Why SPEAKERS on REAR of phone ???

[JoePhoto]

I realize they are trying to make the phones compact, and I appreciate that, (especially THIN and LIGHT) ..

BUT ... I fail to understand why they can't make the SPEAKER of the speakerphone FRONT facing.

AND I WANT IT LOUDER, MUCH LOUDER, (I mean the idea is so "others" can also hear the phone too.)

I love to watch YouTube with my phone, and you can't hear many of them without turning the phone around and holding it to your ear. (but then can't see the action on the screen)

I know they have the buttons on the bottom but still seems like a speaker could be emplaced there, OR ON THE TOP, (there usually is some extra area up there).

 

[Stuntman]

I figure that in order to make the phone as compact as possible and to fit as large a screen as possible, there is little room left on the screen side of the phone to fit a speaker. My old Nokia N97 actually has stereo speakers on the corners of the phone.

If you are using your phone as a speaker phone for multiple people in your room, you are probably not using it for much else most of the time. Although it does happen, I find that it is rare that I need to use my phone for something else while actually on a call. If I am using it as a speakerphone, I have not had the need to use the phone for something else at the same time.

At least with my HTC Desire Z, if you flip the phone over so that the screen is down, the loud speaker is faced up and the phone automatically switches to speaker phone mode. I have used this occasionally and found the flip for speaker phone to be rather handy.

 

[johnlgalt]

So that the speaker will not be muffled when placed into any sort of protective device i.e. holster (which has the touchscreen facing the body and thus away from inadvertently being smashed by pesky things like table corners).

 

[Dark Jedi]

Try having a thunderbolt and the kickstand covers your speaker in the rear like I have to endure.

 

[JoePhoto]

So that the speaker will not be muffled when placed into any sort of protective device i.e. holster (which has the touchscreen facing the body and thus away from inadvertently being smashed by pesky things like table corners).

But with the speaker on the back, it is muffled when you lay it on a table with the screen facing up, (which is very common and normal).

The I-Phone had the speaker on the bottom, but facing down. Seems like it could have been possible to simply twist it 90 degrees forward. (but it was not LOUD enough either, one of my biggest complaints about the i-Phone)

 

[trackball]

The captivate has the speaker on the bottom. Before you know it, you've mastered the hand-cupping-hold-method. I'd just make the ear speaker a big speaker, for calls use software to keep the volume reasonable, and allow it to go higher for media.

 

[tommy_ed]

Try having a thunderbolt and the kickstand covers your speaker in the rear like I have to endure.

HAHA i clicked this thread specifically so i could post this exact same thing, but I see you've beat me to the punch! lol i wonder whose brilliant idea that was anyway

 

[lordofthereef]

There just isn't room on the front. Plain and simple. If they made room, the phone would either be bulkier, or the screen would be smaller. FWIW, watching vids has never been a problem for me with any phone. If you are in a crowded environment, I am not sure blasting the sound would be appropriate anyway. That would turn into all the kids riding the train bumping their sound watching youtube... eventually even the loud speakers would be battling one another because when people around you are blasting their sound too, you need your to be louder to compensate, and the endless cycle begins. The external speakers are meant for a speakerphone conversation in a reasonably quiet room, and that's it.

 

[JoePhoto]

There just isn't room on the front. Plain and simple. If they made room, the phone would either be bulkier, or the screen would be smaller. FWIW, watching vids has never been a problem for me with any phone. If you are in a crowded environment, I am not sure blasting the sound would be appropriate anyway. That would turn into all the kids riding the train bumping their sound watching youtube... eventually even the loud speakers would be battling one another because when people around you are blasting their sound too, you need your to be louder to compensate, and the endless cycle begins. The external speakers are meant for a speakerphone conversation in a reasonably quiet room, and that's it.

I can't quite accept that the speaker could not be placed either under the buttons on the bottom, or on top next to the existing ear speaker.

And you make my point about being loud because if you need/want to watch the front screen, you HAVE to make the rear phone very loud.

The result is that other people can hear it better than you since the screen is facing front, and the speak rear towards them.

 

[Stuntman]

I can't quite accept that the speaker could not be placed either under the buttons on the bottom, or on top next to the existing ear speaker.

Either way, you take up some real estate on the front of the phone. The phone will have to be bigger to accomodate the extra space you need on the front of the phone.

And you make my point about being loud because if you need/want to watch the front screen, you HAVE to make the rear phone very loud.

The result is that other people can hear it better than you since the screen is facing front, and the speak rear towards them.

If you do not want others to hear the sound from the phone, you should use earphones.

