Edible Apple

Gizmodo spilled the beans back in April, but one of the biggest changes in the upcoming iPhone 4 is a completely new design for Apple’s heralded mobile device. Apple traded in the rounded back and curved corners for a more square design, but the most notable change is the stainless steel border which wraps around the device.

But not merely a new aesthetic, Steve Jobs explained during the WWDC Keynote that Apple actually integrated the antenna system into the structure of the phone via the steel band that envelops the device. “It’s never been done before and it’s really cool engineering,” Jobs quipped.

So what’s the point of all this? Well, one of the most persistent iPhone complaints in the US has been about poor signal reception and an abundance of dropped calls. Apple’s new design, with its antenna system integrated into the exterior of the device, may alleviate that problem.

The WSJ reports:

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.

Apple hopes the new design will counter one of the most common complaints consumers have with the iPhone: dropped calls.

Still, a larger and more exposed antenna will do little good of AT&T can’t keep its network from getting congested, but all things being equal, Nielsen telecommunications research Roger Enter told The Journal that the iPhone 4’s new design will be a “massive improvement.”