Samsung adding anti-theft solutions to smartphones

Apple created a similar “activation lock” feature for the iPhone last year

Shame! Copycatter.

Why not have anti-tech theft?

They don't stop theft, they just stop them being used after they have been stolen.

And it has to be enabled!

Both GSM and CDMA phones have unique, burned-in hardware identifiers — the IMEI and MEID, respectively — and carriers know which ID is associated with your account. If you report a phone as stolen, the carrier could prevent that ID from being reactivated, provide you with information about its location, notify law enforcement, seize it when brought into a store, and so forth. But many carriers do essentially none of that.

Samsung, anti-theft solution?...irony at its best.

No company has announced the launch of this in Japan, what gives?

Samsung, anti-theft solution?...irony at its best.

This is to make up for Apple's shameless copying of an 8 inch tablet and the upcoming 4.4 and 5.5 inch galaxy clone!

Android users should be using cerberus - an excellent and powerful app for securing and locating lost and stolen phones.

To all of you claiming that Samsung is copying Apple in this feature. This feature was available on Android long before Apples`s last year launch. No one had said then, that Apple has copied the idea and the way the feature functions. Apple is a great company with great products, but most of their products are based on other companies innovations. Thus for example touch screen is not an apple invention

If thieves were punished harder for theft that might actually act as a deterrent Make it so un worth while for thieves to thrive in our society, if caught stealing they are punished so hard that no one wants to steal. In fact all types of property and violence crimes should be severely punished in my opinion.