Purchasing top-of-the-line phones often leaves owners vulnerable to theft. Apple’s iPhone was first-to-market with a legit solution to this problem, and the numbers indicate this move is working all around the country. Apparently the iPhone's “kill switch” is making would-be thieves think twice about swiping your phone. The switch ceases iPhones running iOS 7 from working unless the authorized user in there to unlock it, thus preventing thieves from using the factory reset to repurpose your phone.
According to the data collected by IDG news service, iPhone thefts in London fell by 24% in the first few months after the implementation of the kill switch, along with 38% in San Francisco and 19% in New York. However, with iPhone theft taking a drastic decline, other phones such as Samsung's Galaxy are now prey for criminals. As found by IDG, Samsung device thefts are up a full 40% in New York.
Google and Microsoft are now feeling the pressure to introduce similar functions to their top devices so their owners feel a bit more protected. And while the companies' phones don’t currently offer the same "kill switch" now, they have released downloadable apps such as the Android Device Manager that offer similar capabilities.
However, even with the release of protective apps, users still want the reassurance of a “kill switch”. The power to encrypt and password-protect the iPhone in a way that makes it unusable to thieves is obviously working to combat crime, and users of non-Apple phones are demanding that same type of reassurance. Once more smartphones implement the switch, thieves will have no use for stolen phones whatsoever. Sounds like the perfect tech world.
[via The Guardian]
