A technique to provide a duplicate I/O device along an adjacent edge of a handheld mobile device to ensure that at least one I/O device is not obscured by a user when the user's hand grasps the handheld mobile device. Depending on which of the portrait or landscape orientation is relative to the user, a sensing device senses the orientation and sends a position signal to a control circuit. The control circuit controls a switching device that controls which of the I/O devices is to be activated depending on the orientation.