Phone theft has become a brazen and unfortunately common occurrence in London, with thieves often using e-bikes to swiftly snatch valuables from pedestrians. However, recent reports suggest that these criminals are exhibiting a distinct, profit-driven preference for the devices they choose to steal.
The key finding emerging from anecdotal reports is that many thieves are actively rejecting Samsung and other Android devices, opting to focus solely on stealing iPhones. In some cases, thieves have even returned a snatched Android phone to the victim.
One such story involved a 32-year-old man in south London who was cornered by a group of men. After taking his possessions, one thief returned the phone, stating bluntly, “Don’t want no Samsung.”
In another instance, a man named Mark had his phone snatched by a thief on an e-bike, only for the culprit to stop, look at the Samsung Galaxy device, throw it onto the ground, and cycle away, clearly deciding the device wasn’t worth the crime.
While official, quantitative data is not available to definitively rank thieves’ preferences, the anecdotal evidence points towards iPhones being the preferred target. This choice is rooted in simple economics: iPhones maintain significantly higher resale values in the secondary market compared to Android devices, including Samsung’s flagship Galaxy phones.
Although stolen devices net thieves only a fraction of their original cost, prioritizing the iPhone ensures they get the maximum possible cash return for their criminal efforts.
As authorities struggle to effectively curb the rising tide of phone thefts in the UK capital, the article humorously suggests that, ironically, one of the best defenses for citizens against these brazen snatch-and-grab operations might be to simply purchase a Samsung phone.