Business mobile devices for field staff

What field staff need from a mobile device

The right device for a field worker depends on the job, not the job title. Before you choose models, list what the device has to do:

• Run the job apps. Job management, forms, signatures, photos, mapping and parts lookups, some of which may favour iPhone or Android.
• Survive the conditions. Rain, dust, drops onto concrete, gloves and cold weather.
• Last the shift. A full day of navigation, photos and calls, often away from a charger.
• Connect where the work is. Coverage across the patch, inside customers' buildings and at rural sites.
• Capture information. A good camera, barcode scanning for stock and parts, and a screen big enough for drawings and forms.
• Stay secure. Managed from day one, with company data protected if the device is lost.

Many mobile devices for field teams end up as a pair: a phone for calls and messages and a tablet for forms and drawings. Others work well on one larger phone. Ask the people who do the job; they usually know which devices break and why.

Rugged phones and tablets

Rugged phones for field workers are built for water, dust and drops, and often add features standard phones lack. Samsung's rugged range, the Galaxy XCover phones and Galaxy Tab Active tablets, is a good example of what to look for. Samsung describes:

• Water and dust resistance rated IP68, and drop testing to a military standard (results vary by device)
• Programmable keys that can turn the device into a walkie-talkie, a torch, a scanner or another tool
• A replaceable battery, so a shift does not end when the battery does
• Barcode scanning through Knox Capture, which is sold separately

Not every field worker needs a rugged device. Staff who drive between customers' offices may be well served by a standard iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone in a protective case; staff on construction sites, in warehouses or outdoors all day get more value from a rugged model. Our guide to Samsung business phones covers the rugged range and Samsung Knox, and our business iPhone guide covers iPhone fleets.

Whichever you choose, check its published security update period covers the time you plan to keep it. Samsung says its Galaxy Enterprise Edition devices get up to seven years of firmware and maintenance updates.

Data SIMs for tablets, laptops and vehicles

Field tablets and laptops work best with their own connection rather than tethering to a phone:

• A data SIM or eSIM in the tablet or laptop means it is online as soon as it is switched on, and keeps working when the phone's owner is elsewhere.
• An in-vehicle router gives a van or mobile unit its own Wi-Fi for tablets, laptops and equipment on board.
• A portable hotspot suits a small crew working together on a site for the day.
• Card machines, trackers and sensors can each take a data SIM or IoT SIM.

Our guide to business data SIMs explains data SIMs, eSIM, APNs and fixed IPs, and our sister site covers business data only SIM plans. If equipment in your vans or at your sites still relies on 2G, plan its replacement: gov.uk says the networks will switch off 2G between 2029 and 2033.

Coverage on the road and on site

For field teams, coverage matters more than almost anything else. A phone that cannot connect at the customer's door is no use, however good it is.

1. List where each team actually works: regular routes, depots, rural areas and the types of building they visit
2. Check each network's own coverage checker for those places, and look at 5G as well as 4G
3. Test with a phone on the network you are considering at a few typical sites
4. Turn on Wi-Fi Calling on compatible phones for buildings where indoor signal is weak
5. Consider an indoor coverage solution at depots and offices with poor reception; EE Business, for example, lists indoor coverage solutions for business premises

We supply EE Business and Three Business, and can also supply O2 Business and Vodafone Business, so different teams can be on the network that works where they work. Our guide to business mobile coverage explains how to check signal properly.

Battery life, charging and accessories

A flat battery ends a field worker's day as surely as a broken screen. A few habits help:

• Choose for battery life, and consider a rugged model with a replaceable battery for long shifts
• Fit vehicle chargers in every van and car, and keep spare cables in the kit
• Fit phone cradles in vehicles: gov.uk says it is illegal to hold a phone or sat nav while driving
• Add protection with screen protectors and tough cases on standard phones
• Keep a spare power bank for crews working away from vehicles
• Turn on battery health features and replace batteries before they fade, rather than replacing the device

Accessories are cheap compared with downtime, so include them in the kit list for each role.

Locking devices down for field work

Many field devices only need to do a few things. Locking them to those tasks makes them simpler to use, harder to misuse and quicker to support. Device management software makes this possible:

• Apple devices. Apple describes supervision as the mode for organisation-owned devices, giving additional control over configuration and restrictions; Apple Business can turn on supervision wirelessly during set-up. Microsoft Intune can then run a supervised iPhone or iPad in kiosk mode (Apple's App Lock), locked to one app, or in autonomous single app mode, which locks the device to an approved app while it is in use.
• Samsung devices. Samsung's Knox Configure offers multi-app or single app mode to use devices as dedicated kiosks, can launch key apps automatically on every reboot and can remap hardware keys.
• Mixed fleets. Unified endpoint management products such as Ivanti UEM manage rugged devices alongside phones, tablets and computers from one place.

Alongside lock-down modes, use the usual policies: a screen lock, encryption, blocking unapproved apps and pushing Wi-Fi and VPN settings so staff do not have to set them up. Our guides to mobile device management software and mobile device management and security cover the tools, and your company mobile phone policy should explain the rules to staff.

Lost, damaged and replacement devices

Field devices get lost, dropped and left on van roofs. Plan for it before it happens:

• Lock or wipe remotely. Device management lets you lock or wipe a lost device, and Apple's Find My adds remote lock or erase for Apple devices.
• Replace the line quickly. eSIMs can be deactivated and a new one issued without posting a SIM card; EE Business says its business eSIMs can be deactivated and replaced if a device is lost or stolen.
• Keep spares ready. A small stock of spare devices, registered for zero-touch enrolment, means a replacement configures itself when switched on.
• Use the network's lifecycle services. EE Business offers device lifecycle management covering managed set-up, deployment, retrieval, data wipe, redeployment and recycling, and Three Business lists Three Business Repairs among its services.
• Wipe before reuse or recycling. Remove company data before a device goes to another user or leaves the business.

Record every device and SIM in one register, with the user, role and network, so a lost device can be identified and cut off quickly.

Buying devices for field teams

We focus on getting your airtime costs down, so companies can buy their field devices separately, outright or through their usual procurement. That can save a lot of money, and it lets you choose each device on its merits for each role and refresh it when it suits you.

A few buying tips:

• Standardise on a short list of models per role, so accessories, cases and support are simpler
• Buy from suppliers linked to your Apple Business or Samsung Knox account, so devices enrol automatically when switched on
• Check warranty terms, including any extended manufacturer warranty, before you choose
• Match the update period to how long you will keep the device, especially for rugged models kept for several years

For the wider choice of handsets, see business mobile phones and our guide to how to choose the best phone for business use.

How we help equip field staff

We can help you work out what each field role needs, choose phones, tablets and rugged devices to shortlist, put them on the right airtime and data SIMs on the network that works where your teams travel, and set up device management so devices arrive enrolled and locked to their job. Pricing depends on the network, plans and software, so ask us for a quote.

Contact us to talk about business mobile devices for your field staff.