Last September, Apple released iOS 7 with Activation Lock Security and, within months, crime rates around the world began to fall — totally not kidding. Now that Apple’s launched their Activation Lock Check tool, look for rates to fall further.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has reported that robberies involving Apple products plummeted 19 percent, which helped push grand larcenies off a 29 percent cliff. That said, robberies overall dropped 9.4 percent and grand larcenies (ie valued at $1,000 or more).
Boom.
Activation Lock’d Not?
It’s such a good idea that California has made kill switch technology mandatory. That law, sadly, doesn’t come into effect for some months, leaving people without iPhones vulnerable, very vulnerable
For example, crimes involving smartphones without activation lock or other kill switch technology, such Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones, spiked 40 percent over the first five months of 2015. Smirk.
Finally, the Galaxy S5 is desirable, though Samsung is promising it will deliver improved kill switch technology.
Now, Apple is raising their game again by making it even harder for criminals to sell stolen iPhones. Apple’s new Activation Lock Check webpage allows potential iPhone buyers to check the serial number or IMEI number of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch against Apple’s own online database of iThings with Activation Lock enabled.
Fundamentally, if someone wants to sell you an iPhone [sic] with Activation Lock enabled, but can’t provide the login and password, you shouldn’t buy, period.
How to Use iPhone Activation Lock Check
How does one check for Activation Lock before purchasing a used device? You will need the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch’s serial number or IMEI number.
With that in hand, visit Activation Lock status webpage, type or copy/paste the serial or IMEI in the form and hit return.
If Activation Lock is enabled, you either get the login/password or you don’t buy. Life for gray market iPhone buyers is that simple…
What’s your take?
Via: Ars Technica, Source: Apple Knowledge Base