Prosecutors in San Francisco and New York are planning to appoint state and federal security researchers to trial the latest anti-theft features developed to thwart the global rise in smartphone stealing.
The trials, which test Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S4 devices, will measure effectiveness against common tricks used by thieves in stealing devices.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a joint statement that they will assess the solutions proposed by the mobile makers to see if they stand up to the tactics commonly employed by thieves.
"Together, we are working to ensure that the industry imbed persistent technology that is effective, ubiquitous and free to consumers in every smartphone introduced to the market by next year," the prosecutors added.
According to statistics from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), about one in three robberies across the country involves the theft of a mobile phone.
London has also been victim of mobile theft, with 10,000 handsets a month and the London Mayor Boris Johnson has urged the mobile manufacturing firms to take the issue seriously.
In a letter to Apple, Samsung, Google and other mobile makers, Johnson said: "If we are to deter theft and help prevent crimes that victimise your customers and the residents and visitors to our city, we need meaningful engagement from business and a clear demonstration that your company is serious about your corporate responsibility to help solve this problem."
