5 recommended smartphones for business purposes - image: TechRepublic.com
The smartphones market is literally booming with devices – there are so many of them it’s hard to keep count even if you limit your search to one year! But that’s actually a good thing – it means that the market has matured and the hardware and software is ready for use more serious than games and social apps.
Up until recently, Blackberry and Windows Mobile were the only players on the smartphones market when it came to devices ready and able for business use, and as you may know, Windows Mobile kicked the bucket with Microsoft deciding to focus on the consumer market, while Blackberry is now really outdated, even for businesses that are outside the fast moving tech industries.
But Android, the OS that runs on most new smartphones, has grown to be a viable operating system for business use, with a lot of features to satisfy any kind of business users, including full on-device encryption in the latest version. In fact, the NSA uses custom Android phones for their work, which says a lot, really. With that in mind, here are 5 of many smartphones that are perfect for business users:
Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx
Motorola’s new Droid RAZR Maxx has something unique to offer that will undoubtedly benefit every business user out there – a long battery life! It’s the only smartphone to have a 20+ hours battery life in continuous use, thanks to the 3300 mAh unit inside, and at the same time it has a sleek design, dual core processor, 4G LTE radio, AMOLED display and all the features Android can offer. If you don’t need a hardware keyboard, it’s the best choice for a smartphone that will be heavily used throughout the day.
Motorola Droid 3 and Droid 4
The Motorola Droid 3 and Droid 4 smartphones are the best choice if you want a good landscape QWERTY keyboard. The reason I’m mentioning them both is that they’re both very similar when it comes to specs, and they each have their own unique features, while the keyboards are very similar in quality.
The Droid 3 has a metal housing and looks and feels professional, while the plastic Droid 4 has 4G LTE – the other specs are pretty much the same, so the choice is a bit hard, but either of them will do great if you type a lot and need a reliable, secure smartphone for everyday use.
Samsung Galaxy Note
The Galaxy Note is a perfect smartphone for those who constantly need to jot down notes and sketches throughout the day. With a big 5 inch display and pen input, this smartphone/tablet hybrid was built for work. The device is also powerful when it comes to internal hardware, with a dual core processor, 1 GB of RAM, up to 64 GB of storage space, 4G modem, GPS and more.
Dell Venue Pro
If you prefer Microsoft’s windows Phone 7 operating system, well, there’s a perfect smartphone for you – the Dell Venue Pro. It’s pretty much the perfect business device if you don’t count the OS’s lack of encryption and support for several important features like MS Exchange sync. The device is well built, has a decent 1 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM, beautiful 4.1 inch display and a very nice portrait QWERTY keyboard that can rival a Blackberry.
Apple iPhone 4S
Apple’s iPhone 4S is also a great device to be used for business if you need a compact smartphone and don’t need a separate hardware keyboard. The phone has a dual core processor that will provide enough performance for any kind of tasks, and with the thousands of apps on the iTunes Store, you’ll definitely be able to do pretty much anything you want.
So – what’s your top pick?
There are plenty of other smartphones on the market, some of which are even specifically aimed at business users (like the Motorola Droid Pro and Admiral), but I’ve found the devices listed above to be the best for general use for any purpose. Be sure to check them out and give them a try if you’re in the market for a good business handset.
