TomTom ONE 130S Review

The TomTom ONE 130S is a simple, affordable GPS receiver for drivers who don't want any distractions as they plot their route. By Michael Patrick Brady

TomTom 130S

from $104.98

The TomTom ONE 130S GPS receiver stands in stark contrast to the previous TomTom model we reviewed at DigitalAdvisor, the GO 930T. Where the GO 930T was loaded with lots of ancillary features aimed at experienced GPS users, the TomTom 130S is designed for simplicity. While we enjoyed the 930T's robust and expansive feature set, there were times when the extra long menus and involved settings were distracting; sometimes you just want to get a route and let the map do its work. The 130S is just that kind of receiver.

Design

The TomTom ONE 130S is an extremely small GPS receiver, with a standard, 3.5-inch touchscreen display. Compared to the 930T's 4.3-inch widescreen display, the 130S feels a little cramped, especially when viewing the map in a 3D perspective, but in top-down 2D mode (which I prefer anyway), there's plenty of room to discern turns, routes, and points of interest. The body of the GPS receiver is exceedingly bare: the power button is located discreetly at the top right of the device, while the USB input is located at the bottom center. There is no SD card slot for adding additional memory like there is in the higher TomTom models. The back of the receiver is dominated by a huge, circular speaker, which conveys verbal directions clearly and with authority. The speaker ring also doubles as the mounting connector. Three small clips protruding from the speaker allow the mount to fasten securely to the receiver, and the whole unit can then be affixed to your windshield with the adhesive pad.

The 130S comes packaged in a fairly frustrating blister pack, which contains the receiver, a USB cable, in-car charger, car mount, and remote control. A physical user guide is also included, thankfully; one of my concerns with the 930T was that it forced users to consult an online guide rather than provide a hands-on quick reference for in the car.

Using the Receiver

The TomTom ONE 130S is a breeze to use, and does an excellent job of making it easy to adjust routes, settings, and other vital features without having to wade through unnecessary fluff. The menu system on the 130S is limited to two pages, much easier to digest than the multi-page menu of the 930T, which was crammed with all sorts of different sub-menus.

The touchscreen is responsive and clear, with large, vivid buttons that are distinct enough to make navigating through the menus easy. The 130S does have the rather small, transparent 'zoom in' and 'zoom out' buttons on the upper corners of the map, similar to the 930T. These buttons are somewhat difficult to tap properly, and can result in a mis-tap of the map, which brings up the main menu instead of zooming like you wanted. They are small and transparent so as not to obscure the map, but the result is a reduction in their usefulness.

The 130S performed well when plotting routes and providing turn-by-turn directions, and succeeds in its core purpose. While it lacks some of the flashier options of higher-end GPS models, like the "Lane Guidance" features of the 930T, their absence is not significant, and probably well worth the corresponding reduction in price.

What strikes me as the most crucial point: this is a GPS receiver that you can set up at the start of your trip and not have to worry about as you travel. Other models, with their array of on-screen feedback are very demanding on the driver, forcing the eyes off the road and onto the device. The 130S can simply provide clear turn-by-turn directions with its powerful speaker, and requires no further interaction along the way. Should you want to make reference to the map while in transit, the 130S is small enough that it can be mounted in a position that won't draw your eyes too far from the road, serving as an informative augmentation rather than a distraction.

Conclusion

The TomTom 130S is a sleek, affordable GPS receiver for consumers who are interested in a low-cost solution to their navigation needs. Though it lacks the bells and whistles of high-end luxury model GPS receivers, it's still a capable and well made device that will provide accurate and helpful directions wherever you travel. The 130S deserves credit for its large, loud speaker and easy-to-configure, portable car mount, two nice perks on a simple, budget receiver.