I have been keeping quiet about this issue - but many of you will remember my venting about the idiot in the seat beside me who ruined a transatlantic flight by yakking inanely for hours on end.
The phones may well be useful when you are late/plans change unexpectedly, but there is no reason to spend more than a few minutes using them, and I don't think that they're necessary at every seat - having one phone for every ten business class passengers should suffice - and those phones should be accommodated in 'neutral' space.
I appreciate my time in the air as a calm period when I can organise my thoughts without outside demands or distractions, and agree with Merry that anyone who overuses the phone is likely to be a bad time/work manager!
(It's okay for you to call your wife, TC...)