Look out, fanbois: One in two nicked mobes is an iPhone - cops
Half of the phones stolen in London over the summer were iPhones, the capital's cops reported this week. According to new statistics, phone-related crime, particularly snatching, was up year on year. Between April and September, 28,800 mobes out of 56,680 nicked handsets in London were Apple pocket strokers. That's an average of …
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Re: Apple Can Drive Down Crime
Awhh, bless. I know what you mean though, iMaps is quality beyond compare.
In fact it was such a quality product around launch Apple rewarded Richard Williamson with a cardboard box and a ride home, ne'er to return.
Re: Apple Can Drive Down Crime
Never said iMaps were perfect but neither are Google Maps - at least I have both. iMaps are actually better in some places and the routing when driving seems more optimal - but as I said I have both.
"Yeah, they go for the wallet instead knowing this person hasn't spent all their cash on a mediocre phone."
Or not, cause if you cannot afford an iPhone then is the wallet worth having?
As a thief - nick an iPhone and you know it's of decent value - nick a non-iPhone and it could be anything and mostly are worthless - iPhones have good resale value (check eBay if you don't believe me - I've seen 2 year old phones going for more than half original price).
If Android owners want to get their devices stolen perhaps they should get some small Apple logo stickers and attach them to the back of their phones - I actually bet some people do (bit like de-badging their basic model car or sticking a M3 badge on a BMW 316i).
BOOM HEADSHOT
The iphone is easy to snatch because of its cumbersome shape and short battery life. you could walk through an office and steal 20 or 40 because they have to be on charge all day. and on the street you just look like a twat carrying one so i would nick it from you jsut to teach you a lesson quite frankly and i know many who would do the same.
Re: BOOM HEADSHOT
So your saying the iPhone is a unique shape. Apple would like you to sit on a jury in a small legal case they have going against Samsung.
Re: BOOM HEADSHOT
" i would nick it from you jsut to teach you a lesson quite frankly and i know many who would do the same."
And there you have it officer. It's always the dim ones who can't help confessing.
Re: BOOM HEADSHOT
"Apple would like you to sit on a jury in a small legal case they have going against Samsung."
No they don't.
They say customers can't tell them apart so there should be tons of Samsung phones being stolen. Crook went out to steal a iPhone but got confused and took a Samsung. Apple has been deprived a replacement sale! Apple should be compensated for every Samsung stolen!
"The most common profile for all [robbery] victims however is a young professional likely to be aged between 20 and 30, out and about in the capital at an entertainment spot or other public places."
That explains it. Android owners are more likely to be at home rooting their phone.
Android owners are more likely to be at home rooting their phone.
fnarr fnarr fnarr
I didn't realise that was now a feature. I guess it explains the increase in phone size...
"That explains it. Android owners are more likely to be at home rooting their phone."
Or:
"That explains it. Android owners are more likely to be at their parents home (still) rooting their phone and watching re-runs of Magnum or Baywatch and drooling (or worse) over Pammy and dreaming of getting a girlfriend one day."
Old news, but still worth re-iterating
At the end of the day if you have any smartphone you are at risk of being mugged. Apple, Android, Blackberry (well, maybe not them so much) are targets especially if you are walking down the street at night - these things light up like a huge beacon just begging opportunistic louts to go over and take it. Then you have the 'fanbois' who walk around like a giant apple advert.
I have an iphone. So far (touch wood) nobody has tried to 'relieve' me of it - I suspect that's partly because I don't whip it out at every opportunitiy to show off crappy instagrammed photos of my lunch, and I also ditched those crappy white headphones early on (Sennheiser ftw?).
This is not a new problem by any means - and happens all over (http://gizmodo.com/5953494/hold-on-tight-smartphone-mugging-is-more-popular-than-ever) - Maybe if people stopped advertising they have expensive tech products they might make themselves less noticeable to the criminal element. But I imagine most fanbois are very proud of their iDevices and love showing it off to anyone who will listen.
I make use of iCloud for backups, which in turn allows me to use the 'find my iphone' tool. Mind you, if I do lose my phone, it's maybe a few days inconvenience till I can either retrieve my handset (after remote bricking) or get a new one and restore from my backup. I'm less phased about the hardware, I am more concerned about the data that's stored on it.
I have read a few stories of people having their iDevices lost/nicked and then located through this service - which is pretty great, but as to how responsive the authorities are with this info is a bit unclear to me - have yet to see any articles that talk of people being caught and prosecuted thanks to this service.
That's not to say it doesn't happen - but surely more people need to know about such things and that essentially stealing mobile phones is a losing game that could land you in jail unless you can kill off a GPS signal without destroying the phone in the process.. Just make them less appealing.
Re: Old news, but still worth re-iterating
If you have a Blackberry reckon a thief would have pity on you and give you one of the iPhones they have pinched.
Re: Old news, but still worth re-iterating
I have read a few stories of people having their iDevices lost/nicked and then located through this service - which is pretty great, but as to how responsive the authorities are with this info is a bit unclear to me - have yet to see any articles that talk of people being caught and prosecuted thanks to this service.
