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Apple May No Longer Be Required to Etch FCC Labels on iPhone

fluchtpunkt said:
If you don't have those on the actual hardware you can't bring the iPhone to Europe. Yes, even if you are just visiting. So Apple will keep them.
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That's incorrect. The CE requirement is solely the burden of whoever introduces a product into the European market, i.e. importers or distributors. Your personal devices as a tourist don't enter the market (otherwise you'd have to also pay taxes on import). The first US iPhones didn't have a CE mark, for example.

Also, the CE and trash can marks don't have to be etched into the device. They can be a sticker that the customer may remove. Apple could presumably put them on the plastic cover that already stuck on there during packaging.
 
Bunch of labels that are meaningless to consumers, so why require them on there in the first place..
 
"Pass the savings on to consumers..." Sure. Shareholders maybe, but not consumers. Even if Apple did this, and added this info to Settings, the phone would not drop $1.00 in price.
 
fluchtpunkt said:
The photo is very misleading. Four of the five labels that are missing on the "without FCC label" device have nothing to do with FCC. And the FCC numbers that could be removed are still printed on this device.

If there will be any changes they will be very small, the CE symbol, the 0682 (the organization that did the CE certification), the exclamation mark (class II radio device according to CE), the trash can (for WEEE, saying "electronics don't go into the trash can"), the declaration of origin and the model number are still required by european law. If you don't have those on the actual hardware you can't bring the iPhone to Europe. Yes, even if you are just visiting. So Apple will keep them.

And of course the IC ID, certification for Canada, will stay as well. And Apple will probably keep the serial number too.

So what can be removed? The FCC logo, and the FCC-ID. The next iPhone might come with slightly less print, but there will be print. Jony Ive will not be as happy as one could expect after reading the article.


EDIT: I used my mad pixelmator skills to show which labels will stay. Don't be too disappointed.

Image
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But if the FCC is changing their rules, then the other, international organizations may follow their lead and make similar adjustments to their rules. Possibly with Apple making a request.
 
furi0usbee said:
"Pass the savings on to consumers..." Sure. Shareholders maybe, but not consumers. Even if Apple did this, and added this info to Settings, the phone would not drop $1.00 in price.
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They could use the savings for more R&D so we get better products :p In reality, I'm sure the amount saved is negligible.
 
I've owned iPhones for over 5 years and I probably have taken notice of these symbols maybe 1-2 times ever. So, this legislature is quite meaningless as the presence of these symbols. And there will be no cost savings passed into the consumers, so that's a joke.

The only scenario where I can see if these symbols are useful is if such a device is found years into the future, can't power on, and it's finder wants to know how to deal with it properly. Otherwise, I doubt these symbols are of any benefit to any consumer.

Pretty much, zero ****s given to any of this.
 
kerrikins said:
Hmm, this could be both good and bad. Good because I'm sure purists will like having less text on their phones. Bad because if the display of the phone or the phone itself dies, it could be difficult to verify the IMEI (average user won't care, but tech support worker will!)
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The imei is printed above the fcc logo...
 
agree these labels are meaningless and have little to no reason to even exist. products are either certified or not, anyone who cares should just look it up online.
 
It's about time those ugly etchings disappeared...on everything. Put them on the box, fine. But it's unnecessary for them to be permanently etched onto devices.
 
Only one symbol disappears on the back. Others remain.
Don't expect any cost savings passed on to customers as senators believe
 
appleguy123 said:
iPhone 4 was the most beautiful iPhone design.
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Wasn't it just. Love my 4S, won't be replacing it until there's a phone I want to replace it with. Apple need to copy Sony's designs a bit more (the iPhone 4 looking strikingly similar to the PSP).
 
I know it's obviously meant for end-of-life, but I've always been amused by the "Don't throw into recycle bin" icon on modern electronics.

Yeah, like I'm gonna throw away my brand new $700 phone!

It's a subtle reminder that even that brand new $700 phone will eventually be an old obsolete piece of technology trash. :(
 
081440 said:
This is a refurbished model... just realized I don't have those etchings. Is it true I wouldn't be allowed to bring it into Europe?!
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Consider yourself lucky. The back of my iPhone is uglified by stupid labels that I can't even understand and don't care about.

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proline said:
Good thing Apple has basically stuck with that design with the 4S, 5, and 5S. You must love all those devices as well I suppose?
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They got rid of the glass back and made it that odd two-tone color. I wish my 5 looked like a 4, except on the bottom and except for the 3.5" screen.

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zorinlynx said:
It's a subtle reminder that even that brand new $700 phone will eventually be an old obsolete piece of technology trash. :(
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Hey, my Classic, SE, 512K, and iMac G3s are not trash :cool:
 
joelypolly said:
Is this refurbished from Apple or third party? Usually third parties use non original backs to get it feeling new.
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Refurb from Best Buy to replace my original with broken down button and power buttons. But this one has a microphone problem... so people swear I'm not talking close to the phone when I am.... going to have to go back too.
 
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