iphone or ipod with wireless & basic mobile

jamesmorgan

Niv wrote: »

So rather than have a go at me try reading the posts in context.

I'm not having a go at you - I'm just pointing our that the OP's concerns about mobile phone theft shouldn't be dismissed as paranoia. The following link provides much of the info you were asking for (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/9663807/Mobile-phone-theft-rises-by-25pc-in-three-years.html). There are various ways you can mitigated against this happening to you, but one simple way to minimise the impact is to carry around a cheaper phone. It seems quite a sensible approach to me.

Niv

jamesmorgan wrote: »

I'm not having a go at you - I'm just pointing our that the OP's concerns about mobile phone theft shouldn't be dismissed as paranoia. The following link provides much of the info you were asking for (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/9663807/Mobile-phone-theft-rises-by-25pc-in-three-years.html). There are various ways you can mitigated against this happening to you, but one simple way to minimise the impact is to carry around a cheaper phone. It seems quite a sensible approach to me.

Can you answer me this. What difference does it make if I am listening to my music on an ipod, iphone, other smart phone, or old mobile if it is out of sight in my pocket when I get mugged? Is it not more likely that as phones these days are more ‘multipurpose’ devices that it is more likely to be a phone rather than ‘just’ a music listening device that is stolen when a person is mugged? For example, I can’t remember the last time I used my ‘walk man’ as it would mean carrying around 2 devices rather than 1.

Thanks for the link, had a look at that link and see 8% had their phones snatched and 6% were mugged for their phone which kind of supports my assertion that in most cases it is not the phone that is being stolen rather the person is being robbed for whatever they have. ~17% of people have had their phone stolen from their bag/pocket but no info to suggest if anything else was stolen (i.e purse/wallet) so no conclusion that it was the phone targeted can really be made. No full breakdown is provided, but of course I don’t expect that from a media story. What I am trying to get across is that the media have made a story (maybe scaremongering maybe not) but all the facts are not provided, simply the bits that suit the angle they are going for. You come across as a person with common sense and I do not expect you to be suckered in by what the media tell you (particularly when their info is bare bones – 69% of phone thefts have not been explained!).

Carrying a cheap phone to minimise the impact (likelihood) of getting your phone stolen will indeed reduce the impact on you, but only by 14% (as per your linked article) as for the rest of phone thefts it is not clear if the phone was actually the target as opposed to just ‘things’ to sell on etc.

(Lastly to add – I do hope you are taking this back and fro as a debate and not an argument where one of us is right and one is wrong)

katejo

Niv wrote: »

How do you think it will get snached? If you put it in your pocket (zipped or buttoned maybe - I dont know what coat you wear :-)) with only the headphones visable, how can it get snatched? Or do you walk around waving your music device around your head so all can see it? Sorry - I just think you are being a little paranoid about getting your phone snatched while listening to music, do you also not intend using your mobile phone in public as someone could snatch it while you are texting/talking on the phone?

I don't think I am being paranoid. I recently saw a young woman checking her Smartphone as she left a train. Then I heard screams from behind me. It had been taken. I doubt anyone would snatch my current old IPOD but if they did, they couldn't use it to run up expensive bills by ringing abroad.

Niv

katejo wrote: »

I don't think I am being paranoid. I recently saw a young woman checking her Smartphone as she left a train. Then I heard screams from behind me. It had been taken. I doubt anyone would snatch my current old IPOD but if they did, they couldn't use it to run up expensive bills by ringing abroad.

Ok, maybe I should not have used the word paranoid, I accept that may have been too strong a word, however, what I was trying to get at was; you mentioned that you intend to listen to music while walking around, where would the devise you listen to the music be? I mean, in your hand or in a pocket (inside pocket even?)? If in a pocket that is zipped or an inside pocket then in my opinion it doesn’t matter if you use a phone or ipod to listen to your music as the item is out of sight and any potential mugger does not know if you are using a phone (new or old) or an ipod and would not know until they have snatched it, once deciding its an old ipod that they don’t want they are still unlikely to return it so the ‘snatch’ occurred anyway. If you hold it in your hand like someone may an e-reader, then I agree that an old ipod would be less attractive to a mugger.

As for the ringing abroad thing that could occur on any phone and assuming you know your phone has been snatched then it could be blocked very quickly and you should suffer no high bill that you didn’t do.