Looking for a great smartphone that also fits your business needs? What you need in a business phone is likely as varied as business itself, and not everyone is going to be looking for the same thing. That’s why we’ve put together our guide to the best business smartphones across all budgets.
Whether you’re at work or play, your smartphone is an integral part of your life. A great phone can make your life easier just as much as a bad phone can slow you down. If you’re looking for a phone that’s the perfect fit for your business life, then you might be confused as to where to start. If you’re a high-powered executive who travels a lot and doesn’t have a permanent desk, your needs are very different from an artist who needs to be able to show off their work to prospective clients — so the phone you need is likely to be just as different.
We’ve looked at some of the best smartphones around, and taken note of the smartphones that come with business-assisting special features, provide excellent value for money, or simply excel in small ways. If you’re looking for your phone to work as hard as you do, and provide some extra features to boot, here are the best business smartphones for every price range.
Why you should buy this: You want a fantastic phone with features for a variety of businesses.
Who it’s for: Seriously busy people on the go who need a pocket productivity powerhouse.
How much it will cost: $1,000
Why we picked the Galaxy Note 9:
Like the Galaxy S9 range before it, the Note 9 isn’t a redesign of its predecessor, but a refinement. As a result, the Galaxy Note 9 is one of the best flagship smartphones in the world, with the super-powerful Snapdragon 845 processor, a truly phenomenal dual-lens camera, and the Note’s signature S Pen. It’s almost everything you’d want in a modern flagship smartphone, and although there are some missteps — Bixby unfortunately still among them — the Galaxy Note 9 is simply one of the best phones in the world right now.
But that’s not why we’re here. What makes the Galaxy Note 9 our pick for the best business smartphone? As well as being an extremely powerful and polished smartphone, the Note 9 is packed to the brim with features that make it an excellent business partner for a wide range of people. The huge 6.4-inch AMOLED display can show a huge amount of information, and you can use the S Pen to write notes on that screen — even when the screen’s off. The S Pen isn’t just a stylus either — it can also be used to pull up a variety of useful features at a moment’s notice.
But that’s all stuff you could do with the Note 8 — what’s new? Well, the Note 9’s S Pen has seen some hardware upgrades, and it now comes with a low power Bluetooth connection that means it can be used to trigger the phone’s camera, or be used as a clicker during presentations. App developers are able to add new functions to the S Pen too, so expect more and more functionality to arrive with new apps. While Bixby still isn’t the best, Samsung’s A. I. has had some upgrades, including the ability to recognize and scan documents in Bixby Vision with Adobe Scan support. There’s also support for dual-SIM, which is ideal for globe-hoppers and anyone with a business number.
Looking to work away from home? The Note 9 comes with Samsung’s DeX desktop system, so your phone can plug into a monitor and function as an impromptu desktop computer. Pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and you’ve got an instant hotel workstation that you can cart around in a small bag. The Note 9’s DeX functionality has been upgraded too, so you no longer need the DeX Station or DeX Pad accessories to get it to work — just plug in a cable and you’re off.
The Galaxy Note 9 isn’t equipped with Android 9.0 Pie yet, but it’s likely on the horizon, and you can bet that it will be among the first of Samsung’s phones to get the update when it arrives. The Note 9 is also equipped with a massive 4,000mAh battery that should see you through most days with power to spare at the end. It’s equipped with some good charging abilities too, with wireless charging and QuickCharge 2.0 that should mean it’ll juice back up quickly.
It’s not perfect. Bixby is still of questionable value, and the phone is expensive at $1,000 — but if the price is no barrier and you want one of the best flagship smartphones around that also comes with great business features, look no further than the Galaxy Note 9.
Galaxy Note 9 Review
Why you should buy this: It’s an incredibly slick, big-screen phone.
Who it’s for: Someone who works with other Apple products and needs their work easily available on their phone.
How much it will cost: $1,100
Why we picked the iPhone XS Max:
If you’re looking for a phone to complement your other Apple work products, or you’re simply a fan of Apple’s phones, the iPhone XS Max stands at the pinnacle. The XS Max’s massive 6.5-inch screen offers a huge amount of space to read documents, check pictures, or catch up on some work (with a Bluetooth keyboard, potentially) — but Apple’s newest large iPhone isn’t just a huge screen. It’s powerful too.
