The rectangular, predominantly symmetrical nature of most smartphones means if you're not looking, you might find you're holding the handset the wrong way around when a call comes in. Google's most recently awarded patent may seek to end your orientation confusion by adding a microphone and speaker at both ends of the device. That way, when you pick it up to answer a call, it'll determine which way you're holding it and select the microphone and speaker accordingly. Then again, this is a patent filing, so it's just as likely to wind up lining the bottom of a Mountain View engineer's drawer.

Filed under: Cellphones

Google's smartphone patent doesn't mind which end you talk into originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.