I think the point is that the microphone should be close to your mouth, but not in the direction of your breath, so as to avoid pops. That's why headsets have the microphone a few inches away from where your breath would go through.

Hence, the preferred holding position would have both the speaker and microphone in optimal spots.

Yeah, and my tiny Nokia from 15 years ago also had a mic next to charger very very far from my mouth. Worked completely fine though, since it's designed to do that.

google pixel 6 pro user here, nope, at the top, because fuck the consumers, that's why

on a more serious note, normally it doesnt pick up too much external audio but if i'm in a crowded place i have to turn it upside down and back up constantly to speak and then hear