iPhones much more likely to be stolen, less likely to be broken or need replacement

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 66
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post

     

    Knowing that the person who stole my iPhone can't use it is of little comfort to my empty pocket.  I don't think the knowledge that stealing iPhones might be pointless has filtered through to the frontline criminal fraternity yet.


     

    Stealing an iPhone isn't pointless if it's possible to convince an unsuspecting buyer to give you cash.  Far from it.

  • Reply 22 of 66
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    The firm, which has sold over two million insurance policies covering phones and tablets, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140306-908313.html">issued</a> a press release noting that iPhone users are 54 percent less likely to need a replacement device for any reason, as compared to other smartphone users.

    Whatever helps Google's activation count.
  • Reply 23 of 66
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mpantone View Post

     

    Frankly, your account is suspicious. You join today and the first and only thread you post on is about "stolen" iPhones and how to break into them. Other forums are littered with accounts just like yours, people asking how to crack a locked iPhone in their initial and only post, and without any answers, the account is abandoned forever.


     

    Yes, I joined today because I felt like reporting a real world experience and how Find My iPhone did nothing to recover a stolen iPhone.

     

    Can you point to where I asked how to crack a locked iPhone??   You may want to reread my first post and reconsider your suspicions.  

  • Reply 24 of 66
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member

    Your original post could be a trick, just to draw in someone else to post a hint about how to crack the iOS activation lock.

     

    People in these sort of tech forums love to show off how much they allegedly know, even if they are completely wrong.

     

    Making a post about how a family member's phone was stolen might incite other forum participants to get into a "yes you can, no you can't" war of words, inciting people to post examples of how it could/could not be done in an escalating game of one-upmanship. Par for the course in Internet 2014. You really don't need to ask the question. For a topic like this one, the implied statement is that iOS 7 handsets are unbreakable by thieves. That automatically invites people to refute that claim.

     

    Again, your abrupt and sudden appearance in this stolen phone thread is highly similar to countless other threads I've read on the topic in tech forums all over the Internet: the one-time, drive-by Q&A posting.

     

    But hey, maybe you'll prove me wrong and you'll stick around the AppleInsider forum for 7+ years, posting on the average of less than one post per month on a variety of topics. It has been done before.

  • Reply 25 of 66
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    Highly suspect data. Why? Insurance firm so only data they have is client claims. Many folks have insurance just to cover lost/theft and apple care for breaking. So the claims could be skewed
  • Reply 26 of 66
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    mpantone wrote: »
    Thieves can't tell if any given iPhone has "Find My iPhone" enabled, whether or not the user will resort to it, or if any of the iOS 7 security functions are enabled. Smartphone theft is a crime of opportunity, not the Brinks Job.

    Looking at various Q&A forums, it appears there is a certain percentage of folks who do not enable common and free security measures. 
    Remember, the world is full of people who use "asdfasdf", "1111" or "1234" as passwords.



    Not on an Apple ID. System blocks such combos.
  • Reply 27 of 66
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    murraysc wrote: »

    ALL of which are bogus as they miss that the lock is on the server. And that forum in particular is full of folks saying the trick just tosses phone into recovery mode

    There is only one way to bypass the lock. Be lucky enough to steal an iOS device where the email used for the id is also on the device and the owner doesn't have a passcode. Then you can, if you are quick enough, request a password reset and retrieve the email etc before the owner can remote wipe phone.
  • Reply 28 of 66
    lilgto64lilgto64 Posts: 1,147member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by DroidFTW View Post

     

     

    They can, but it just depends.  Here's a quick guid to tell if an infographic is accurate.

     

    If they match what you want to be true then the infographics are legit.  If they don't match up with your preconcieved notions then they're obviously lies.


     

    You are so right with all the parts of your post I agree with but the rest is bunk. :-)

  • Reply 29 of 66
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    murraysc wrote: »
    Again, I have no idea if it's possible, but here's another forum: http://www.sinfuliphone.com/showthread.php?t=10024803


    If it wasn't possible to bypass in the first place, how was the author able to use the iPhone 5??

    It's amazing what people will 'gift' you at gunpoint. :lol:
  • Reply 30 of 66
    murrayscmurraysc Posts: 13member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mpantone View Post

     

    Your original post could be a trick, just to draw in someone else to post a hint about how to crack the iOS activation lock.

     

    People in these sort of tech forums love to show off how much they allegedly know, even if they are completely wrong.

     

    Making a post about how a family member's phone was stolen might incite other forum participants to get into a "yes you can, no you can't" war of words, inciting people to post examples of how it could/could not be done in an escalating game of one-upmanship. Par for the course in Internet 2014. You really don't need to ask the question. For a topic like this one, the implied statement is that iOS 7 handsets are unbreakable by thieves. That automatically invites people to refute that claim.

