Best Business Mobiles for 2023

As we’re coming to the end of the year we thought it would be a good idea to look at what’s coming up in 2023 – specifically with regard to mobile phones for business.

We’ve picked out what we think are the best business mobiles recently launched or coming soon.

With more and more people working remotely, either on the road or at home, it’s vital that the devices they have allow them to do their jobs as easily as possible. That’s why we’ve looked at productivity, battery life, robustness and usability as the key factors in these handsets.

For the purposes of this review we’ve put price to one side. It will be a consideration, of course, but our business mobile deals can often mitigate the cost of the hardware – we’d rather provide you with the equipment you need for you and your staff to do the job.

iPhone 14 Pro Max

As ever, Apple’s iPhone is a serious contender for your business mobiles. The latest iteration, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, has been on the market for a couple of months now so we’ve seen how it’s performing.

Apple’s iOS is as user friendly as ever and the introduction of the oddly named but useful Dynamic Island adds both fun and useful functionality. Essentially it’s an oval at the top of the device which hides the camera and face recognition sensors, but instead of being dead space, it can display alerts, notifications and updates.

The large screen is sharp and ideally suited to usability and productivity, whilst the camera takes some of the best photos and video available – perfect for those who need this in their work.

Finally the battery life has been improved a lot, offering well over 12 hours for standard web browsing. You’ll be looking for your charger a lot less often with the latest iPhone, that’s for sure.

We’d recommend the iPhone 14 Pro Max as a business mobile for 2023 as the iPhone 15 isn’t due until September next year at the earliest. It’ll no doubt be on our 2024 list!

Samsung Galaxy S23, S23 Plus & S23 Ultra

For those who prefer the Android operating system Samsung’s S23 range is likely to launch in February next year, making it a genuine contender for your business mobiles. Details are scarce at the moment but you can expect some significant upgrades to the current S22. Here’s what’s likely.

Camera upgrades are highly likely on both front and back. It’s being reported the front selfie cam will be bumped to 40MP, while the rear camera will go to 200MP.

Looking at timings the Samsung looks like it’ll be quite a bit faster. It should feature their Universal Flash Storage 4.0, reportedly twice as fast as the current 3.1 version, and the S23 Ultra might feature  Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset  – which will be the best on the market.

Obviously we’ve no news on battery life as yet but it’s not likely to be less than the last two versions – some 13 hours on standard web browsing. It could be more. Time will tell but either way, it’s decent!

If it’s the S23 you decide to go for in early 2023 you’ll only have to decide which size to go for – the Ultra is HUGE, more of a ‘phablet’, which will be great for those working on it heavily, but for most users the Pro will probably suffice.

Google Pixel 7 & Pixel 7 Pro

The Pixel 7 launched last month and has been largely well received.

If you’re company goes deep into Google services like Workplace / Drive etc then you have to consider the Pixel 7. It’s pure Google with none of the ‘bloatware’ other Android phones ship with. What you get is the complete Google experience and everything just works. That means your staff will be as comfortable on the Pixel as they are on their PCs and laptops. Right out of the box.

I actually use a Pixel myself (I’ve had the last three models, including the 7) and I wouldn’t switch to any other phone now. It is at least as user friendly as an iPhone in my opinion. The integration with all of Google’s services only complements this.

From a productivity point of view it’s fast, reliable and both versions offer a good screen size with superb clarity. I use mine for web development and management so that should tell you a little something about what you can achieve with a Pixel 7!

The camera – long considered one of the best available – remains top end and the battery life is fantastic. If you’re just checking emails and occasionally browsing it’ll last 24 hours (in my experience). In the lab under constant use it offers 24 hour talk time, 12.5 hour browsing time and just over 17 hours video time. In a nutshell, the battery is never going to be an issue for the average worker.

One thing to perhaps consider is durability. It’s not the most robust phone on the market – but that’s easily mitigated by purchasing cases. Worth mentioning though.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 / Flip 4

I’m going to be perfectly honest here – you would typically choose neither the Z Fold or Z Flip over any of the phones above. However, IF you feel that a more “quirky” phone suits your brand and staff better and IF you feel they will stick around and improve with each iteration (as I do) then these could be the phones for you.

For me, they’re not far enough along the development cycle to be a real option – the Fold is far too bulky and the Flip too flimsy and underpowered for its price – but they DO look amazing and in select cases can do the job.

Cat S62 Pro

When I last did a “best mobiles for business” piece back in 2021 the Cat S61 Pro was my pick for the best phone for in the field – building sites, for example, or garages. This time round, despite much more competition, the Cat S62 Pro is our recommendation.

First of all, you’re not compromising for the extra toughness – the S62 Pro has the spec to rival your midrange standard smartphones. The build is extremely tough and there’s a programmable extra button on the side which could prove very handy on site.

It runs Android 10 too, which many of its contemporaries don’t. You’ll only find one negative with this phone – the camera isn’t that great. That said, unless you require ultra high definition photos, this will do the job.

The S62 is built to last and last it will. Well worth your consideration.

If you want to talk about these phones and your business mobile contract, give Shane a call on 0161 683 4247. We’re on hand to get you the deal – and the hardware – you deserve.