If you are in the market for a new business phone, the amount of options available can make the process of selecting the right one quite challenging. To make this is an easier process for you, our staff has gone through all of the latest business phones on the market. After hours of comparing and evaluating one phone after another, we are proud to present you with our list of the top 5 business phones of 2009:
#5 – HTC Touch Pro2
Price: $699.99 from Amazon
Strengths: Thanks to its Windows Mobile operating system, the HTC Touch Pro2 offers a long list of features specifically for business users, ranging from Microsoft Office Mobile Suite to real-time e-mail delivery. Using the phone is enjoyable thanks to its vibrant 3.6 inch touch screen with 480×800-pixel resolution.
Other notable features of the Touch Pro2 include a full physical keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS navigation, and Bluetooth.
Weaknesses: Currently no 3G support in the US, large size, slow GPS and a high price tag.
#4 – Palm Pre
Price Range: $149.99 with a new two-year contract from Sprint to $749.99 at Best Buy with no contract.
Strengths: The most notable feature of the Palm Pre is its multitasking capabilities, which are unmatched by any other business phone. The Pre is also easy on the eyes thanks to the 320×480-pixel resolution of the 3.1 inch multi-touch screen. The Pre also offers a physical keyboard to provide users with two input methods.
Other notable features of the Pre include up to date system notifications and web browsing, an OS that can be expanded with a variety of apps, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and full 3G coverage.
Weaknesses: The physical keyboard is cramped, no onscreen keyboard, battery life is not great, can be very sluggish when the battery gets below half and lacks a video capture video feature.
#3 – T-Mobile G1
Price: $129.99 with a new two-year contract from T-Mobile
Strengths: The full QWERTY keyboard makes this an excellent choice for any business professional who spends a significant amount of their time typing emails or other documents on their phone. The G1 also offers a 3.2 inch touch screen with a 320×480-pixel resolution.
Other notable features of the G1 include the Android OS integration with apps like GMail and Google Calendar, 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the ability to quickly download apps from the Android store.
Weaknesses: No headphone jack, lacks an exchange port, inability to save downloaded apps on a memory card and low speakerphone quality.
#2 – Apple iPhone 3GS
Price: $199 with a new two-year contract from AT&T.
Strengths: The original iPhone was the most innovative cellphone to hit the market in a long-time, and the iPhone 3GS offers all of its ground-breaking features, as well as a wide variety of new features. The most notable feature of the iPhone 3GS is its full web browsing experience, which allows you to utilize the Internet in its full form instead of a limited mobile version. The iPhone 3GS is able to maximize this full web browsing experience thanks to its 3.5 inch touch-screen with 480×320-pixel resolution.
Other notable features of the 3GS include high-speed 3G, expanded email features, Wi-Fi and the ability to dramatically expand the phone’s capabilities by downloading apps from Apple’s App Store.
Weaknesses: Although the iPhone 3GS is the most popular smart phone among consumers, the reason that we couldn’t make it number one on our list is that while the on-screen keyboard is very intuitive and has a simple learning curve, there are plenty of business users who still feel that a physical keyboard is an absolute must. Other downsides to the iPhone 3Gs include a lack of Flash, high monthly bill, inability to multitask and no USB transfer or storage.
#1 – BlackBerry Storm 2
Price Range: $249.99 with a new two-year contract from Verizon to $599.99 from Newegg.
Strengths: As many business users will tell you, there is simply no substitution for the BlackBerry. RIM (the maker of BlackBerry) has been setting the standard for business phones for years, and their new BlackBerry Storm 2 is no exception. In addition to offering a touch-screen (which is 3.2 inches and has a 480×360-pixel resolution) with on-screen keyboard like the iPhone 3GS (although the Storm’s touch-screen offers tactile feedback, while the iPhone’s screen does not), the BlackBerry Storm 2 also features a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard.
Other notable features of the Storm 2 include Wi-Fi, GPS navigation, large selection of downloadable apps, 3G, dual-mode functionality for world-roaming capabilities and DataViz Documents To Go Standard Edition (which allows you to edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files).
Weaknesses: Although the BlackBerry Storm 2 is number one on our list, there is no such thing as a perfect phone. The weakness of the Storm 2 that may make you consider one of the other four phones on our list is its oblong shape, which may be a turnoff for users who want a sleeker phone.
