UPDATE: I’ve confirmed that the XL 335SE is exclusive to Walmart, Walmart Canada and Walmart.com.
Walmart has let their Black Friday ad leak, and they have a special edition navigator in the line up, the TomTom XL 335SE for $79 (that link goes to a refurbished one, though they should have new ones up by sometime next week). They will also have the TomTom EASE for $59, but since that one is better known, I want to focus on what to expect with the XL 335SE.
This model is very similar to the TomTom XL 335S, except that it has the Easy Menu interface (shown below on the XXL 550). This simplified menu was panned by a lot of people, but a recent firmware update for most models (including the XL 335SE) addressed many concerns. Most notable was the added ability to browse turns on your route.
With that change, and the other features included, this is a very good deal. You’ll get a 4.3” widescreen, seven million points of interest (POIS), and text-to-speech, so you’ll hear “turn right, Oak Street,” instead of just “turn right.”
The XL 335SE also includes IQ Routes technology, which calculates the fastest route using historic traffic speed data for both the day of the week and time of day. Also notably, the 335 series’ Advanced Lane Guidance feature provides a visual representation of highway junctions (pictured above), along with lane-specific directions.
If all the different model numbers confuse you, maybe our TomTom comparison chart will help. Finally, be sure to keep an eye on our GPS Deals site as Black Friday approaches. We’ll let you know if we find an even better deal, and we’ll keep you posted on bargains that you can order without fighting the crowds.
About Rich Owings
On black Friday I purchased both the Tomtom XL 335SE (at Walmart) and the Tomtom XL 335T (Target) to compare them. Both were 79.00. Could you help me decide which one I should keep ?
thank you!
The 335T, which adds lifetime traffic to the SE’s feature set.