In central London, thieves snatch an iPhone out of someone’s hand every 6 minutes, often via passing moped. The problem is so pervasive someone came up with a new line of comically intimidating iPhone cases as part of an awareness campaign called “The Unsnatchable.”
One case bristles with silver spikes. Another looks like an angry electric eel. A third conveys a curse within. And a fourth takes the form of a gauntlet you wear to clutch the handset in an iron grip.
The Unsnatchable: iPhone cases that scare away would-be thieves
The campaign’s taglines promoting the limited-edition iPhone cases encourage beleaguered Londoners, saying, “They can’t steal what they can’t touch” and “The case that leaves phone thieves empty handed.”
So The Unsnatchable website notes the cases have been “stress tested at the most snatched location in London: Oxford Circus tube station.” But it gives no information about any such test results. And yet one can imagine a thief thinking twice about trying to snatch one.
You might wonder who’s behind this counter-thievery crusade. A creative media company called Joan mounted The Unsnatchable campaign. The iPhone cases done up with “defenses” appear to be real. So can you get one? Well, they appear to be intended to boost Londoners’ morale, but you can always try. Joan notes “Incredibly limited stock available. Enquire on [email protected].”
In London, on average, a mobile phone is stolen every six minutes, often snatched from someone's hand on a passing scooter
The JOAN brand has offered a radical solution to this problem.pic.twitter.com/GXk0pHPFvm
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) October 24, 2024
Helpful iPhone safety advice from The Untouchable
And as part of the campaign, The Untouchable offers practical advice on keeping your iPhone safe from thieves. In its words:
- Not all thieves wear stripes and masks. Some of them have mopeds too! So walk away from the road and make sure you can hear what’s going on if you’re looking at your phone.
- Write down your phone’s IMEI number, keep it safe, and report it if your phone is stolen to disable the device. Imagine their sweet disappointment.
- Feel a little safer on the streets of London. Feeling safe feels fucking good.
And of course, the campaign urges Londoners to get more practical safety information from the Metropolitan Police at www.met.police.uk/phonesnatch.
Request a case from The Unsnatchable: [email protected]
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
