Muggers don’t wan’t BlackBerries and Androids, opt for iPhones instead

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWwGilxhhcg]

Since the launch and rise of Apple’s coveted iPhone, the mainstream media is quick to jump on any story where thieves are specifically targeting Apple users.
This is because the iPhone is seen as a high-end, luxury device in comparison to its Android counterparts – despite having an entry price tag lower than most competitors.

While the price isn’t preventing the average smartphone user from grabbing an iPhone anymore, thieves still seem to target iPhone users, presumably for their high resale value.

A report from NBC New York profiled a pair of robbers in upper Manhattan who chose to not take an Android and other non-iPhone devices found on their victims.

A pair of would-be robbers targeting Columbia students in upper Manhattan seem to be rather picky as they prowled. Twice at 526 114th St., and once at 556 114th St., the suspects demanded the victims hand over their iPhones, police said.

The first victim complied, but the second only had a Droid, according to police. The thieves apparently didn’t want a Droid, so they took cash instead.

“I think it speaks to the resale value of an iPhone,” said one student.

Another student said: “It’s insulting they don’t want my BlackBerry.”

Another student interviewed by NBC on the nearby Columbia campus said: “I don’t like mine [BlackBerry], I’m waiting to get an iPhone myself.”

Police have yet to catch the two suspects, but they are hoping someone recognizes the men shown briefly in snapshots in the video above, as well as one suspect caught on surveillance video.