The iPhone XS Max’s A12 Bionic processor is without a doubt the most powerful processor the mobile world has seen to date, showcasing benchmark results that leave the Snapdragon 845 in the dust. It’s powerful in real use too, giving super-smooth performance in daily tasks and handling high-end mobile games with equal ease. 4GB of RAM means there’s plenty of scope for multitasking, while the option of 512GB of storage gives most users more than enough room. While mobile gaming may be low on your list in a business phone, reliable power that won’t let you down will be important.
It’s an attractive phone, with a stainless steel and glass build that won’t look out of place anywhere, from executive meetings to portfolio discussions. The OLED screen itself is a beauty, with deep blacks and rich vibrant colors. However, be aware that it’s a huge phone, and most will struggle to use it with a single hand — and those with smaller hands will struggle significantly more.
The XS Max runs Apple’s latest iOS 12, and it’s a breeze to use, with smooth performance and some genuinely useful additional features like Siri Shortcuts . iOS’s new gesture navigation controls may throw some people off for a moment, but they’re fast once you get used to them.
One of the major advantages of the iPhone XS Max is the close relationship iOS has with other Apple products. You’ll be able to access documents from your iMac or MacBook from your iPhone, thanks to iCloud synchronization, pulling them up at a moment’s notice. While it might not be as big an issue if you’re constantly traveling with your MacBook, it does take the pressure off if you suddenly realize you’ve left your laptop behind. The iPhone XS Max also comes with dual-SIM capabilities.
The battery will last a day, and you can top it up through wireless charging, or with the included charger. If you want fast charging though, you’ll need to pick up a specialized charger for that — Apple doesn’t include a fast charger in the box. The biggest point against the iPhone XS Max is undoubtedly cost. Prices start at $1,099 for the 64GB model and rise to a staggering $1,449 for 512GB of storage — and there’s no MicroSD card slot, so that’s going to be all the storage you get outside of iCloud.
Still, if those downsides are no problem for you, the iPhone XS Max is an exceptional phone for business.
iPhone XS Max Review
Why you should buy this: Because you want a manageable, affordable phone with great features.
Who it’s for: Someone who wants a smaller, full-featured Android flagship.
How much it will cost: $720
Why we picked the Galaxy S9:
It’s not all about the big screens — even smaller screens can be plenty big nowadays, and the Galaxy S9’s 5.8-inch screen is likely to be big enough for most. Like the Note 9, the Galaxy S9 is a beautiful phone with a style that’s not out of place anywhere, with softly curving glass and a truly stunning AMOLED display. It’s not all beauty and no brains either — the S9 is equipped with the same powerful Snapdragon 845 as the Note 9, LG G7 ThinQ, and other powerful flagship phones, and 4GB of RAM makes sure that performance stays smooth.
The Galaxy S9 has no S Pen, so it’s lacking the features the Note 9 excels in. However, there’s still access to Samsung’s DeX mode — though you’ll need the DeX Station or a DeX Pad to get it to work. Still, DeX will allow you to quickly and easily set up a hotel TV as a monitor, without having to lug a laptop around. The S9 is also equipped with an excellent camera for quick pictures of business cards — and Bixby Vision can pull the information off them into a contact card, just like on the Note 9.
Unfortunately, the battery isn’t as large, and if you’re a heavy user, the Galaxy S9 may struggle to last the day without a top-up. However, a fast charger is included so you can top up quickly, and wireless charging is also supported. Samsung remains a heavyweight in personal security though, with Samsung’s secure Knox security preloaded.
While the Galaxy S9 has a few issues that make it slightly weaker than the Note 9, this is still a fantastic choice as a working phone.
Galaxy S9 Review
Why you should buy this: It matches the performance and functionality of the top flagships.
Who it’s for: Someone with a limited budget, but still in need of plenty of power.
How much it will it cost: $530
Why we picked the OnePlus 6:
Line the OnePlus 6 up next to a bunch of this year’s flagships and you’d be hard-pressed to tell the OnePlus 6 costs around half the price of many of them. Despite being firmly in the midrange bracket with a $530 price tag, the OnePlus 6 is one of the most gorgeous phones of the year. You’ll find the usual flagship specifications here, including a glass and metal body, a notched display, and an exceptional dual-lens camera.
