UK regulatory markings find their way to the side of the iPhone 12

What you need to know

• The iPhone 12 in the UK features markings on the side of the phone.
• They are apparently regulatory markings required by the EU.
• It is unclear how many other countries require the marking.

Apple may be removing the charger and EarPods from the box of the iPhone 12 but it appears that, for customers in the UK, the company is adding something to the phone itself.

Reported by Jesper van Haaren on Twitter, it appears that Apple is adding regulatory markings to the lower right side of the new iPhone. As pictured in the tweet, the side of the new iPhone 12 Pro contains a "CE" logo with another image to the right of it.

As detailed on the United Kingdom's government website, the CE marking on the side of the new iPhone is a regulatory marking that indicates the iPhone meets "EU safety, health or environmental requirements," and more.

A post on Reddit says that these markings are mandatory for the iPhone in the UK. As noted by iMore's own Oliver Haslam, the markings were preiously located on the back of the iPhone, but seem to have been moved to the side for this latest generation. It is unclear if these markings are required in other countries across the European Union as well. iPhones in the United States used to have these markings as well, but Apple was eventually able to display them digitally in the Settings app rather than having to show them physically on the phone.

While canceling your iPhone preorder might be a little extreme of a reaction, Apple's new MagSafe iPhone cases may have just gotten more enticing for customers in the UK.