V-Bag by Vodafone is a tracker dedicated to monitoring the position of backpacks, suitcases and luggage of all kinds. Precise and reliable, it is part of the V by Vodafone product family.
The small device was born from the union of MOVETRACK from Alcatel e V-SIM by Vodafone, the data card capable of connecting any IoT device to the Internet.
Aesthetics and materials
V-bag it is a small square with dimensions of 42 mm x 42 mm x 16,3 mm and a weight of 33 grams. There is no display, but only 3 small lights lights that will indicate the status of: battery, network signal and GPS signal.
On the back, well tightened by two screws, there is slot to insert the SIM (I our case V SIM), essential for guaranteeing data traffic to the device. In addition to the card housing, there is also the entrance Micro USB to recharge the built-in 460mAh battery.
Her custody, light blue in silicone, also works as a hook to attach it to backpacks or suitcases. Personally, for security reasons, I preferred to leave it inside the luggage to be monitored so as not to risk losing it. Despite this, I have not noticed any drop in accuracy in GPS location tracking.
What is V-Bag used for and how does it work?
V-bag serves to not lose anything! Essentially it is dedicated to luggage, but with a little imagination you can combine it with anything you fear will be lost or stolen without your permission.
Its operation is as simple as it is effective: inside there is aGPS antenna and a data form. In this way, the device is able to transmit its physical position at any time and with an accuracy that reaches up to House number, in case it was inside a house or in any case of a structure.
Configuring it is particularly simple, it has its own dedicated application (available for iOS and Android) and once you have it linked to your account personal you can also connect from other smartphones, finding your device.
From the app you will have the position of V-bag, but not only. The available features are different and all particularly useful:
- monitoring of the position in real time;
- location history;
- tracing a security perimeter (safety area): every time the device enters or exits the area, the application will notify it;
- Possibility of add other users to control the same device.
The autonomy of the tracker, always on and therefore always active, is about 4/5 days. When the energy threshold drops below 20% you will be notified by the application and it will take you about quarter of an hour to recharge the battery.
What is the V-SIM for?
We have already talked in detail about V by Vodafone and V SIM, currently the smartest way to connect IoT devices to the Internet.
Before proceeding with the initial configuration of the tracker it is essential to enter inside V-bag the supplied V-SIM, which must be activated via the V by Vodafone application. Starting from this, you can choose the type of device for which to use the V-SIM and you will be ready to use it.
One of the biggest advantages of V-SIM is the use pay per use, or the total absence of subscription restrictions. The user can choose when to renew his subscription and when he does not need it. Furthermore, there is no data limit. In the case of V-BAG therefore, with €3 per month you will be able to unlimitedly check the position of your device and therefore of bags and suitcases.
My experience
I started using it with a little skepticism, thinking that I would never need such an object anyway. I am attentive and I hardly forget my bag, suitcases and objects around. In fact, I was fascinated by how an object so "simple" to use, manage and configure can do its job so well.
After a few days I began to understand that, basically, you can actually lose something or be stolen at any time. Nothing can be taken for granted. So, I remembered to recharge the battery when needed and now I always leave it inside my beloved backpack.
In fact, the only one defect I found is the silicone hook; a bump or tug may be enough to open and let the V-Bag fall to the ground. For this reason I preferred not to use it. For the rest, promoted!
Its price is €59 and can be purchased directly on the product family website V by Vodafone.
