Smartphones Comes With A New Theft Defence Software

By next year, most new smartphones thefts may reduce with the the software.

Microsoft and Google said on Thursday stated that the phones using their operating systems produced by big names like Samsung, Nokia and Motorola will have a kill switch that can render the devices unusable after they have been reported stolen. Apple’s iPhone has had a kill switch, called Activation Lock.

A kill switch is software that lets consumers lock down a phone after the device has been reported stolen; users can reactivate the phone only with the correct password or personal identification number. That makes it difficult to sell on the black market.

Samsung introduced a kill switch for its Galaxy S5 device in April, so it will be some time until its effect on theft rates can be evaluated.

Microsoft said that it would introduce a kill switch in a future software update for its Windows Phone operating system. Google will also be introducing one in the next version of Android, said a Google spokesman.