Best business smartphone of 2018: top mobiles for work

For many of us, having the best business smartphone is absolutely essential, as

we’re more and more reliant on these little computers in our pockets to get our work done.

With many manufacturers offering smartphones that are 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.

1. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

The best business phone in the world

You'll be in good hands if you opt to give your employees the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, currently TechRadar's top choice for the best smartphone in the world. It improves on almost every aspect of the phones that have come before it, with supremely powerful components, a dazzling 6.2-inch QHD Super AMOLED display and a top notch camera - but it's not all fun.

The Galaxy S9 Plus also comes with Samsung's Knox security, which the firm says is just as secure - if not more - as BlackBerry's DTEK50 and Priv devices. You'll need deep pockets, but you won't regret it.

2. OnePlus 6

A brilliant performer for the price

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.

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 8

A great enterprise phone particularly when paired with the Dex dock

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. The new dual camera is really what separates it from the Galaxy S8 duo (if you're not bothered by the stylus features) and while it's expensive, it's certainly worth looking at if you want a brilliant business smartphone.

4. iPhone 8

Apple's latest and greatest is faster, smarter and water resistant

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.

5. BlackBerry Priv

The first BlackBerry handset with Android sauce

When the Priv launched, it took a lot of analysts by surprised because of radical step involving the OS. BlackBerry had finally decided to embrace Android and re-introduce the keyboard (albeit a slide out one) on a flagship handset.

It is, as TechRadar's John McCann candidly puts it, the mullet of the smartphone world. "It's still business in the front, but now there's a party in the back too. It will divide opinion, but this is the best BlackBerry in years," he added.

The device will appeal to those who wants the security halo associated with BlackBerry with the ubiquity of Google's Android. Overall, it remains a stunning piece of kit, and probably one bound to become a classic.

6. BlackBerry Classic

For those who yearn for the golden age of BB OS

There are still BlackBerry fans out there and the Canadian company unveiled the Classic to please them all. An old-school QWERTY keyboard, a familiar operating system and user interface, a design that doesn't age and the enterprise-grade security are all on the feature list of this smartphone.

Sure, Android might well have the upper hand when it comes to market share and the sheer number of applications but BlackBerry provides with yet another attractive alternative when it comes to business smartphones.

It runs BlackBerry OS 10 with a square 720x720 pixel touchscreen display, a touchpad and up to 22-hour battery power.

7. Microsoft Lumia 950

A great enterprise phone particularly when paired with a display dock

This smartphone – and its 950 XL sibling – represent the best-of-breed devices when it comes to Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft's latest mobile operating system, one which promises, for the first time ever, a seamless user experience, across applications and across displays.

You get 3GB of RAM, 32GB on-board storage, a 2K display, a 20-megapixel rear camera and a free one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal. Connect this handset to the Microsoft HD-500, an £80 Display Dock, and it transforms into a powerful desktop PC as well, great in an enterprise configuration.

8. BlackBerry DTEK50

The world's most secure smartphone

The BlackBerry DTEK50 is a surprisingly promising smartphone with a more than reasonable price tag and a spec sheet to be proud of.

It's not going to wow you with design, flagship features or super slick performance, but what you do get is a phone which fully encrypts all your data, makes it easy for you to monitor your privacy and ensures everything is secure.

It's an ideal fleet handset to dish out in numbers without breaking the bank.

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