I just got off the phone with a client. He went to breakfast Saturday morning and as he was being seated he noticed a shiny new iPhone that the owner had placed on the table while he ate. Apparently both the owner of the phone and his wife left the table at the same time briefly and when they returned, the iPhone had been stolen.
He had owned it about 12 hours.
I'm not sure why anyone would take it, it's not like AT&T will let it on the network again. I guess the thief just wanted some bling to impress his peeps.
I searched the net this morning and I think it was the first iPhone to be stolen. At least the owner got to be first at something.
Comments (16)
The iPhone wasn't stolen, i... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Heralder | July 2, 2007 10:48 AM | Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
The iPhone wasn't stolen, it got up and left on it's own accord. It's apparently a feature they're trying to correct before enough iPhones get together and form and iRevolution.
Technical analysts however, fear the rogue iPhones may not have such lofty intentions; worrying that if too many iPhones escape, they may start hunting down Razers, raping iPods and subjecting Blackberries to humiliating hazing rituals.
A patch is due on Thursday, if it's not already too late.
1. Posted by Heralder | July 2, 2007 10:48 AM |
Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 10:48
2. Posted by VoiceOfReason | July 2, 2007 10:49 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Careful, friend...your prejudices are showing.
2. Posted by VoiceOfReason | July 2, 2007 10:49 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 10:49
3. Posted by Heralder | July 2, 2007 10:57 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Your post completely belies your handle VoiceOfReason.
3. Posted by Heralder | July 2, 2007 10:57 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 10:57
4. Posted by Pretzel_logic | July 2, 2007 10:59 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
hmmmmm..who cares?
4. Posted by Pretzel_logic | July 2, 2007 10:59 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 10:59
5. Posted by David | July 2, 2007 11:00 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The phone can be used with a different SIM card so it could work on any network (though some features are specific to AT&T's iPhone accounts). I think Apple has tied the phone to an iTunes account, so the thief won't be able to upload their own content. I don't see any way that the internet communicator features could be locked out of using a WiFi network after the phone is stolen.
Of course if the owner enabled the passcode feature than the stolen iPhone is just a brick to the thief.
5. Posted by David | July 2, 2007 11:00 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 11:00
6. Posted by cirby | July 2, 2007 11:06 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
The iPhone also has a hard-coded hardware ID, which identifies it whenever it logs on.
So no, it's not really usable to a thief. Unless it's activated, the only thing you can do is call 911.
(Mine is really nice - I was out last night, and it was definitely a hit.)
6. Posted by cirby | July 2, 2007 11:06 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 11:06
7. Posted by Paul | July 2, 2007 11:30 AM | Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
>The phone can be used with a different SIM card so it could work on any network
nope. It must be activated thru AT&T or it is a brick.
7. Posted by Paul | July 2, 2007 11:30 AM |
Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 11:30
8. Posted by brainy435 | July 2, 2007 12:34 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
I couldn't care less about the iPhone, but 2 stories made me smile today. Driving into work this morning, someone mentioned a story relating how the mayor of Philly spent hours in line to get himself a iPhone... signing papers in line or having flunkys take his place for more important matters. Then listening to Rush at lunch he was mentioning that he had 10 or so of them and was just giving them away over the next week.
Doesn't mean anything, I just thought it was humerous.
8. Posted by brainy435 | July 2, 2007 12:34 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 12:34
9. Posted by Linoge | July 2, 2007 2:18 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Well, there is no accounting for general-purpose stupidity, both in terms of the person who left the iPhone out in the open, and in terms of the person who stole it.
... and do not even get me started on how sad this iPhone craze is. I am about to shoot the editors of Gizmodo...
9. Posted by Linoge | July 2, 2007 2:18 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 14:18
10. Posted by NH | July 2, 2007 6:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I guess he just wanted to be the first to access the first presidential candidate to utilize the iPhone..
www.ronpaul2008.com/iphone
10. Posted by NH | July 2, 2007 6:09 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 18:09
11. Posted by Anonymous | July 2, 2007 7:13 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Paul is correct. You cannot just put any old sim card into the iPhone, will not work. You can take the iPhone sim out and put it in another phone, but not vice versa.
Quite frankly, we are not even quite sure what happens regarding changing a sim card in our systems. But there is a link between the sim, phone number, last 4 of SS#, and imie.
11. Posted by Anonymous | July 2, 2007 7:13 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 19:13
12. Posted by epador | July 2, 2007 8:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
An unactivated or deactivated iPhone is not a brick. Just a very expensive compact mirror.
12. Posted by epador | July 2, 2007 8:15 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 2, 2007 20:15
13. Posted by cirby | July 3, 2007 3:39 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
By the way: I'm typing this post on an iPhone.
13. Posted by cirby | July 3, 2007 3:39 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 3, 2007 03:39
14. Posted by jpm100 | July 3, 2007 9:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
We had obscure technical equipment stolen from work. Someone found it on eBay with pictures including a picture of the rear panel which happened to have a corporate ID tag and unique corporate serial number.
Thieves aren't smart.
I'm making a guess here, but I gather iPhone service is unique. This is the same reason for the activation trouble since there is one carrier with limit capacity. So I imagine it wouldn't take much to track down the phone when in use or at least render it useless.
14. Posted by jpm100 | July 3, 2007 9:02 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 3, 2007 09:02
15. Posted by IBBigPoppa | January 14, 2008 1:20 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Most if the information here is inaccurate. I have just experienced this situation. My phone was stolen and after several conversations with Apple and AT&T this is what I have found out.
The phone is NOT rendered a "brick" as you call it. If the SIM card is removed and replaced with a new card (thus giving it a new IMEI number)and the device is wiped clean, it can be reactived thru iTunes. Apple does nothing to verify the actual device serial number is not reported stolen during the automated activation thru iTunes.
The only thing that can be done after the fact, is hope the person has some type of problem with the device and takes it back to Apple for service.
I've heard there is some type of device tracking software commercially available. I will post the name once I find it.
15. Posted by IBBigPoppa | January 14, 2008 1:20 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 14, 2008 13:20
16. Posted by BillyBong | March 28, 2011 12:30 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
My iPhone got stolen almost the same way; I accidentally left it on the creamer counter at a coffee shop and it was gone! I did find http://www.stolenlostfound.net/, a website to report it stolen online and it appears on the search engines by serial number.
16. Posted by BillyBong | March 28, 2011 12:30 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 28, 2011 00:30