Vodacom Curve GPS tracker tested — with good results

MyBroadband tested the Curve GPS tracker from Vodacom, and the device was easy to use and provided accurate results.

Vodacom’s Curve smart tracker, which was launched last year, is a multi-purpose tracking tag that can monitor the location of an object to which it is attached.

The small and lightweight Vodacom Curve is water and dustproof, with an IP67 ingress protection rating.

The Curve GPS tracker is available in-store and online for R599, with an additional R25 per month subscription fee.

The package comes with the tracker, two covers, a keyring, and a charging cable.

The Curve uses the Vodafone Smart App on your device, and it is easy to set it up using the on-screen prompts.

The subscription and payment for the tracking service can also be managed from the app, allowing you to add it to your monthly Vodacom bill.

Through the app, you can go back into the location history of the tracker. You can also share live tracking permissions with up to 9 other numbers.

The primary user can grant permissions for individual users to access the tracker’s information.

On the main screen, the user can see the tracker’s current location, their location, and set the tracking mode of the device.

The tracker has four tracking modes:

1. Power Saving mode: Updates Location every 2 hours.
2. Everyday mode: Updates Location every 30 minutes.
3. Performance mode: Updates Location every 5 minutes.
4. Realtime tracking mode: Updates Location every 5 seconds, but only for 15 minutes at a time.

What makes the Curve special compared to offerings like the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag or Apple AirTag is that it features actual GPS and mobile connectivity.

The GPS and mobile connectivity enable the tag to function independently, without other devices nearby.

It is superior to Bluetooth trackers, which rely on nearby devices to determine their location and upload it to the user.

The Curve can determine its location using GPS and contains an embedded Vodacom Smart SIM, which allows it to communicate via the Vodacom network.

Vodacom says the Smart SIM lets you use the device in over 100 countries without extra charges.

We left the tracker in Performance mode for most of our testing, which included the Race to The Sun Cycling race from Hartbeespoort to Sun City.

The Vodacom Curve GPS tracker performed well.

It updated its location on the map almost every 5 minutes, but there were a few outages along the route. The worst outage was for two hours around Vaalkop Dam.

Vodacom does indicate that there is coverage at the dam, so it may have been a glitch.

The only other issue we experienced was when we kept the tracker in one location. It is likely that the tag could not get a good GPS signal during this time and thought it was standing still.

The tracker has impressive battery life. We charged the Curve on Thursday afternoon, and the battery lasted until Sunday evening.

Therefore, the battery life was longer than the claimed three days in performance mode.

The Curve excels at long-distance tracking, but it is not as accurate as Bluetooth trackers for close tracking.

If you press the tracker’s location in the app, it provides an estimate of the distance between the phone and the tracker. This is only available up to 15m away and only in 5m intervals.

The tracker also has a beeping function when you are close. However, it is very soft, and we struggled to hear it in an office environment.

The Vodacom Curve GPS tracker is a useful device to attach to valuable items that you want to track.

It provides better tracking than Bluetooth tags and is affordable enough to ensure you do not lose your bag or keys.

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