Smartphones Property Professionals Will Love Using

Technology is entering every aspect of property management and changing workstyles while improving staff performance.

From leasing to inspections and maintenance, more property management work is being conducted online away from company offices. And hardware and accompanying apps are providing useful, time-saving and task-boosting features as you’ll discover below.

Today, we’re exploring some impressive smartphones for landlords and property managers. Of course, which is best really is predicated on your specific management needs. If you have a large rental property portfolio, you may need a more reliable, higher-performance device. And the more remote field work you do, the more features you’ll want on your phone.

Features range from infrared sensors to massive RAM for data processing to stylus pens for acquiring signatures. The built-in sensors work with other diagnostic or property management apps.  These smartphones will improve your work as a landlord, property manager or association manager.

Overcoming Previous Technical Limitations

You’ve likely dropped your phone, broken your screen, got hacked without knowing it, had trouble hearing voices on the line, couldn’t see tiny text or images or use text inputs, couldn’t use certain apps, couldn’t get a cellular or wifi connection, had your phone freeze under heavy use, couldn’t touch with your bare fingers, or you simply wore out the touch screen.

We knew the smartphone manufacturers would produce better handsets that landlords and property managers would be delighted to use. Some managers run their entire business on them and they appreciate the upgrades.

Property Management Software Via Your Smartphone!

Top property management platforms offer both web-accessible platforms and smartphone-installable apps.

That’s created more demand for mobile devices, but unfortunately, not all smartphones and tablets offer the reliability, functionality and performance needed for mobile workloads. Some new ones, which you’ve never heard of below are powerful and offer extra features for mobile landlords and property managers.

You’ll be doing inspections, launching work orders, accepting payments, accessing documents and data, getting leases signed, communicating via your platform communications app, and more. Your device should allow it all.

Software today is demanding of processors, memory and storage and display screens.  A mobile devices bypass many issues by using SaaS apps with essentials that are loaded into your phone/tablet. Mobile apps allow you to get things done without having to load massive applications onto your phone.

The Features Landlords and Property Managers Need

Before you shop for a new phone, build a list of key work performance features you need, while you’re out in the field doing work. For instance, accessing huge data files as you work via your dashboard requires a lot of memory and fast processors creating high bandwidth, 5G connectivity, powerful antenna, high tech sensors and low light camera, and physical durability in case you drop your phone or tablet.

Let’s look at the business-focused features which most landlords, technicians and property managers need in a mobile device.

Smartphone Features to Evaluate:

• size of device screen
• 5G bandwidth
• battery power
• fast charging
• memory capacity
• stylus for accepting signatures or making notes
• data storage capacity
• thermal camera
• reliable touchscreen
• ruggedness or durability rating
• camera image and video resolution – zoom and panorama
• microphone quality
• speaker quality
• property management app compatibility
• other real estate/finance apps you must use
• integrated Push-to-Talk mobile app
• waterproof, shock and dust proof
• flashlight power
• additional services apps included/available

With your needs prioritized in a spreadsheet, you’re ready to find reliable models and compare/evaluate each of them. In addition to built-in features such as infrared sensors (Caterpillar Cat S62 Pro), some have helpful apps.  Google’s Pixel 7 Pro smartphone for instance, offers push-to-talk for building technicians or team use, along with Google Live Translate for speaking with tenants who have limited English skills.

9 Powerful Smartphones for Landlords and Property Managers

1. ecom EX-COVER PRO D2 – Rugged Smartphone – For property pros including maintenance and repair technicians, the ecom EX-COVER PRO D2 – Rugged Smartphone is a warrior smartphone. Designed for rugged duty, it withstands drops, dust, dirt, water and sand.

The EX-COVER PRO D2’s 6.3″ durable 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution, Gorilla Glass 5 screen is sensitive to touch even with gloves on. It features a fast-charging battery, 5GB of working memory, and 64GB storage is expandable to 512 GB with microSD. It offers 4 sensors (Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyro, Compass, along with a fingerprint sensor). Dual sim cards and Bluetooth 5.0 improve performance. Definitely an advanced-level, industrial-quality smartphone for the active property manager.

2. AGM G2 Guardian | 5G Wifi 6/6E Rugged Smartphone — Yet one more industrial quality smartphone is the AGM G2 Guardian Rugged Smartphone with some spectacular inspection task features. This phone includes the Qualcomm QCM6490 2.7Ghz 5G chipset with AI-accelerator architecture.

