The Telephone of the Future: Leveraging in On the Current Business Trends
From bulky desk phones to portable smartphones, the concept of the telephone has traveled a long distance through space and time.
A simple calling device invented by Antonio Meucci (No, Alexander Graham Bell wasn’t the original inventor of telephones) has now transformed into an integral part of our lives. We now use our smartphones to send messages, browse the internet, make payments – almost anything and everything other than making calls!
That really leads us to wonder what the future holds for the telephone.
Predicting the future of something technological is really tricky. Still, we have made an attempt to draw a picture of this future phone and how it would affect our lives.
The Future Call: Integration of Physical Life with Digital Life
Our calling devices are slowly integrating with our lives. Nobody can imagine stepping outside of their home without their smartphone. It has become indispensable to the modern man and woman. This close relationship with our calling device is leading to the integration of our physical life with digital life.
Here’s what we can expect in the future:
Phones will become Wearable
Have you watched the 2012 remake of the sci-fi movie Total Recall?
It displayed a technology where a human palm could be converted into a keyboard for a personal device. Truly speaking, we are not really far from that reality. Right now, you can sync your smartphone with wearables like smartwatches to make, receive and manage calls.
In the future, your phone may become a pair of eyeglasses or a watch on your wrist. You will no longer have to whisk your pockets to answer a telephone call. You will be able to speak freely and enjoy increased mobility, and portability.
Everything will be Connected
Our digital and physical lives are slowly becoming intertwined. You can do almost everything with the help of your phone. A tap or a swipe on the screen can schedule doctor appointments, book flight tickets, call a cab, or order pizza!
In the future, these possibilities will become virtually endless. There would be a slight, if any, difference between our physical and digital lives. While this sounds extremely convenient, there may be some concerns over security and privacy.
The Future Telephone Call System will be Far More Intelligent
We don’t have to go far to get practical examples of intelligent phone systems. Think of Apple’s Siri or Google Assistant – which can become your personal assistants at zero cost! Both of these voice assistants have become default features in Apple and Android phones and you don’t need to install or purchase any extra software.
The future telephone operating systems will be far more intelligent. The programs will be capable of doing almost everything for you, all you’ll have to do is think.
Let’s see how things might play out!
Let’s say you (imagine your name is Michael) receive a call from your friend Jordan while you are enjoying a movie in the mall. Siri picks up the call as you are busy watching the protagonist save the world!
Siri: “Hello, Jordan. I’m Siri, how may I help?”
Jordan: “Hello, Siri, can you put Michael on the line?”
Now, Siri knows that you are watching a movie. How? Because you have asked Siri to suggest movies to watch. Then, you used Siri’s help to book the tickets. You also updated your Facebook status by checking in into the mall!
So Siri says, “I’m sorry. But Michael seems to be busy watching a movie. Should I ask him to call back?”
Jordan: “I guess that would be fine. Thanks!”
Siri then sends you a message (silently) on your mobile saying Jordan has called and you need to call him back. All of these actions are done while you were enjoying the movie, without a single distraction from your side.
Now, what if it was an emergency?
Jordan: “Can you put Michael on the line? It’s an emergency!”
Siri: “Sure, let me check.”
Siri then alerts you of Jordan’s call or puts you on the line directly.
We might be looking at a future where you just say I want to make a telephone call – and everything is done on your behalf!
In the Future, Calls will be less but Communication will be more
We can say this confidently – the number of phone calls in the future may dwindle considerably. We have already started using other methods to communicate, such as:
- Texts
- Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, and other chatting apps
- Voice messages
- Video calling
In the future, communication will be defined by the apps we will use. Voice calls will become limited and reserved for urgent matters that can’t be sorted over text.
But that doesn’t mean all calls would become obsolete. Business calls are predicted to increase in the future and they would remain crucial for the success of any organization. They are not going anywhere, as 75% customers prefer calling to get a quick response to their queries.
Modern business phone systems like CallGear are making call management easier for businesses, and the trend will surely continue in the future.
The Telephone Call Systems will Champion for Open-Source
Most of us are no stranger to open-source applications. Android, which accounted for 85% of all global smartphone sales at the beginning of 2016, has its roots in open-source technology. It was developed based on the open-source operating system, Linux.
Open-source OS and applications have many advantages:
- You don’t need to pay anyone to use the application
- You can tweak open-source software without any issues
- You can develop your own applications based on open-source platforms
We all know about the popularity of Android. Other competitors have also tried their hands on open-source OS such as Sailfish OS, Firefox OS and Ubuntu Touch.
In the future, we will see a strong push towards open-source OS and applications. They will link us globally and promote democracy.
Future Call Receivers will be more Tuned to Technology
“Participating in the newest communications technologies becomes compulsory if you want to remain part of the culture.” – David Porush
Most of us have become friendly with our technology. It’s rare to find technologically-challenged people in this modern world. We are being carried away by the DIY trend, where you take most matters into your own hands. We can expect this trend to grow stronger in the future, where we will be even more aware of our technology.
But does that mean we will all become telephone engineers 50 years down the line? It’s difficult to say for sure! But we can safely say that future callers would be able to make changes to their own technology.
In a sense, we will all become hackers- hackers to tweak and refine our technology for optimum results. You may also need some technical literacy to operate the futuristic communication devices in the coming years. Good luck!
The Cost of Telephone Calls will Decrease in the Future
“The new information technology… Internet and e-mail… have practically eliminated the physical costs of communications.” – Peter Drucker
Call costs have drastically reduced. We are also using communication methods that don’t cost us a single cent. Couple that with the dwindling number of calls, and you have a super affordable phone of the future!
We will also see improvements in current technology like VoIP and internet-based communication. Everything points to reduced calls and call charges, even for international communication.
The Future of the Telephone is Almost Here
With each passing day, the future of telephones grows brighter and brighter. A simple technology that was invented for speaking, is transforming into a holistic solution affecting our everyday lives. Future telephones will be inseparable from our lives and become a necessity for comfortable living. So, let’s wait and see how our telephones become technological wonders in the days to come.