The iPhone comes with a very handy kill switch which locks the handset in case a thief steals and then tries to factory reset it. While this kill switch will not help you in getting back your smartphone, it will at least allow you to “kill” it and protect your important data from prying eyes.

Now, in a statement issued to Bloomberg, Google has confirmed that it would be introducing a “factory reset protection solution” with the next version of Android .

Right now, Google offers a very basic anti-theft protection service in all Android devices via Android Device Manager (ADM). The service, however, becomes pretty much useless if the thief immediately turns off your phone after stealing it and then hard resets it later on.

It is not yet known as to when Google plans on releasing the next version of Android. While many people are expecting an unveil at Google I/O next week, the chances of that actually happening are definitely looking bleak. Either ways, whenever the next version of Android is released, be rest assured that it will come with a kill switch to further secure your phone in case of a  theft.

• SourceBloomberg