[nmfisher]

It's difficult to gauge from the photos but I was thinking that the phone is seated too far from the mouth for reliable audio input (it certainly feels like I have to raise my voice, if not shout, whenever I'm talking to someone with the phone that far away from me).

[zamadatix]

Even when in speakerphone (i.e. not trying to filter out far away sounds)? ~1 foot isn't all that far away.