speed limit indicator
MapShare
Help ME!
Bluetooth Hands Free
Weather Forecast
IQ Routes
QuickGPSFix
Included accessories Mount, Power cable, Quick start manual.
Battery type Rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life Up to 2 hours
Warranty One year