The whole FBI/Apple thing is a Red Herring.
Anyone in the reverse engineering industry, yes there is a whole industry based on this technology, can access the data on the phone as long as it is in their physical possession. I absolutely refuse to believe the a nation state as advanced as the US and agencies like the FBI to not have the same capabilities. This is the same technology used to read the contents of a physically damaged device.
The DOD is well aware of this technology so any electronic device used by them must undergo rigorous testing to assure that once destructed the device is unreadable. (this is not as easy as one may think). Please check out MIL-HDBK 115 for more information.
ANY memory can be read directly from the silicon with the proper care and tools.
Therefore: it is my supposition that the FBI wants to gain access to devices NOT in their possession.
What is on the killer’s phone that is not available from provider’s phone records (numbers, time duration), GPS tracking records (location over time), emails (archiving) from internet providers???? NSA is supposed track terrorists!?!
All that can be acquired without having the physical phone.
It all looks like another version of going after the gun ban after random killing.
What is left of citizen’s privacy ???
You already pay for your phone that gives the almighty government free access to your private activity.
Yeah, freedom for terrorists, spying on citizens!
You should read up on Apple’s methods.
You might revise your thinking.