iPhone lost overseas

[ThaiGuy]

Hi. I live in the States & I have an iPhone 4s with Sprint. I'm visiting Thailand & it only took me about 48 hours to accidentally leave my iPhone in a cab which then drove away. It's totally my fault; not blaming anybody & I don't expect to see the phone again. The main part of my question is replacing the phone & is there any way to get my old phone number back again? This is because I'm currently job-searching & with lots of resumes out there, I want people to be able to reach me by the old number.

Some amplifying details... Phone is screen-locked and in airplane mode, but wifi is turned on. Therefore, I don't think it will ever show up on FindMyPhone unless it happens to connect to a non-password protected wifi net which is unlikely. There are about 1,000,000 taxi companies in Bangkok & they all look the same, so I have no recollection of the driver or taxi company. I just flagged him down on the street, but there's no way for me to retrace who he was. I'm thinking the driver probably didn't find the phone (it was at night), so most likely the next passenger got it & kept it. With the phone offline, I don't know any way to contact them & offer a reward.

I have renters insurance with USAA back home; I'll check the policy but does anyone know if renter's insurance generally covers this kind of loss?

And finally, my biggest question... What will Apple/Sprint do for me when I get home? I bought the phone at an Apple store 9 months ago. Is there any way to get my old number back?

One saving grace... I had just rerecorded my voice mail greeting, which says "I'm out of country..." and gives a different number for people to reach me. So at least I'm not totally out of touch right now.

TIA!

 

[Mrbobb]

Ur number is tied with ur carrier, not with the physical phone.

 

[maliu]

Get a pay as you go phone with a temporary number....for while you are gone. Then get a new phone on your regular number when you get back? Or somehow convince your provider to sell you a new phone and ship it to Thailand? Doubt they'd do that.

 

[ThaiGuy]

Thanks. I should have clarified that I don't need the phone in Thailand. I can wait till I get back to the States. As long as I can't get my old number back -- which is sounds like I can -- then I'll chalk this up to an expensive mistake in carelessness.

 

[ThaiGuy]

And the good news is, the phone was found in the proverbial "last place I looked" (hip pocket of my jeans tossed over the back of a chair). Nice way to begin Day 3 in Thailand.

 

[Kaelynlock]

At least the story ended well, I hate that blind panic when you think you have lost something!

 

[m4v3r1ck]

Prediction!? Not very far in the future g3/4 devices will be locked (rom fried) based on the imei # of the device! If lost or stolen, nobody will benefit from it ever again!

Your thoughts please?

Cheers and enjoy your Easter Bunny! "-D

 

[ThaiGuy]

Prediction!? Not very far in the future g3/4 devices will be locked (rom fried) based on the imei # of the device! If lost or stolen, nobody will benefit from it ever again!

Your thoughts please?

Interesting thought. If there could be a "failsafe" mechanism to fry a lost device, even when it's offline, that would stifle the secondary market in stolen phones. But the more likely effect is that phones would be unintentionally damaged by legitimate owners.

 

[m4v3r1ck]

You win some, you lose some!

Interesting thought. If there could be a "failsafe" mechanism to fry a lost device, even when it's offline, that would stifle the secondary market in stolen phones.

But I still think and am 100% convinced that frying the ROM is already technically possible, but that all the phone bills generated by all the stolen devices is still big and easy earned money for the ISP's / Phone Companies!

But the more likely effect is that phones would be unintentionally damaged by legitimate owners.

You win some, you lose some!