iPhone Thefts

[glass_of_merlot]

Thefts and breakinns are not only a problem in the rough areas. They happens everywhere all the time. I mean, if I go to the "bad" part of town for some reason my first concern is not that my expensive cell phone will be stolen. I have had my car broken into before, twice actually, and I always lived in nicer areas.

Also, innocent people are often caught in the cross fire between rival gangs. So the violence is not only between the gangs.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Yep. I actually whip my phone out while waiting for the train. Maybe it's luck but I never attract any weird attention while this is happening.

Well yeah, I do as well. I mean if you look around there are TENS OF THOUSANDS of people waiting for trains, buses and walking the streets with their phones out at all hours. I was in the loop eating last week and started looking aroudnd to see what people were doing (I normally just play on my phone). It was almost like a creepy horror movie watching 80% of people playing on their phones as they wandered down the street.

So while there may be a few Iphone grabbed every day.....statistically it's nothing compared to the thousands and thousands out in people's hands.

[The Shepherd]

I'm surprised they don't happen more often to be honest. I take one of the el lines everyday to work and I would say a good 90% of people always have their faces down in their phones. I wish I had that kind of piece of mind when out in public but I don't. I'm not only worried about thieves but the possibility of some nut getting on with a gun or bomb. So I keep my mind occupied with music from my phone and my eyes open to what's going on around me.

[ChiNaan]

How are you going to hear those gun/bomb nuts sneak up behind you when you're listening to music from your phone? I wish I had that kind of piece of mind when out in public, but I don't. I keep my mind occupied by looking at stuff on my phone and my ears open to what's going on around me.

[linicx]

One can buy Home and Renters Insurance and add the iPhone to your covered contents. iPhones have model and serial numbers and they are GPS enabled by default. You're reseller should be notifed to kill the phone, but you will still pay the ETF.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by mayorofnyc

Don't wanna speak for urza, but I'm sure the reasoning behind his statement was due to the likelihood of those crimes occurring vs. others. Despite popular belief the most common crimes in the hood aren't murder or shootings, but thefts and break-ins (just like most places actually).

Exactly.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Link N. Parker

Actually the next version of iOS (the OS that runs on Apple iPhones) due out this fall DOES have a new feature, where if a phone is stolen or lost, you go to your PC, log in, and activate the feature that fries the firmware on the phone. It is supposed to be a pretty solid way of "ruining" the phone so that the thief cannot resell it. This will hopefully stop the resale market for these phones, and will stop the robberies.

YES YES YES! I've wanted this for years. Why steal a phone if 30 minutes later it just turns into a piece of useless metal and plastic.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by packerdog

Also iPhones can work on any carrier via jailbreak. A Verizon droid isn't gonna work on Tmobile for example. There are some exceptions but it takes a bit more work,etc.

Just a quick correction: a jailbroken Verizon iPhone isn't gonna work on Tmobile either.