In any case, designing a phone with a loud speaker that is used while the phone is face up on the table will involve some compromises. Those compromises may be larger or thicker phones or screens that have to be smaller and take up a smaller portion of the front face of the phone. Personally, when I was shopping for a smartphone, I did not choose a BlackBerry because I want the whole front to be a screen. I would probably be turned off slightly if there is a big speaker on the front of the phone.

You may simply be in the minority of people who really want a front facing speaker. Personally, it would be kinda nice for speaker phone calls, but not exactly necessary. I also find that loud speakers on phones thend to have somewhat poor sound quality. If I want to watch some video and want good sound quality, I would use headphones.

 

[lordofthereef]

I can't quite accept that the speaker could not be placed either under the buttons on the bottom, or on top next to the existing ear speaker.

To be blunt, you can accept it or not, but that is the reason for it. Simply put, if it could be done, it probably would be, and said company that does it would tout it as revolutionary and wonderful. "Watch movies on your phone while riding the train without headphones because of our super powerful front facing speaker". HTC actually tried it in the form of a slider on one of their Win 7 phones. I am not sure it was a "best seller", but that could have been for reasons outside of what I listed here.

 

[AJB2K3]

Just a point but If you want to play music on your phone in the UK so other can hear it you will be stung for public broadcasting regulations and if a snotty police officer is around you may be fined and ordered to pay for a public broadcasting licence (that why alot of small shops in the uk stopped playing music)

 

[Bob Maxey]

It might have something to do with manufacturing constraints. Sometimes, you are forced to place certain parts like speakers in a place where they are not as efficient because there is no room elsewhere. PCBs are complex and dense and you just can

 

[lllcandymanlll]

I realize they are trying to make the phones compact, and I appreciate that, (especially THIN and LIGHT) ..

BUT ... I fail to understand why they can't make the SPEAKER of the speakerphone FRONT facing.

AND I WANT IT LOUDER, MUCH LOUDER, (I mean the idea is so "others" can also hear the phone too.)

I love to watch YouTube with my phone, and you can't hear many of them without turning the phone around and holding it to your ear. (but then can't see the action on the screen)

I know they have the buttons on the bottom but still seems like a speaker could be emplaced there, OR ON THE TOP, (there usually is some extra area up there).

The way i see it is, all phones already have quite large speakers in the front for phone calls so why not make this same speaker do music too? And save the company money and leave more space for a even bigger long lasting battery, hell even make the speaker even louder with a increased speaker size with the extra free space?

 

[rabidhunter]

Hmm, I wonder if they could ever incorporate Warwick's Flat Flexible Loudspeaker into a phone. It would be cool if they could somehow incorporate that into the touchscreen. Imagine the FFL tied to Flexible AMOLED, that would be amazing to be sure.

 

[sfbloodbrother]

HTC and Samsung seem to have it right on some phones and tablets.

 

[Shotgun84]

Because if it was always on the front it wouldn't be an upgrade when they put it there. HTC have had their dual front speaker campaign. Would it have had half the impression if it was the norm

 

[jefboyardee]

HTC have had their dual front speaker campaign.

I want, especially if it’s spitting out in stereo. Then I want the mass of the battery to double as a subwoofer. And I want all this before Christmas.

 

[unnamedny]

there is a good reason why its not upfront especially in the existing speaker. I had a phone that used ear speaker as a load speaked and there were a few times it blasted my ear really badly. This happens sometimes when connection drops and person dials you back really fast, you get a rington blasted into your ear. Or mispress the loud speaker button and taking your phone right to your ear.
It's a proper design to have it in the back of the phone

 

[jefboyardee]

Perhaps the proximity sensor could turn the speakers down when it detects an ear by it?

 

[Mehta23]

I get the same problem with my Desire HD. I often have to cup my hand round the back to improve sound quality, but it's the reason why I'll try and watch videos on my PC or use headphones

 

[OverByter]

The Motorola Triumph got it half right, the speakers are on the bottom pointed sideways.
OB

 

[mscheaf]

There just isn't room on the front. Plain and simple. If they made room, the phone would either be bulkier, or the screen would be smaller. FWIW, watching vids has never been a problem for me with any phone. If you are in a crowded environment, I am not sure blasting the sound would be appropriate anyway. That would turn into all the kids riding the train bumping their sound watching youtube... eventually even the loud speakers would be battling one another because when people around you are blasting their sound too, you need your to be louder to compensate, and the endless cycle begins. The external speakers are meant for a speakerphone conversation in a reasonably quiet room, and that's it.

Looking at the tiny speakers on phones and all the empty real estate on the front of phones, I call BS

 

[mrnyjet]

they figure most americans are overweight and used to loud noises from the rear?

 

[sfbloodbrother]

What if you could change the position of the speakers?