Last Updated on November 20, 2025
It seems that thieves have a particular liking for one particular flagship over the other. It has emerged that thieves in London, the capital of England, tend to return phones to their owners if they’re not an iPhone. That means, even if you boast a premium one, such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, they would rather not keep it once they steal it from your pocket or bag. Maybe that’s a great anti-theft security then!
Thieves prefer to steal iPhones or return them if it’s not one
Coming via London Centric, it’s reported that thieves are more eager to steal iPhones than Samsung or any other Android brand phones. It references examples. Early in 202,5 in London, a 32-year-old man had his phone stolen by a group of eight men. But to his surprise and much of humanity, one of the good thieves brought back the phone to him. He apparently announced, “Don’t want no Samsung.”
Another male, Mark, also saw a young man take his phone on an e-bike. He followed the culprit who stopped to see the phone, threw the phone on the ground, and ran off. It was for sure not an iPhone. Maybe a Samsung or OnePlus! And just like in the first case, this one also didn’t prefer to keep a phone that’s not an iPhone after putting up such effort to steal it.
The reason: Higher resale value
But we are not dealing with thieves whose actions defy logic because there is a logic to their ‘noble’ act of returning the phones after stealing them. And that’s because iPhones tend to offer higher resale values in the secondary market. And add to the fact that stolen phones get thieves a much smaller amount, any non-iPhone device offers them little value. This is why they prefer to steal iPhones.
Now this may definitely interest you: Things to look for while buying a second-hand phone
So, while Android vs iPhone is a sustained debate among smartphone lovers, it seems that being safe from thieves requires one to buy a Samsung or other Android brand phone.
But which phone do you prefer? Is iPhone your favorite or other brands, such as Xiaomi, OnePlus, or not-so-favorite Samsung?
