I read in a New York Times article (also linked from Slashdot) that the universal remote would be replaced by the smart phone. The argument is that there are too many gadgets in today’s home that require remotes for a single universal remote to keep up.  The only hope it seems is a cell phone with a proper operating system that can handle all of the different devices through a single interface. 

While this is a workable idea for a single person it does not work out if there is more than just you.  If your only remote is a cell phone, what happens when you leave and someone else wants to do anything involving your home entertainment system?  While people that work in the field of tech might all have their own smart phones complete with web browser, email, and applications, most of us use whatever free phone we got with the cellular contract. 

So while the smart phone might be able to control your T.V., DVD player, sound system, and everything else in your home, it will never replace the universal remote because that remote stays with the T.V. and your cell phone goes with you when you leave the house.