     

    Again, your abrupt and sudden appearance in this stolen phone thread is highly similar to countless other threads I've read on the topic in tech forums all over the Internet: the one-time, drive-by Q&A posting.

     

    But hey, maybe you'll prove me wrong and you'll stick around the AppleInsider forum for 7+ years, posting on the average of less than one post per month on a variety of topics. It has been done before.


     

    LOL.  Nice theories.  

     

    I hope you guys are right, that it can't be bypassed since it should reduce the number of thefts.  Unfortunately, it did nothing for me and it appears based on the email I received from Apple that I inadvertently unlocked the iPhone or setting up a new phone from the backup of the stolen device unlocked the original.

  • Reply 31 of 66
    webweaselwebweasel Posts: 135member
    [QUOTE name="mpantone" url="/t/162771/iphones-much-more-likely-to-be-stolen-less-likely-to-be-broken-or-need-replacement#post_2482931"]But hey, maybe you'll prove me wrong and you'll stick around the AppleInsider forum for 7+ years, posting on the average of less than one post per month on a variety of topics. It has been done before.
    [/QUOTE]

    Welcome to my world!
  • Reply 32 of 66
    arlorarlor Posts: 532member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by murraysc View Post

     

    I'd like to add, Apple could benefit Find My iPhone by not allowing the device to be turned off without a passcode.  As mentioned earlier, the thief must have turned the phone off soon after taking it and didn't access a network for 2 weeks.


     

    Couldn't the thieves isolate the phone from signal until the battery runs out? 

  • Reply 33 of 66
    murrayscmurraysc Posts: 13member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Arlor View Post

     

     

    Couldn't the thieves isolate the phone from signal until the battery runs out? 


     

    Sure, nothing is foolproof, but in my case, the iPhone was stolen during school and I think it would have been difficult to isolate it from any signal for a couple days.  Having the ability to turn it off is certainly far easier.

  • Reply 34 of 66
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    arlor wrote: »
    Couldn't the thieves isolate the phone from signal until the battery runs out? 

    Absolutely. Have you ever used (or attempted to use) a mobile phone in the Radiology department of a hospital?

    Requiring a passcode to power off a device is moronic which is why I expect this in the next release of Android.
  • Reply 35 of 66
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member

    Finally something Samsung cannot emulate!

  • Reply 36 of 66
    murrayscmurraysc Posts: 13member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacBook Pro View Post





    Absolutely. Have you ever used (or attempted to use) a mobile phone in the Radiology department of a hospital?



    Requiring a passcode to power off a device is moronic which is why I expect this in the next release of Android.

     

    Could you explain why this is "moronic"?  Sure, there are ways around it, but I honestly believe this would have made it more difficult for the thief to hide my daughter's iPhone from broadcasting it's location.

     

    ETA: Thinking about this a bit more, rather than turn the device off, the thief could pull the SIM card which should accomplish the same thing, no?

  • Reply 37 of 66
    crowley wrote: »
    Knowing that the person who stole my iPhone can't use it is of little comfort to my empty pocket.  I don't think the knowledge that stealing iPhones might be pointless has filtered through to the frontline criminal fraternity yet.

    It's not about the financial loss; it's about the peace of mind for the iPhone owner.

    If your house burns down and you lose a life's worth of photos, you're not lamenting the financial loss; you're lamenting the loss of the memories. The financial loss can be insured; the photos are irreplaceable.
  • Reply 38 of 66
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post





    It's not about the financial loss; it's about the peace of mind for the iPhone owner.



    If your house burns down and you lose a life's worth of photos, you're not lamenting the financial loss; you're lamenting the loss of the memories. The financial loss can be insured; the photos are irreplaceable.

     

    And I don't even have that "peace of mind" since I received the email from Apple stating that Find My iPhone was disabled for that device while setting up the new phone.  Even without that, I'm guessing the thief still got rewarded by selling the phone to an unsuspecting buyer.

  • Reply 39 of 66
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post





    It's not about the financial loss; it's about the peace of mind for the iPhone owner.



    If your house burns down and you lose a life's worth of photos, you're not lamenting the financial loss; you're lamenting the loss of the memories. The financial loss can be insured; the photos are irreplaceable.

    Don't understand why this is in response to me.  I didn't mention financial loss.

  • Reply 40 of 66
    crowley wrote: »
    Don't understand why this is in response to me.  I didn't mention financial loss.

    You said that someone stole your iPhone; isn't that financial loss?
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