Heard an item on R5 about one of their reporters who was mugged, had iPhone stolem and police made arrest and retrieved iPhone using one of these services. Have a read of
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18739151
Re: Old news, but still worth re-iterating
Quote - At the end of the day if you have any smartphone you are at risk of being mugged. - Endquote
So am I safe if I am home and snug in bed by the end of the day, or should I be careful at the start of the day and in the middle of the day too?
Stop and search
So, been seen using an iPhone in public and the BiB will be feeling your collar.
That's why I keep my phones in a holster - sure I look like a tosser, but at least my phones have never gone astray. I also wear a bow tie and carry a silver topped cane, so perhaps I am just a bit too scary looking for the average thief.
Status symbol for Chavs
Judging by the image that El Reg posted in the article, it is certainly not the Upper Crust that are buying iPhones ?
Re: Status symbol for Chavs
Hasn't been in a long time. Mostly it's the 'lower middle' crust who buy them in the hopes of looking upper crust.
Take responsibility for your own security
There are free apps available for both OS that will locate a stolen phone. Install one and if it gets stolen the Boys in Blue will have a nice easy collar (We hope)
Re: Take responsibility for your own security
I'd imagine the first thing a thief would do is to remove the SIM card?
Re: Take responsibility for your own security
And the minute another is put in and the phone switched on, or the phone connected to WiFi the tracking starts again.
"..one in two.."
What is wrong with "HALF"?? Or even 51% if you want to be specific?
Lazy and gratuitous use of language. Daily Mail-esque. Not becoming of el Reg.
Here is a wizard wheeze...
Get a broken phone, remove innards - replace with a remote detonated bomb, wait for it to be stolen - then no iPhone was stolen and the mugger / braggart wont do it again... cheaper and better than sending them to prison!!
Exercise some common sense
Don't play with your phone while walking alone the road, don't get in the habit of leave your phone on the table in cafes, bars, clubs etc., don't leave your phone in your handbag or coat without securing the handbag / coat, don't leave your phone in the car, or within grabbing distance when stopped at lights, don't signpost your phone by having earphone wires emanating from some vulnerable pocket. And so on.
Most crime is opportunistic. Minimize the opportunity and you minimize the possibility of getting your phone stolen.
"Reassuringly expensive iPhones" are not so expensive at all, in fact you can get them free!
By because "people" place value on status, the fools will never learn.
What's the point anyway, surely the theives realise that the phone can be tracked?
in 10 years iphones will look as dated as the TV show Big Brother does now. only the most unrepentant KFC munching chavs will still have one. and KFC will put unknown particles in your food from the GM and petrochemical industries. just like Apple would do if Steve Satan was still alive and running the show like the rampant cock munching tyrant he is.
"in 10 years iphones will look as dated as the TV show Big Brother does now"
They look dated NOW. Have you seen the state of iOS?
apple want to put the mark of the beast on you so they can eventually sell your organs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHEAP!
in 10 years iphones will look ... dated
REALLY? In 10 years EVERYTHING you now have will look dated - that is how things like "10 years" and other dates work.
You *really* think that the iPhone15 will look just like the iPhone1 - because the 5 is *so* similar to the iphone1 ... oh, wait.
On the upside, I expect my 3GS will *still* be working perfectly, look like new and be worth a good chunk of what I paid for it.
Re: in 10 years iphones will look ... dated
it wont be worth any money when you're a feudal serf under the new world order.
London Met say 1/2 of stolen phones are "i". What can you say, it's London! Full of the pretentious wannabes, walking about with an iPhone and no LIFE!
In fact, I'd speculate that the figure should be higher considering how the fannybois think its the best thing EVER.
The victims are obviously holding them wrong...
Yeah... leaving already!
If you want to know what's likely to happen, ask a bookie. If you want to know how risky something is, ask an underwriter. And if you want to know whether something is worth anything or not, ask a thief.
What has the world come to?
I mean,if I had an iPhone stolen from me, rest assured the real crime would be that I lowered myself to actually owning it in the first place!
The reason iPhones get nicked
Simple - it's the market that dictates. They are worth more secondhand than anything else. They cost more to begin with and they have far higher residual value especially when unmarked - as they tend to be because they are high quality kit that is generally well looked after.
classic mistake
Its nothing to do with the phones at all. Or the crims desires. These are opportunistic crimes.
Its easy:
Stupid People buy crapple.
Stupid People stand around on the street with their phones out
Stupid People get mugged.
Huh.
Another Anna Leach (love the pseudonym by the way, Leach is a pseudonym right?) article of made up statistic, massive leaps in logic that is choc full of click-bait hater material that those tech haters just cant get enough of.
Meanwhile in the real world the truth is out there but you wont find it on snide, hate mongering shitfest "The Register".
Cynical sideways looking? No, you're just a bunch of leaches (do you see what I did...)
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