Vodafone's Curve is a GPS tracker to help find lost items

Vodafone now has its own tracker known as Curve, meant to help you keep track of personal items like keys, phones and even pets, the company announced today. The cellular carrier seems to be emulating Tile with its offering of a Bluetooth tracking device, but takes the product a couple steps further by also giving it GPS, WiFi and cellular capabilities.

The average person loses four items per month, mostly keys, according to a statement from Vodafone. Curve is meant to help you keep track of regularly misplaced items by showing the item’s location and sending alerts to your phone based on the items’ movement.

While it’s not a tiny sticker like Tile offers, Curve is a small, circular device about 16.4 mm tall and 42.1 mm that comes with a keyring. Once Curve is attached to the item you want to keep track of, open the Vodafone Smart App to see the item’s location on a map. You can use the app to map “zones,” and set alerts for when the Curve device enters or leaves a zone.

Unlike Tile’s devices, Curve contains a Vodafone Smart SIM that provides connection and roaming -- which comes at no extra cost if you subscribe to a SIM connectivity plan. Vodafone says Curve’s four different tracking technologies help keep better track of items. For pet owners who want a less expensive alternative to trackers like the Whistle Go Explore and don’t mind a shorter battery life, Curve could be an option.

You can get Curve for £20, plus £2 monthly for a minimum of 24 months or £3 monthly for a minimum of 12 months. Curve is just the first in a forthcoming line of smart tech products, Vodafone said. If you're an iPhone user, though, Apple is also expected to have its own line of tracker tags soon.