Best iPhone Business Apps
July 31, 2008 by Derek Walter
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Give your iPhone a suit and briefcase. Apple’s current ad campaign plays up the iPhone’s business abilities. With support for push email via Microsoft Exchange, syncing contacts, calendars, and email; and a swath of business-friendly applications from third-party developers, the iPhone could be the tool of choice for those who want their iPhone for work. But can you really ditch your BlackBerry? Let’s take a look.
Push email
Mobile professionals need instant email. This is an area where BlackBerry has traditionally excelled to become king of the corporate world. The iPhone’s support for Microsoft Exchange is a major entry into the enterprise market. Despite its rocky start, MobileMe offers promise at bringing cloud computing to consumers. It is a noble effort, but the bugs give the appearance Apple may have rushed this out the door before it was ready.
Business apps
What truly makes the iPhone a potential business tool is the apps. For example, syncing documents is possible with programs like SugarSync. Once you download it from the Apple App Store, you will be able to view and email documents, photos, and other files from your iPhone.
Let’s say you want to jot a quick note. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to see later on your computer? Now you can with Evernote. This app could give Microsoft’s OneNote a run for its money with its syncing across mobile devices, computers, and its support for pen input. While not as feature-rich as OneNote, it’s far more flexible. Plus, it’s free (a full version for $5 a month or $45 a year offers more data storage). Another great tool is Jott, which allows you to record voice notes which can then be converted into emails, notes, and to-do lists.
The trend is telling. Oracle has also jumped into the business app game, offering programs that support its corporate networks. If Microsoft and Oracle were willing to jump into a device that only a year ago was a consumer phone, this bodes well for the iPhone’s future as a business device. Along with the current apps, there are several in the works that may make the iPhone an even stronger competitor to Research in Motion’s BlackBerry. Among the rumored apps is a document editor from Quickoffice, which made a popular app for Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems.
Keyboard tricks
The major deal killer for most business users is the iPhone’s virtual keypad. This probably comes down to personal preference. If you give the iPhone’s keypad some time to get used to, you can type very effectively. And the predictive text is excellent at correcting mistakes, even remembering words that you use often. During a recent email I had longer words like Minneapolis and intrepid; even though I mistyped each of those they came out correct.
Even with its improvements, the iPhone still lacks some of the tools that business professionals might need, such as copy/paste of text, and the ability to save and edit docs to the device. But more independent business persons (such as writers!) and those without heavy software needs might find the iPhone meets, or exceeds, their desires. And seeing that people are still waiting in line to get an iPhone, the software industry will keep smelling the money. While the iPhone may never truly dethrone the BlackBerry in the business world, as time goes on it will certainly give it some serious competition.
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