Why is it seemingly impossible to stop phone thieves?

Even if you have never had your smartphone stolen, you probably know someone who has. In London, 80,000 phones were stolen last year alone. And as victims of phone theft know, while the loss of a pricey gadget can sting, the dreary administrative slog in replacing a device that runs your entire life can, in some ways, be worse. So why can't we stop phone thieves – and is there a better way to protect your personal data? The answer is partly down to the numerous ways that criminals profit from stolen phones, but it is also about technology firms prioritising usability over security and international governments failing to arrive at a global solution.