The best smartphone for business use and professional work needs to tick all the boxes to make it great for productivity: it needs to last a long time, give you versatility in the apps you use, and have a big enough screen to let you see all your work.
Not all smartphones tick all these boxes, which is why this list isn’t just a copy of our guide to the best smartphones. No, the best business smartphones need a little bit more, and they need to keep providing it for a long time too, not just when you take it out the box for the first time.
It can’t always be easy to tell how useful a handset and its features will be for you though, which is why we’ve drawn up this list of the best business and work phones you can buy right now.
All of these should be more than capable of running the latest business apps for Android as well as iOS apps for iPad/iPhone as applicable, everything from PDF apps to privacy services, as well as connecting with your business phone service. We’ve also got a list of the best business tablets if that’s more useful to you.
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. We’ll keep updating it too when new phones come out, as long as they’re great for business, so perhaps see the Samsung Galaxy S30 or iPhone 12 on this list too.
Although some of these selections may overlap with our best phones for casual use, we’ve identified how these picks will help your business too, as not everyone needs the flashiest smartphone trick.
- Want your company or services to be considered for this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.
Best business smartphone at a glance
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
- iPhone 11
- Samsung Galaxy S20
- Google Pixel 4
- iPhone SE (2020)
- OnePlus 8
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Samsung’s Note line has always been designed for business users, with top specs and the S Pen stylus bringing plenty of features and tricks, and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra represents its top device from 2020.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a top chipset, a 108MP main camera, a super high-res screen and more, enough so that it can be useful for you no matter what your job or profession.
The downside is that this phone is super expensive, enough to put some people off, but if your budget stretches to the Note 20 Ultra, we’d recommend it as your first port of call.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Apple’s latest main-series device (not including a budget device lower on this list) 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.
Read the full review: Apple iPhone 11 review
If you’re looking for a 5G phone that’s great but also won’t break the bank then the Samsung Galaxy S20 could be for you. The most affordable of Samsung’s 2020 flagship range, it has a top-end processor, fantastic display, great cameras and 5G connectivity all for a price below that of other 5G phones.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S20 review
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.
Read the full review: Google Pixel 4 review
If you or your employees need an iPhone for iOS apps or functionality, but don’t need a top-end smartphone like the iPhone 11, a decent alternative is the iPhone SE (2020), which is similar to the iPhone 8 in many ways but comes with a modern chipset and software to keep it relevant nowadays. It’s not exactly a powerhouse in all departments, but if a mid-range phone is all that’s required, this could be it.
Read what you need to know: Apple iPhone SE (2020)
If you’re looking for a reliable Android smartphone to use for your business, you can’t go wrong with a OnePlus phone, and the OnePlus 8 blends a mid-range price with some great features you might find useful.
There’s a smooth UI as well as a 90Hz refresh rate on the screen for your viewing pleasure, and the 4,300mAh battery and great processing power are also useful for a range of tasks. It’s also a 5G phone, for an even lower price than Samsung’s Galaxy S20 units, so if you really need that quick and reliable internet connection it’d really be useful.
Read the full review: OnePlus 8 review
If the best business phone for you has a huge screen, large battery capacity, several top-end cameras including a 108MP main, fast processing power and 5G functionality – if there are any jobs that need all those in one – then the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is for you. The most top-end of Samsung’s 2020 flagship series, it’s packed to the brim with top-end specs.
Sure, it’s not an affordable phone by any definition of the word, which is why we’ve placed it last in this list. But it certainly is a top phone for people who need it all, and if you need this for yourself or your employees, this is the phone to get.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra