Why doesn't Apple make their products hard to steal?

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trishdbn

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I was burgled two weeks ago. Thieves climbed into my first-floor window while I was sleeping, came down into my study and stole my Apple Macbook and iPad and a Sony Cybershot camera. They had lifted my Kindle from my bedside table before leaving the room but abandoned it downstairs presumably when they saw it was a book to read and not a tablet.

I have listed the serial numbers with Apple but my question is this, why doesn't Apple make it impossible for their products to be stolen by creating software that shuts everything down and makes them unusable unless e.g. the owner personally takes the device to an official Apple store with ID and proof of purchase or something (like when you need a new key for an upmarket car from the dealer)? Surely with the brain power available to Apple this would be easy software to produce? I did have Findme activated on the iPad, but clearly the thieves know about this and it was deactivated, so it's actually a useless app if your property is stolen. Apple products are targeted because of their high value, so shouldn't Apple have some responsibility in making them theft-proof or am I being naive here?
 
it is indeed a stupid app. there apps on android that you can let the device ring on the loudest setting and a bunch of other stuff. if you turn locaiton services off for this IOS device that silly app is rendered useless.

i added an unlock pin. rather irritating but apparently you need it to do anything to the phone even if stolen. i hope i understand this correctly.
 
Considering that a iCloud/AppStore is a big part of the Apple ecosystem I imagine it would be reasonably simple to blacklist stolen devices from those services. iPhone/iPad without Appstore access would be pretty useless.
 
akescpt said:
i added an unlock pin. rather irritating but apparently you need it to do anything to the phone even if stolen. i hope i understand this correctly.
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Nothing a quick flash with a clean OS will not sort out. Joke is in NY iTheft is so bad they actually created a dedicated task force for iCrimes.

Guess that is the bad side of high re-sale value.
 
akescpt said:
there apps on android that you can let the device ring on the loudest setting and a bunch of other stuff. if you turn locaiton services off for this IOS device that silly app is rendered useless.
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Aren't Android devices rendered the same? Unless there is a secret network layer that it gets loaded onto that doesn't require the phone to be active.
 
Fudzy said:
Aren't Android devices rendered the same? Unless there is a secret network layer that it gets loaded onto that doesn't require the phone to be active.
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No.

for example: Avast's Anti Theft when installed as root, can turn that on regardless, let you know where it is and what sim number is in the device if changed. It also informs me via Email when my battery is below 5% with its location. It gets better. Avast anti theft will not allow you to remove/uninstall it without a pin. Only way to get rid of it and its functionality is to flash a custom rom. Oh and good luck to the thief if your recovery is protected and debug mode was turned off.

So simply put no, with Android you get loads more functionality, if you went for the right app.
 
AlphaJohn said:
No.

for example: Avast's Anti Theft when installed as root, can turn that on regardless, let you know where it is and what sim number is in the device if changed. It also informs me via Email when my battery is below 5% with its location. It gets better. Avast anti theft will not allow you to remove/uninstall it without a pin. Only way to get rid of it and its functionality is to flash a custom rom. Oh and good luck to the thief if your recovery is protected and debug mode was turned off.

So simply put no, with Android you get loads more functionality, if you went for the right app.
Click to expand...

Yes but that requires rooting the phones. A lot of people aren't comfortable with doing that. I have Avast on my phone though it's never mailed me about my battery g etting low? Is that feature available in the free version.
 
Fudzy said:
Aren't Android devices rendered the same? Unless there is a secret network layer that it gets loaded onto that doesn't require the phone to be active.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure you need location services running on any platform... FindMyPhone works really well. Recovered my phone from a shack in Diepsloot when it was stolen last year. If you turn those services off, well then there isn't a device manufacturer in the world that can help I'm afraid.
Yes, you can send a tone to the phone, yes you can lock it, yes you can wipe it. Thing is, there's a SIM card in the phone, or iPad if you have the 3G version, and its on a network, providing the phone is turned on of course. Your Mac won't be 'till someone logs onto a WiFi network or plugs in a modem. Same lock/wipe applies when they do 'tho. My Mac (I mean paperweight) was in Zambia.
 
Fudzy said:
Yes but that requires rooting the phones. A lot of people aren't comfortable with doing that. I have Avast on my phone though it's never mailed me about my battery g etting low? Is that feature available in the free version.
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Yes its in free as well, in avast go:

Anti theft -> Advance settings -> protection behavior -> Second last option "Low battery notification"
 
AlphaJohn said:
No.

for example: Avast's Anti Theft when installed as root, can turn that on regardless, let you know where it is and what sim number is in the device if changed. It also informs me via Email when my battery is below 5% with its location. It gets better. Avast anti theft will not allow you to remove/uninstall it without a pin. Only way to get rid of it and its functionality is to flash a custom rom. Oh and good luck to the thief if your recovery is protected and debug mode was turned off.

So simply put no, with Android you get loads more functionality, if you went for the right app.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it need be running some location services to do that 'tho?
 
greg0205 said:
Pretty sure you need location services running on any platform... FindMyPhone works really well. Recovered my phone from a shack in Diepsloot when it was stolen last year. If you turn those services off, well then there isn't a device manufacturer in the world that can help I'm afraid.
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Huh?

Its exactly they who can address the problem, its a software command to turn it on/off so they can code the OS to do exactly that. At least with Android (once rooted) you can have the same access as the OS and turn the sucker on.
 
AlphaJohn said:
Yes its in free as well, in avast go:

Anti theft -> Advance settings -> protection behavior -> Second last option "Low battery notification"
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll check it out. What are avast! getting out of this? Data mining?
 
AlphaJohn said:
Huh?

Its exactly they who can address the problem, its a software command to turn it on/off so they can code the OS to do exactly that. At least with Android (once rooted) you can have the same access as the OS and turn the sucker on.
Click to expand...

My point is that if a user opts to turn location services off, does it matter what the manufacturer build into the OS?
 
What are the odds of your rooted phone being stolen and decommissioned using avast! vs. your SP rejecting a warranty claim on your rooted phone?
 
Fudzy said:
Thanks, I'll check it out. What are avast! getting out of this? Data mining?
Click to expand...

They bought the German co that made Theft aware, and gave it to the world for free.

Just out of interest here is an old review of Theft aware. Also full command list: http://www.avast.com/free-mobile-security#tab5

I guess Avast wants you to buy the desktop and business versions as well?

Fudzy said:
What are the odds of your rooted phone being stolen and decommissioned using avast! vs. your SP rejecting a warranty claim on your rooted phone?
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I have yet to see anyone state they where refused warranty repair for hardware failures on a rooted device.

Edit: Sorry to OP for hijacking your thread it was not my intention.
 
Last edited:
Well I mean if you want to use Find my iPhone/iPad/Macbook and then proceed to turn it's Location service off....what exactly did you expect was going to happen?

If you want to use something...you need to enable it.
 
greg0205 said:
My point is that if a user opts to turn location services off, does it matter what the manufacturer build into the OS?
Click to expand...

Yes because they can code an option into "find my phone" that if it detects a sim change it will turn the sucker right back on, get location and sms/email or whatever it to a set database with the new number. That way you can then interact with it and send lock/wipe/siren and other command as needed.
 
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