Top 5 business smartphones

The term "business phone" has become somewhat antiquated with the convergence of features in smartphones today. To describe the best phone for business users is often to describe the best phone for a photographer, music lover or social-networking junkie.

(Credit: CBSi)

BlackBerrys used to be the easy option. The combination of the excellent BlackBerry design, paired with the company's security-focused data servers and IT administration tools, made these handsets a must-have in every suit or briefcase pocket. These remain strong reasons to choose BlackBerry, especially if your company still uses the BlackBerry Enterprise Server system, and so we've included the latest Bold in this collection.

If you have the option to bring your own phone to work, then you'll need to be sure it can fit in with your company's IT infrastructure. Beyond this, you'll need to consider which device suits your style of work best. Will you type a lot of texts and emails? Perhaps a physical keyboard would be best, or a phone that makes use of the excellent Swype virtual keyboard software.

How about a big screen? If you don't mind holding a larger handset, a bigger-than-average display does give you a larger canvas to work with, showing greater detail on websites and longer lists of unread email messages. Creative professionals might also consider buying a tablet computer to showcase work, but in many cases a larger screen would be sufficient, and would save you on the cost of having to buy a second device.

Also, keep connectivity in mind. A phone with an HDMI-out port can be used in certain presentation environments to display photos or PowerPoint presentations. Data speeds are also an important consideration. Do you work in a 4G zone? Will you use your phone as a portable modem or Wi-Fi hotspot? If so, you'll want the best and fastest connection around.