The best phones for work

(Image credit: Apple)

Having the best smartphone that isn't just great to look at, but also great to work on is an absolute essential for many workers these days.

With phone makers offering  ideal for employees 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. 

Although some of these selections may overlap with the best phones for casual use, we've identified how these picks will help your business too.

iPhone 11 Pro

(Image credit: Future)

iPhone 11

Apple latest and best smartphone to date

Specifications

Release date: September 2019
Weight: 194g
Dimensions: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm
OS: iOS 13
Screen size: 6.1-inch
Resolution: 828 x 1792
CPU: Apple A13 Bionic
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB
Battery: 3,110mAh
Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP
Front camera: 12MP

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent battery life
+
Affordable for top Apple spec

Reasons to avoid

-
Not as powerful as bigger brother
-
Lacking headphone dongle

Apple's latest release may be the best business device it's ever made. Along with the headline-grabbing top-end camera and snazzy colour schemes, there's a lot to recommend it to everyday workers as well. This includes Apple's best performing battery to date, which will last a full day's working, as well as a slimmer and more portable build that means it slips into a pocket or bag easily. 

Googlr Pixel 4

(Image credit: Google)

Google Pixel 4

Google succeeds in making its latest device ideal for work

Specifications

Release date: October 2019
Weight: 162g
Dimensions: 147.1 x 68.8 x 8.2mm
OS: Android 10
Screen size: 5.7-inch
Resolution: 1080×2280
CPU: Snapdragon 855
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 64/128GB
Battery: 2,800mAh
Rear camera: 12MP + 16MP
Front camera: 8MP

Reasons to buy

+
All key Android tools built in
+
Solid design

Reasons to avoid

-
Smaller screen than Pixel 4 XL
-
Battery life not as good as rivals

Google's Pixel line has become a key focus for the company in recent years, and the new Pixel 4 is the latest iteration in its flagship device family. Featuring a top-class camera and all-new design, the Pixel 4 is great to look at and use, but also comes with a number of benefits for business users. Top of this is access to all the vital everyday Android tools on the go, as well as the latest updates and security protection directly from Google. Battery life isn't quite as good as some of its bigger rivals, but for the cost, the Pixel 4 is one of the most appealing devices around today.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus

Samsung's biggest, shiniest and most powerful device ever.

Specifications

Release date: August 2019
Weight: 196g
Dimensions: 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9mm
OS: Android 9.0
Screen size: 6.8-inch
Resolution: 1440 x 3040
CPU: Snapdragon 855 / Exynos 9820
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 256GB/512GB (up to 1TB via microSD)
Battery: 4,300mAh
Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 16MP
Front camera: 10MP

Reasons to buy

+
More power than any other Samsung device
+
S Pen gives even more working options

Reasons to avoid

-
High price tag
-
Quite bulky design

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the company's largest and most powerful device to date, but does this make it a great business smartphone? It certainly features an expansive screen that will allow you to scan through all the documents, spreadsheets, social media feeds and more - and the additional S Pen gives a whole new dimension for working on the move. Pair that with a huge 4300mAh battery, Snapdragon 855 processor and 12GB of RAM, and you have an absolute powerhouse - albeit one that with its 6.8in display might need to be carried in a jacket, rather than a trouser pocket.

Best business smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Another brilliant business smartphone from Samsung

Specifications

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

Reasons to buy

+
The best smartphone screen around
+
Excellent cameras

Reasons to avoid

-
It's not cheap
-
Design offers little grip

You'll be in good hands if you opt to give your employees the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. 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 10, it's still one hell of a great handset from Samsung.

OnePlus 7

A solid Android option that won't break the bank

Specifications

Release date: June 2019
Weight: 182g
Dimensions: 157.7 x 74.8 x 8.2mm
OS: Android 9
Screen size: 6.41-inch
Resolution: 1080x2340
CPU: Snapdragon 855
RAM: 6/8GB
Storage: 128/256GB
Battery: 3,700mAh
Rear camera: 48MP + 5MP
Front camera: 16MP

Reasons to buy

+
Seriously affordable price
+
Excellent battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
No microSD or headphone jack
-
Not massive changes from previous generations

OnePlus has been quietly growing its market share and popularity over the years, and the OnePlus 7 is the company's latest big-name release, and probably its best business device too. Available for far less than some of its other rivals, the OnePlus 7 matches a pocket-friendly price tag with a huge 3700mAh battery and either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, meaning it should be more than capable of handling whatever you throw at it.

Best business smartphone

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Not the newest, but still a solid business phone from Samsung.

Specifications

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

Reasons to buy

+
Much better battery
+
Improved S Pen

Reasons to avoid

-
Hefty device to hold
-
Mostly iterative upgrades

If you want the a great 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.

Best business smartphone

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

One of the best Huawei phones to date - and it still has Google apps

Specifications

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

Reasons to buy

+
In-screen fingerprint scanner
+
Great triple cameras

Reasons to avoid

-
UI needs refinement
-
High price

Huawei 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 one of the firm's best releases 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. 

Desire Athow
Managing Editor, TechRadar Pro

Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.