Usability of rear facing speaker

[new optimus]

I am curious how others feel about this.
I started my Android experience with a LG Optimus M and it used the same location/speaker for ear piece and loud speaker when on a call I could use speaker phone without the need to turn the phone over to hear the other person.

Since that point every other phone I have had used a speaker on the back of the phone and every person on speaker phone sounds mumbled and indistinct.

You can turn the phone over and listen and hear it clearer. But to me that seems silly. I see people walking around doing just that quite often though.
Most of the time if I have them on speaker its because im doing something on the phone and having it turned over would not work.

 

[chanchan05]

I have the speaker on my Galaxy S on the back, but it seems to do better for clarity though, with the sound echoing a bit from the hard surface and emanating from either side of the phone instead of directly from the speaker. Although of course there are design factors you have to consider. A Galaxy S has a little nob on top of the speaker which raises it a bit away from the surface, preventing the speaker to get muffled.

 

[Demache]

I've also wondered about this. I've always gone with it being for space reasons, or maybe just a design thing. Or possibly its to keep the speaker from being muffled if you put it in your pocket with the screen facing toward you.

However, I suppose the HTC One+ is going to break that trend with two front facing speakers. It will be interesting to see if its an idea that catches on or there is a good reason smartphones have outward facing speakers.

 

[new optimus]

I have the speaker on my Galaxy S on the back, but it seems to do better for clarity though, with the sound echoing a bit from the hard surface and emanating from either side of the phone instead of directly from the speaker. Although of course there are design factors you have to consider. A Galaxy S has a little nob on top of the speaker which raises it a bit away from the surface, preventing the speaker to get muffled.

I have thought about that as well. But if your talking on the phone how likely is it on a hard surface?
I have noticed the trend in tv's to put the speakers on the back to fire and bounce off the wall which is usually behind I suspect your idea is valid, however on a hand held device it just dont make as much sense.

I've also wondered about this. I've always gone with it being for space reasons, or maybe just a design thing. Or possibly its to keep the speaker from being muffled if you put it in your pocket with the screen facing toward you.

However, I suppose the HTC One+ is going to break that trend with two front facing speakers. It will be interesting to see if its an idea that catches on or there is a good reason smartphones have outward facing speakers.

Space reasons is possible, that and cheaper materials or the normal front ear piece could be a dual speaker/earpiece.
I noticed the same thing with the new htc one I hope front facing is the future.

 

[chanchan05]

I have thought about that as well. But if your talking on the phone how likely is it on a hard surface?
I have noticed the trend in tv's to put the speakers on the back to fire and bounce off the wall which is usually behind I suspect your idea is valid, however on a hand held device it just dont make as much sense.

Personally it makes sense. What I find weird is why are people using the loudspeakers when holding the phone when the earpiece does perfectly fine. Plus I don't like the idea of broadcasting my conversation to everyone around me.

IMO the idea of using the loudspeaker and holding it up to your head doesn't make sense. You use the earpiece when talking on the phone, and the loudspeaker when you don't hold the phone and leave it on a table or on the car's phone holder.

Also, it may be an issue for your phone, but even without a hard surface behind my phone (I called a mobile banking service to test this), I can still hear the voice on the other end clearly even if I am holding the phone while in loudspeaker. And usually if I am outside I have a headset connected (even if nothing is playing, it just dangle's around my neck) so if I get a call, I just put those on.

 

[new optimus]

Personally it makes sense. What I find weird is why are people using the loudspeakers when holding the phone when the earpiece does perfectly fine. Plus I don't like the idea of broadcasting my conversation to everyone around me.

IMO the idea of using the loudspeaker and holding it up to your head doesn't make sense. You use the earpiece when talking on the phone, and the loudspeaker when you don't hold the phone and leave it on a table or on the car's phone holder.

Also, it may be an issue for your phone, but even without a hard surface behind my phone (I called a mobile banking service to test this), I can still hear the voice on the other end clearly even if I am holding the phone while in loudspeaker. And usually if I am outside I have a headset connected (even if nothing is playing, it just dangle's around my neck) so if I get a call, I just put those on.

I know, most of the people I see walking around talking on the speaker phone.
The only time I use the speaker phone is when im not the only one talking on the phone, ie, my wife and kids are in the conversation as well
But one thing I do is listen to music while browsing the internet on the phone so its in my hand and im using the phone the sound is not clear all the time. I dont want to use headphones for that all the time because I have to keep an ear out for my young kids.