Google Mobile applications have seen a spike this summer, with a 35% increase from May to June. The increase has lasted throughout the summer, completely reversing typical trends for web activity, including Google searches.
These trends indicate that users have become more comfortable with using Google's mobile applications, and also that phone technology and browsing capabilities are improving. There's also a noted correlation between the increased use of Google mobile applications and the launching of the iPhone, for which Google maps has a featured spot on the hand held device. This should throw a bit of fuel on the fire for Google's plans to launch their own mobile phone service, where its own products will be king.
Will this be a new wave for mobile activity, where people simply move web browsing from their PCs to their mobile phones? Perhaps--I would expect this trend to be noticed across several applications, increasing yearly as phone technology gets better and wireless providers offer more options and better data plans as well.
See also: iPhone to Spur Growth in the Mobile Video Industry?