Activation Lock has Reduced Theft in Major Cities
Multiple officials report drastic decreases in iPhone thefts since Apple has introduced Activation Lock in iOS 7. A method that renders a stolen iOS device without the owner’s Apple ID and password. Reuters reports that the number of reported iPhone thefts has fallen year-on-year by 25% in New York, 40% in San Francisco and 50% in London.
iOS enables Activation Lock by default in iOS 8. The feature is so secure, Apple Retail employees cannot remove Activation Lock in the store. This makes your shinny new smartphone or tablet turn into a useless paperweight. It’s worth noting that downgrading a device that is activation locked on iOS 7 to previous versions will still prompt for Activation Lock. That said, this is only applicable to the iPhone 4.