Other related buying guides
For many of us, having the best business smartphone is absolutely essential, with everybody becoming more reliant on these little computers in our pockets to get our work done.
With many manufacturers offering smartphones perfect for workers of all levels, we’ve updated this guide to give you the very latest buying advice to help you choose the best smartphones for business use. Keep in mind that some of these selections might overlap with our list of best phones for casual use, but we've identified how these picks will help your business lifestyle, too.
(Image credit: Samsung)
1. Samsung Galaxy Note 9
The absolute best business phone in the world right now
Release date: August 2018 | Weight: 205g | Dimensions: 162 x 76.4 x 9mm | OS: Android 8.1 | Screen size: 6.4-inch | Resolution: 2960×1440 | CPU: Exynos 9810 | RAM: 6/8GB | Storage: 128/512GB (up to 1TB with card) | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP | Front camera: 8MP
If you want the very best business smartphone, no matter what the cost, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is the one to go for. It's got a spec list to die for, including a huge screen, bags of RAM, a huge 4,000mAh battery and up to 1TB of storage. It's also got a microSD slot and a headphone jack – something that many modern smartphones lack. It's also got some great business-specific features, such as an improved Bluetooth stylus (known as the S Pen), and if you plug it into a USB-C dock or USB-C to HDMI, it can be used in DeX mode, replicating a desktop-environment that can replace your desktop PC. Seriously impressive.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review
2. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Another brilliant business smartphone from Samsung
Release date: March 2019 | Weight: 175g | Dimensions: 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.4-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3040 | CPU: Snapdragon 855 / Exynos 9820 | RAM: 8/12GB | Storage: 128/512GB/1TB | Battery: 4,100mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 16MP | Front camera: 10MP + 8MP
You'll be in good hands if you opt to give your employees the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, which is also our pick for the best smartphone in the world right now. It improves on almost every aspect of the phones that have come before it, with supremely powerful components, a dazzling 6.4-inch QHD Super AMOLED display and a top notch camera - but it's not all fun.
The battery has also been given a huge boost to 4,100mAh, which means you can comfortably use it all day without worrying about recharging it. While it doesn't quite have the business focus of the Galaxy Note 9, which is our pick for the best business smartphone, it's still one hell of a great handset from Samsung.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review
3. OnePlus 6
A brilliant performer for the price
Weight: 177g | Dimensions: 155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8 mm | OS: Android 8.1 Oreo | Screen size: 6.3-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2280 | CPU: Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) | RAM: 6GB/8GB | Storage: 64GB/128GB | Battery: 3300mAh | Rear camera: 20MP + 16MP | Front camera: 16MP
The OnePlus 6 is our newest phone on this list, and like its predecessor, it is an affordable flagship handset, and offers one of the best Android phone experiences on the market, especially when using it for work. You have the choice of either 6GB or 8GB of RAM depending on your needs - for most people 6GB will be more than enough. The battery life could be better, so make sure you have easy access to a charger if your work depends on you always being connected, and there's still no microSD support on the OnePlus 6, much like previous OnePlus phones, but you do have the choice of either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.
The true highlight of the OnePlus 6 is the price, though, and this may will be one of the best devices for you on this list if you're looking to spend as little as possible on a top-of-the-range phone for your business needs.
Read the full review: OnePlus 6
4. iPhone XS
The best iPhone Apple has ever made
Release date: September 2018 | Weight: 177g | Dimensions: 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm | OS: iOS 12 | Screen size: 5.8-inch | Resolution: 1125x2436 | CPU: A12 Bionic | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64/256/512GB | Battery: 2658mAh | Rear camera: 12MP+12MP | Front camera: 7MP
If you're looking for the best Apple business smartphone, then the iPhone XS is the one to get. It's the pinnacle of Apple's smartphone design, offering a gorgeous 5.8-inch OLED screen, improved battery life and an amazing camera that's arguably the best you'll find on a smartphone. It's very expensive though, but if you want a business smartphone that can do almost everything, and with a gorgeous design, then this is the one to get. If you're on more of a budget, but still want an Apple device, consider the iPhone 8, which is also on this list.
Read the full review: iPhone XS review
5. Samsung Galaxy Note 8
A great enterprise phone particularly when paired with the Dex dock
Weight: 195g | Dimensions: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm | OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat | Screen size: 6.3-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 2630 | CPU: Exynos 8895 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB | Battery: 3300mAh | Rear camera: Dual 12MP | Front camera: 8MP
Samsung has produced another excellent productivity-focused device with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, making it one of the best smartphones for business. Thanks to the large Infinity Display you get loads of screen space to work on, without the body being too bulky to carry around, and the S Pen stylus is something not a lot of other phones can offer and the all-round speed is almost breathtaking at times. It's certainly worth looking at if you want a brilliant business smartphone, especially now that its price has dropped.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 8
6. Huawei Mate 20 Pro
The best Huawei phone to date
Release date: November 2018 | Weight: 189g | Dimensions: 157.8 x 72.3 x 8.6mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.39-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3120 | CPU: Kirin 980 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery: 4200mAh | Rear camera: 40MP + 20MP + 8MP | Front camera: 24MP
Huawei is a Chinese manufacturer which has been steadily releasing some excellent smartphones that offer specs and features that rival its more established (and expensive) Western rivals. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the firm's best phone yet, and it's one of our picks for the best business smartphone you can buy in 2019. It comes with a huge 6.39-inch display with a QHD resolution and HDR10 support, plus a large battery that lasted a day and a half in our tests!
Read the full review: Huawei Mate 20 Pro
7. Google Pixel 3
A fantastic flagship that fits in the palm of your hand
Release date: November 2018 | Weight: 148g | Dimensions: 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2160 | CPU: Snapdragon 845 | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 2,915mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 8MP + 8MP
Google's flagship phones are brilliant performers, and the fact they come with stock Android without any annoying bloatware or complex user interfaces means they are great choices for business phones. The Google Pixel 3 is the latest entry and it comes with a decent 5.5-inch full HD screen, a battery that's capable of about a day's worth of use and one of the best cameras we've seen on a smartphone. If you want a pure-Android experience, the Pixel 3 is one of the best business smartphones you can buy right now.
Read the full review: Google Pixel 3
8. iPhone 8
Apple's latest and greatest is faster, smarter and water resistant
Weight: 148g | Dimensions: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm | OS: iOS 11 | Screen size: 4.7-inch | Resolution: 750 x 1334 | CPU: A11 | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 64/256GB | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 7MP
Apple's iPhones are always popular options with great build quality, a simple user interface and a wealth of quality business apps at your fingertips.
The iPhone 8 is one of the latest offerings from Apple, and it's faster, smarter and boasts a water resistant body for the first time. While Apple has also released the more premium iPhone X, its high price tag makes that a difficult smartphone to recommend for businesses. That's not to say the iPhone 8 is cheap - it's not - but if you're kitting out your team with these phones, you're going to get more for your money.
If your firm is currently rocking iPhone 7 and 7 Plus handsets there's no need to upgrade, but for those using older devices - especially the 5 variants and below the iPhone 8 offers a far superior experience.
Read the full review: iPhone 8