Ondrej Holzman The back of iPhones traditionally covers the Apple logo, the name of the device itself, a statement about the device being designed in California, its assembly in China, the model type, the serial number, and then several other numbers and symbols. Apple could get rid of at least two pieces of data in the next generations of its phone, as the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has relaxed its rules.
Until now, the FCC required any telecommunications device to have a visible label on its body indicating its identification number and approval by this independent government agency. Now, however, the Federal Telecommunications Commission has changed its mind regule and manufacturers will no longer be forced to display its brands directly on the bodies of devices.
The FCC comments on this move by saying that many devices have very little space to place such symbols, or there are problems with the techniques of "stamping" them. At that moment, the committee is willing to proceed with alternative markings, for example within the system information. It is sufficient if the manufacturer draws attention to this in the attached manual or on its website.
However, this certainly does not mean that the next iPhone should come out with an almost clean back, because most of the information has nothing to do with the FCC. In the lower row of symbols, only the first of them, the FCC approval mark, can theoretically disappear, and it can be expected that Apple will actually use this option, but it is not clear whether already this autumn. Other symbols already refer to other matters.
The symbol of the crossed-out dustbin is related to the directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, the so-called WEEE directive is supported by 27 states of the European Union and it is about such devices being destroyed in an environmentally friendly way, not just thrown in the trash. The CE mark again refers to the European Union and means that the product in question can be sold on the European market, as it meets the legislative requirements. The number next to the CE mark is the registration number under which the product was assessed. The exclamation point in the wheel also complements the CE marking and refers to various restrictions in frequency bands that the European Union states may have.
While Apple will be able to remove the FCC mark from the back of its iPhone if it wants to continue selling the iPhone in Europe, it cannot get rid of the other symbols. The last designation IC ID means Industry Canada Identification and that the device meets certain requirements for inclusion in its category. Again, a must if Apple wants to sell its device in Canada as well, and it's clear that it does.
He will only be able to remove the FCC ID next to the IC ID, which is again related to the Federal Telecommunications Commission. It can be expected that Apple will want to keep the message about Californian design and Chinese assembly, which has already become iconic, along with the serial number of the device and thus also the model type, on the back of the iPhone. As a result, the user probably won't recognize the difference at first glance, because there will be only one less symbol and one identification code on the back of the iPhone.
The designation described above applies exclusively to iPhones authorized for sale in the United States, Canada and Europe. For example, in Asian markets, iPhones may be sold with completely different symbols and markings in accordance with the relevant authorities and regulations.
