# Weird way of holding iPhone **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291 "2015-05-31T23:46:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/1 "2015-05-31T23:46:11Z")
I’ve noticed people holding their iPhones in a weird way lately. Basically, holding the end of it (that is, the side where you plug in the charger or USB) up to their ear. It doesn’t seem like they’re talking on it. It looks sort of like they’re trying to listen to something, but why not just use headphones? And even if headphones aren’t available, why tilt it? It just looks bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/2 "2015-06-01T02:54:53Z")
They are using it on speaker mode; I do the same if I don’t happen to have my bluetooth earpiece and for some reason can’t/don’t want to hold the phone to my ear. Also in higher noise environments since the speaker is a lot louder than the earspeaker. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/3 "2015-06-01T04:33:17Z")
What **Snowboarder** says makes sense, but I rarely see people doing that in a situation/environment where that applies. It’s not just iPhone knuckleheads doing it, it’s anyone with any smart phone these days. What I see the most, though, is people holding the ass end of the phone to their mouth like they’re going to make a snack out of it any second - while they have headphones plugged in. Headphones disable the speakers and the mic. Holding the phone like you’re gonna take a bite out of it or something doesn’t help people hear you. Holding up the mic that’s dangling from the headset and down by your collar, that might actually help. Then there was the guy on the train platform the other day, who had his headset cord wrapped around his face from ear to ear so the mic was by his mouth but “hands free.” I lost it when I got a load of that. Giggled for a while at that guy. I’m sure I looked like just a public transit loony who managed a bath that day. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/4 "2015-06-01T11:53:10Z")
It doesn’t seem like the people I see are talking to anyone, though…it just seems like they’re listening. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/5 "2015-06-01T12:10:34Z")
That’s the 'No officer, I wasn’t using my cell phone illegally while driving. That counts as hands free!" method of holding the phone. They’ll still give you a ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/6 "2015-06-01T12:32:13Z")
Quite a while back, I took some abuse for noting this style and indicating that it seemed to be the choice of 20-something black men, more or less exclusively. Maybe it’s more widespread than that (now, if not then) but every time I see someone holding a phone in this peculiar manner, it looks like they’re pointing it at their head and threatening to blow their brains out with Flappy Bird. Some kind of weird trope/fad/urban legend about avoiding brain cancer from phones? Or are they looking at the tiny mic hole in the bottom and assuming it has to be pointed right at them? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/7 "2015-06-01T12:52:14Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > It doesn’t seem like the people I see are talking to anyone, though…it just seems like they’re listening. Voicemail, played through the speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/8 "2015-06-01T13:13:44Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Voicemail, played through the speaker. Anyone else miss the days when the Pompous Junior Exec or Busy Construction Foreman held shouted conversations on the speaker while you all waited in line for something? No, me neither. (A few times, I faced Mr. Pompous and reacted as if I was part of the boardroom conversation, frowning, nodding and smiling along. It drove them NUTS.) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/9 "2015-06-01T15:37:01Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Anyone else miss the days when the Pompous Junior Exec or Busy Construction Foreman held shouted conversations on the speaker while you all waited in line for something? > > No, me neither. > > (A few times, I faced Mr. Pompous and reacted as if I was part of the boardroom conversation, frowning, nodding and smiling along. It drove them NUTS.) I would just offer commentary, loudly. My favorite is when I see someone trying to talk on their cel phone while they attempt to use a public restroom. I make as much noise as possible then and I try and make sure it’s clear that they are “bathroom” noises. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/10 "2015-06-01T17:47:48Z")
I’ve never seen “20-something black men” doing this but this is pretty much par for the course in reality shows. I always assumed they were contractually obliged to share their phone conversations by using speakerphone. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/11 "2015-06-01T18:33:33Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > It’s not just iPhone knuckleheads doing it, That seems uncalled for. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/12 "2015-06-01T18:37:37Z")
Yeah, it goes without saying. I hold my iPhone sideways like a gangsta. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/13 "2015-06-01T19:29:50Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve never seen “20-something black men” doing this but this is pretty much par for the course in reality shows. I always assumed they were contractually obliged to share their phone conversations by using speakerphone. I think we have a winner. They saw it on TV, so… ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/14 "2015-06-01T21:23:51Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I’ve noticed people holding their iPhones in a weird way lately. Basically, holding the end of it (that is, the side where you plug in the charger or USB) up to their ear. It doesn’t seem like they’re talking on it. It looks sort of like they’re trying to listen to something, but why not just use headphones? And even if headphones aren’t available, why tilt it? It just looks bizarre. This sounds pretty much like someone who is streaming/playing an audio feed and has no headphones. They tilt it to their ear because the speaker is located on the bottom and it isn’t loud enough to hear through a pocket or purse. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/15 "2015-06-01T23:53:46Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > That seems uncalled for. That was inclusive, everyone who does it is a knucklehead, unlike the specific named in the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/16 "2015-06-02T05:55:53Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Headphones disable the speakers and the mic. Holding the phone like you’re gonna take a bite out of it or something doesn’t help people hear you. What? No they don’t. Headphones disable the speaker but they obviously do not disable the mic otherwise no one using headphones could talk on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/17 "2015-06-02T13:44:42Z")
I think I do this. I can never hear on my phone (at least without headphones), no matter what I do, so my best option is to hold it like that and try to listen via speaker. Fortunately, I very seldom take calls in public, so I really hope it doesn’t bother anyone too much, but the few times I do, that’s why. It’s so I can hear. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/18 "2015-06-02T17:47:54Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > What? No they don’t. Headphones disable the speaker but they obviously do not disable the mic otherwise no one using headphones could talk on the phone. The mic on the headset is in use when the headset is plugged in. The mic on the phone is disabled. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/19 "2015-06-02T18:00:26Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I would just offer commentary, loudly. > > My favorite is when I see someone trying to talk on their cel phone while they attempt to use a public restroom. I make as much noise as possible then and I try and make sure it’s clear that they are “bathroom” noises. You mean like saying in clarion tones “Are you seriously telling me that someone is sitting in a toilet stall planning a meeting for Monday while half a dozen other women are waiting to pee???” That ended that conversation. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291/20 "2015-06-02T19:05:35Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > I think I do this. I can never hear on my phone (at least without headphones), no matter what I do, so my best option is to hold it like that and try to listen via speaker. Fortunately, I very seldom take calls in public, so I really hope it doesn’t bother anyone too much, but the few times I do, that’s why. It’s so I can hear. Oh man, good thing we’re not allowed to announce who we’ve put on our block list. This thread would become pages of “I blocked **faithfool** ” “+1” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-way-of-holding-iphone/721291.md?page=2)