Google Android, Microsoft Windows Phone to Receive Smartphone Kill Switches

Following a drop in theft due to the Apple iPhone iOS 7 kill switch, Google Android and Microsoft Windows Phone mobile operating systems will also receive similar treatment.

It’s good to see Microsoft including a kill switch, but this is critical to deter theft for Android – the Samsung Galaxy S series of smartphones are popular among consumers, and equally popular among criminals. It’s unknown when Microsoft and Google will roll out these kill switches, but they will become available soon.

In major metropolitan areas, especially in the United States, theft and robberies related to smartphones is a common occurrence. Thieves are able to steal popular smartphone models and flip them on the black market quickly, hopefully before the owner is able to brick the device.

Here is what the New York Attorney General said:

“An activated kill switch converts an easy-to-sell, high-value multimedia device into a jumble of plastic and glass, drastically reducing its street value.”

In Europe, one in three Europeans experienced theft or loss of a smartphone during 2013, according to reports. Police authorities, phone manufacturers, and wireless carriers hope kill switches will deter thieves away from smartphones, which can be remotely bricked before they are re-sold.

Thank you Bloomberg for providing us with this information