This video was taken in Sao Paulo

 

Wow. Very organized.  I have seen the young boys take bags and phones at the beach playing soccer but this video is wild too.

I would not hold my wallet up to my ear with a symbol imprinted on it indicating it contains a few hundred dollars (ie, equivalent to my iPhone and features total value) while walking in public. I would expect to be considered obsessive if I were to do that. Therefore, I apply that common-sense concept to all higher value belongings, TV, laptop, iPad, watch, passport, etc.

But I am an old geezer with 50+ years of pre-smartphone experience effectively utilizing telecommunications without having to use my head as a phone cradle or have the phone loose in my pocket in case a life-or-death call were to come in at any moment.

But for good measure, I have 2 spare decoy phones, used one at a time, either of which I am happy to have removed from my person, whilst my expensive phone when travelling amongst thieves is slipped into an ankle holster. 

There is no norm that dictates just because the majority of folks are walking and talking, the talking device is off limits.