Samsung grabbing marketshare from Apple among muggers as stolen smartphone brand of choice

It appears there’s a dark side to Samsung’s growing market share, with Galaxy smartphones increasingly grabbing the attention of muggers and thieves in the US.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Apple’s iPhone has been the traditional choice of pickpockets in the Bay Area, claiming the dubious title as its most commonly stolen consumer electronics device.

However, according to San Francisco Police Department Captain Joe Garrity, the growing popularity of Samsung’s smartphones has led to a sharp uptick in the number of Galaxy smartphones reported missing or stolen.

The observations appear to be in line with recent comScore figures showing a quarter-on-quarter growth in use for both Apple and Samsung smartphone use, with Apple’s US marketshare increasing to 39% in the March quarter, up from 36.3% the previous quarter, while Samsung’s grew from 21% to 21.7%.

According to Garrity, a more disturbing trend in recent times has been the increasing use of weapons and force in mobile phone theft, rather than traditional pick-pocketing methods.

Police departments in both the US and Australia warn mobile phone users – whether they prefer Apple or Samsung – to take precautions while using mobile devices in public.