Some users store relatively little data on their phones: a few phone numbers & some old SMS conversations.
Others have much more. A politician once told me about his phone: "This is my office." A business woman: "I run my business on this thing."
Most people are somewhere in between, although there are a lot of people who believe they are in the first group, whose phones tell more about them than they realise. Some of this data actually belongs to others: "A few phone numbers," often includes a lot more, including physical address & birthdate. Such information is held in trust by the phone owner & shouldn't be passed on to others, even accidentally, as when a phone is lost or stolen.
Many (most?) phones contain data which exceeds the value of the phone itself. One way of protecting this data is to encrypt it. Android has had the capability to encrypt data, both on the device & an SD card, for some time. With Android L, encryption will become the default.
http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/android-5-0-l-will-automatically-encrypt-data-19-09-2014/
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/566963/20140921/samsung-galaxy-note-4-s5-android-5.htm#.VB9d-dB_W2c
As indicated above, encryption has been an option on Android for some time. Not many have used this option. Reasons include:
● a PIN or password will be required every time the phone is woken from the locked state
● performance hit
● takes an hour or more to encrypt, depending on how much data is on the phone
● one way process — try it out, & don't like it, reversion will require a factory reset
More detail, including how to encrypt your existing Android phone at:
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/encrypt-your-android-smartphone-for-paranoid-level-security/ / Google automatic encryption data mechanism upcoming Android 5.0 L platform matching Apple's iOS 8 Samsung's latest flagship Note 4 S 5 Google's Android L update mobile OS operating system platform I/O conference revamped UI user interface 64 bit 64-bit support prying private personal data option optional 2011 access files data device password encryption keys not stored off of the device cannot be shared with law enforcement Niki Christoff spokeswoman next Android release enabled by default Google's attempt increase product resistance to government spying Samsung release Android updates early Samsung Galaxy S5 Galaxy Note 4 new Android firmware November December Sam Mobile Sony HTC Motorla LG release update plans /
