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Iphone 12 Regulatory Markings Uk (Image credit: setteBIT)

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.

.Solo 1 foto (sfuggita?) mostra dove troveremo i loghi CE & riciclo sui nuovi iPhone 12 UE, sul lato DX via @jhaaren pic.twitter.com/SWyRW7l09a.Solo 1 foto (sfuggita?) mostra dove troveremo i loghi CE & riciclo sui nuovi iPhone 12 UE, sul lato DX via @jhaaren pic.twitter.com/SWyRW7l09a— setteBIT (@setteBIT) October 16, 2020 October 16, 2020

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.

The CE marking is required for many products. It: * Shows that the manufacturer has checked that these products meet EU safety, health or environmental requirements * Is an indicator of a product's compliance with EU legislation * Allows the free movement of products within the European market

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.

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.