By Ian Sherr

Apple Inc.’s new iPhone might perform a simple task much better than its predecessors: hold a call.

Among the most dramatic design changes in the latest iteration of Apple’s smartphone, the iPhone 4, is a stainless-steel antenna that wraps around its sides. The new antenna design constitutes a radical departure from previous iPhone models, which buried the antenna under the phone’s shell.

The new phone, which goes on sale June 24, puts out more radio-frequency radiation than its predecessor, according to Federal Communications Commission documents. That, along with the new antenna, is expected to give the iPhone 4 greater signal strength and reliability.

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(Originally published June 15, 2010, in the Wall Street Journal.)