Who needs a GPS in this day and age? Not many folks, really. Just about everyone has a smartphone and smartphones have Google Maps. And other options. A standalone GPS doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, except in very specific cases. TomTom disagrees, though, and to that end it’s come up with something a little different: The TomTom Go Premium.

The TomTom Go Premium is a GPS unit (or satnav, if you’re a Northern Hemisphere resident), mostly of the sort you’re used to. It’s a single unit containing map software, mounts on a windscreen or dashboard, and it tells you where to go. It’s the perfect front-seat backseat driver. Where the Go Premium mixes things up is with WiFi, app interactivity, and IF This Then That (IFTTT) built into the device from the start.

But why?

The addition should make TomTom’s newest GPS a whole lot smarter, capable of interacting with a selection of smart assistants and smart home technology. Users could use the IFTTT integration to manage lighting and temperature settings, activate smart locks (on or off), or pretty much anything else you can invent a recipe for. Technically you could connect the Go Premium to a smart fridge if you felt like it. Maybe you just want a really cold beer as you arrive home?

The cost? Since the device is unconfirmed for South Africa at this point, it’s mostly guesswork. There are two models coming, a 5in and 6in version, with launch confirmed solely for Europe at present. The 5in TomTom Go Premium will cost approximately R5,400 and the 6in version around R6,300. That’s a substantial premium for a piece of smart home tech. Maybe that’s where the name comes from?

Source: VentureBeat