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An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/thieves-want-your-iphone-not-your-android [extremetech.com]

Pickpockets and other criminals often return Android smartphones to their victims, the UK's latest data shows.

Phone thieves in London are increasingly selective, often returning Android phones to victims and keeping only iPhones, the newsletter London Centric reports.

In January, someone named Sam was walking past a Royal Mail depot in south London when eight men blocked his way, robbed him of his phone, camera, and hat, and then returned his Android after seeing it was not an iPhone. The thief bluntly told him, "Don't want no Samsung," and ran off, Sam told London Centric.

Quite a few Android users across the city have experienced the same thing. Some have had their phones taken only for thieves to discard them moments later, or hand them right back after checking the brand.

Experts say that the probable reason for this trend is the higher resale value of iPhones globally. An advisor at cybersecurity firm ESET told London Centric that thieves chase that Apple-driven profit, as Android often has a lower value on the secondhand market, and some criminals think it's not worth getting charged over something less valuable.

Reports over the last decade show this preference is long-standing. Previous data from the UK government's Home Office shows iPhones regularly top lists of models most likely to be stolen, years before criminal groups began focusing on shipping Apple devices abroad.

For Android owners, the current pattern may be a cold comfort: While your phone might be less desirable to some, it could save you a headache down the line.

Original Submission