So I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the iPhone and what it represents. It’s a little amazing when you think about it, that in such a short period of time it has literally revolutionized the telecommunications industry. Just two years ago when Steve Jobs first announced the iPhone, smart phones were relegated primarily to the business community. And the phones that did exist were primarily glorified email devices.

So flash forward to present day, and the iPhone has given the world a number of advances that have breathed new life into the tired old wireless handset. Before iPhone, we didn’t have touch technology like we do today, there was no App store, email and internet had to be read off a special screen specially formatted to the phone, and games consisted mostly of sprite based arcade classics that only an Atari fans could love.

So, then. What’s next?

It’s a question that gathers some relevance now that the economy has started to turn around because it’s often at these pivotal junctions in time that new ideas emerge. The old ways of thinking just don’t fit anymore and change comes from necessity, not just from a flight of fancy. That said, a few ideas come to mind:

Wireless Hotspots, not just Wireless Phones
The key here is device integration; everything is connected. Palm is releasing this as a feature in their next version of the Palm Pre Plus, and it looks like a hell of an innovation for both casual users and business users alike. The idea being that I can use my cell phone to connect my camera, iPad, laptop, or just about any other Wi-Fi compatible device to the web in seconds, from nearly any location imaginable. If you think about the freedom that represents, you start to get the idea why this is so important. If connectivity is everything, then using your wireless phone as the hub of all your communications just makes sense.

Alternative Wireless Service Plans
A number of alternative service providers have popped up in the last year few months which have caused quite the stir in the cell phone industry. Of specific mention are Magicjack, which announced in January 2010, plans to start selling a femtocell add on that allows any cell phone the ability to make VoIP calls over home GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a method similar to the traditional Wi-Fi that iPhone often employs for accessing traditional internet services. Another product worth mentioning is Line2, which, recently released, promises to give iPhone users the ability to make calls from any Wi-Fi accessible location, and comes with a plethora of additional features such as the ability to have a second phone number, call waiting, and voice mail messages that can be sent to you as e-mail. It also offers the ability to create an “automated attendant” — “Press 1 for sales,” “Press 2 for accounting,” and so on — that routes incoming calls to other phone numbers. .

The Internet Becoming more Organic
More and more, things are becoming integrated, software is connected to hardware, hardware is connected to you, and the experience you have using your devices shouldn’t be like squeezing blood from a stone. We are already beginning to see how the iPhone easily integrates traditional video and internet services in ways that previously, we never thought possible; still, the real challenge is trying to make all of these online services available as quickly and easily as possible, with as little inconvenience as possible. For instance, Apples announcement of multi-tasking and its iAd service is one example of this, by making online advertising more visible in applications and videos, but giving their audience a less invasive user experience. A map, for instance, could be embedded in a video on a travel website, which you could access by simply touching the screen and switching applications. Vice versa, the opposite could happen, a website or video could pop up of a location touched on a map. It’s already something that’s occurring on the internet anyway, but taking these services one step further by making them smarter, and more tailor made to be used by you specifically is the obvious next step; search engines such as Bing that deliver results targeted specifically to your needs, not just a random throws of the dice, the DirecTV DVR scheduler for recording shows on the go, and phone to phone banking, are all examples of a growing industry on the move.

Business to Business Intention
What I mean by this is, using your phone in an integrated fashion with your business. We’ve seen to some extent how this has been used to great affect by companies such as Twitter, and Box.net, but there are literally a million possibilities for business intention that have yet to be thought of. Collaborative software, logistical management software, phone to phone banking, stock trading, even social networking, pretty much anything and everything is a possibility here. The key is making the software fun, and value added, to allow businesses to capitalize in a world where communication and a constant awareness of everything is of increasing importance.

Environmental Interaction
When you walked into a store, your phone was given the possibility to interact with it, such as downloading the home shopper, collecting coupons, or getting a rundown on the latest products and reviews. Maybe it could even suggest what to buy for groceries that week based on preferences you’ve already entered into your phone or guide you through the store to the next item on your list. Maybe you could download the flyer to a play you are watching and flip through the interactive bio, or download the music from a Tony award winning musical while standing in the gift shop. Eventually someone is going to figure this one out.

Smart Phone Security Blanket
For many people, their phone is an extension of their life, and as such, you need security. Security meaning that people want security from theft, fraud, stolen identities, and even keeping tabs on their children. This means that the smart phone of the future will have a new role to play as a security deterrent and watchful eye, possibly even paving the way to having new secure technologies available that allow them to be used as credit cards, personal banker, home monitoring device, or possibly even as a form of identification.

So what will most likely come of this trend we have created?

Honestly, a better phone, but as is likely to occur with all big changes, it’s likely to affect our lifestyles, and the way we live as well. Well that’s culture for you. All thanks to our friend, the iPhone.