To call the smartphone market mature would be putting it mildly; these days, consumers can choose from a myriad of options for their next smartphone, with models touching a staggeringly wide range of feature sets and price points. Still, are there special needs to heed when buying for business use?
Yes, but whether your staff should be wielding iPhones or Android phones for their on-the-go productivity isn’t quite clear-cut, as it depends on many different factors – including the following…
Do your workers have specific hardware requirements?
In their hardware configurations, Android devices are significantly more varied than iPhones. Theoretically, this could ease your employees’ searches for phones that meet highly specific requirements in terms of display size and – an Android exclusive – expandable onboard storage.
However, while iPhones indeed comprise much fewer models, those models remain relatively varied in their features – and the slimmer range of options could help your staff to choose more quickly.
Is iOS really a more secure operating system than Android?
The perceived wisdom is that it is, largely on account of Apple’s “walled garden” approach. As third-party apps and services must be vetted by Apple before they are allowed on the iOS App Store, any traces of malware can be prevented from seizing control of any iPhone, Business Insider notes.
Google is more liberal with how it allows Android software to be downloaded, though Samsung-made Android phones can use the workspace-segmenting software Knox, says Business News Daily.
Do iPhones offer the most business-friendly choice of apps?
While the iPhone built up an enviable lead over Android in regards to the available selection of high-quality apps early in the smartphone revolution’s history, Android has since largely closed the gap.
These days, many of the important, business-oriented productivity apps, like those of the Microsoft Office suite, are not only available but also work effectively on both platforms. Those apps can especially excel in combination with an on-site Office 365 solution installed by a firm like AddIn365.
Could your personnel quickly get to grips with iPhones?
The iPhone has tended to be seen as more user-friendly than its Android competitors in terms of its operating system – though, again, this is no longer quite as true as what used to be perceived.
Still, it would be wise to say that, as USA TODAY attests, the iPhone is very much in keeping with Steve Jobs’ love for technology that “just works”. Furthermore, with the help of Apple’s Move to iOS app on the Google Play store, transferring data from an Android device to an iPhone can be simple.
Will you or your staff be footing the bill for those iPhones?
This is a point well worth addressing, as iPhones can look extortionate in price compared to many Android devices. If your business will adhere to a “bring-your-own-device” scheme, rest assured that Android devices still have many benefits in terms of security and business-friendliness.
Hence, your staff might not “need” iPhones, so you could leave your workers to make their own choices.
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