I mean aside from the obvious fact that it's highly irritating and inconsiderate to those around you, I don't understand the benefit. The sound is tinny, unpleasant and distorted, and you have to wave it in front of your face instead of simply holding it to your ear as we have done since Alexander Graham Bell were a lad.
I can see the point if you're at home, say cooking, and you pop it down on the worktop, or you're having a family chat with multiple people looking at the phone at the same time, but people on their own - on the bus, for example - I just don't get it.
I also hate it when other people put me on speakerphone - I find the resulting quality of sound uncomfortably unpleasant.
I'm in Italy at the moment and it's every bit as bad here.
Please explain, as it might help me to find it less annoying.