Tony McDonough investigates the best mobiles on the market for the business user

IN JUST a few years the mobile phone has gone from being a simple device used for calls and texts to a sophisticated multi-function device.

It has become an invaluable tool for business people of all kinds and there is a plethora of smartphone models to choose from.

So which phones are the best and most popular for business users.

We spoke to Ryan Woodcock, a mobile phone “guru” based at the Preston Brook centre of phone giant O2.

When asked what is the most important thing business people want from a phone, Ryan didn’t hesitate.

“Number one is a good email service,” he said.

“They want something that is nice and easy to use.”

Getting popular web-based email accounts like Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo is pretty straightforward on most smartphones but Ryan says business people will often want their own company email account on there.

“That is something you can get arranged from your service provider – we can do that at O2,” he added.

“Some business customers will know exactly what they need but others may be less tech-savvy so need a bit of assistance.”

Smartphones now have access to countless features and apps and Ryan says two of the most popular choices are navigation tools and good-quality cameras.

“An app that is particularly popular with sales people is one called Salesforce,” he said.

Ryan said the models that have become very popular with business people are the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy ranges.

He added: “People do like the Galaxy Note in particular because it comes with such a big screen.”

And Ryan also said the Blackberry remains popular with business people, despite generally being less popular than it once was.

“People still like Blackberry because the way it runs its email server is brilliant,” he said.