The phones will be sold to a chop shop, which will take them apart and sell the parts, just as cars have long been to avoid getting caught.

In the 3 months since my phone was stolen, it never once connected to the Internet, preventing Find My iPhone from registering its existence ("Sound and Lost Mode Pending" until phone connects to Internet). That's how I know it was stolen by a pro network, working the busy Manhattan photocopy stores, swiping phones off counters when people like me are pre-occupied. The clerks at the store confirmed that this was a known (by them and the NYPD) and growing activity.

If Apple is following their own recommended best practices for device management, they'll also be enrolled in DEP and will just automatically deploy whatever MDM tool Apple uses as soon as they touch the Internet again. The MDM tool can then be used to locate and wipe the devices in an endless loop.

But I see them grabbing laptops. Those can be rooted and setup again. Right?

Yeah, but as soon as they connect to apple for registration/updates/etc they could (theoretically) be blocked again.

> Yeah, but as soon as they connect to apple for registration/updates/etc they could (theoretically) be blocked again.

But it's probably won't be the thief that will be left holding the bag, but rather sucker who buys the loot off of them.

Undoubtedly.

locked, but working parts only iphone 10 is still >$600.