Affordably priced around $900, it’s waterproof, shock and dust-proof, has strong battery power along with a powerful thermal imaging sensor resolution at 256 x 192 pixels, perfect for finding trouble in your equipment/properties. That 20mb (night vision) camera system measures temps from 0 to 150 C within a distance of up to 8 meters, and posts min, max and average temperatures on screen. You can check electrical systems and components, fleet vehicle wheels, home exteriors and windows, and more equipment for signs of trouble.

It offers a high refresh 180 MP camera with 6.5 inch Corning Gorilla Glass display screen which resists deep scratches. The 109 dB sound-enhanced loudspeaker allows you to hear and talk with others live on speakerphone in noisy environments. The phone also provides the Guardian SOS feature to call for help if you’re in trouble.

3. Galaxy S23 Ultra — The higher priced ($1200 to $1400) Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone offers exceptional processing power capable of online streaming and gaming, so you know it can handle large work applications such as a property management software.

The Galaxy camera is state of the art at up to an astonishing 200MP with nightography, and low light capabilities. Its built-in stylus for taking notes or signing leases is handy. A powerful 5000mAh battery gives you lots of life (very strong 12 hours and 22 minutes in Adaptive mode) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset gives high bandwidth performance.

The 6.8 inch QHD AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 10x telephoto zoom. This phone is all about graphics allowing you to take stunning photos of your properties even in poor light conditions. And for Zoom meetings, it won’t bog down.

The Samsung Notes app included offers an interesting collaboration feature, to enable users to ideas/insights/observations simultaneously by different people — a great way to collect information on any maintenance project.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra – for those who need a larger display, the Note 20 Ultra delivers a 6.7 inch Gorilla Glass Victus screen with 1440 x 2088 resolution and 120 hz refresh rate. A Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G chipset includes a Mali-Gtt MP22 GPU combines with 256 GB of RAM for powerful performance.

You’ll enjoy Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and FM radio reception (in some markets). A 4500 mAH battery gives you 25W recharging speed. Sensors include fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, and barometer. It includes an 8K video camera with 5X optical zoom.

The only issue with this smartphone is that Samsung is discontinuing the Note line due to chip shortage issues.

5. Google Pixel 7 Pro – Google’s best phone ($800) offers plenty of power and functionality for landlords and property managers using ManageCasa’s platform remotely. Google’s beginning to integrate AI into their phones to improve speed, improve security and provide better cameras.

This 6.7 screen handset, and a 50MP wide lens camera, you can take spectacular photos inside and outside your properties and zoom on equipment for clear views (1440 x 3120 pixels resolution) of problems in low light areas. It offers 4k video quality at 60fps rate quality.

Security in business is important and Google builds in Tensor G2 and the Titan M2 security chip to provide multiple layers of hardware security to help keep your data safe. And in an emergency, Pixel 7 can automatically call for help, share your location or record a video.

You’ll enjoy 12 GB of RAM with 128/256 internal storage. Google doesn’t boast about the Tensor Chip set, and some wonder if it’s enough. The 2x Arm Cortex-X1 (2.85GHz), 4MB for the CPU and 8MB for the system, with a GPU processor included. It handles camera and speech tasks up to 60% faster. The battery life rating of 24 hours is awesome but the 50% charge in about 30 minutes might be frustrating for some business users.

The downside is that Pixel 7 phones might be more of a consumer phone, and rate much lower than Apple iPhone 14 and Samsung phones (according to AndroidAuthority.com) and may not compare well in terms of business value delivered.

6. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – Apple’s very best handset ($1100) released just last fall, features an incomparable 6.7″, 1290 x 2796 resolution for 48 MP pics. The TOF 3D LiDAR scanner assists with depth perception improving 3d clarity of pics and video. The display features durable Corning glass, but not Gorilla glass level scratch and crack resistance.

The phone uses Apple’s A16 bionic chipset which includes the dual 3.46 Ghz Everest processor with an additional Apple GPU for outstanding video playback, and for doing your work with the ManageCasa mobile app.

The Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) is an interesting feature for anyone doing remote work in dangerous regions. Sensors include Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, and barometer.

If you don’t mind the hefty price, it’s a good smartphone for business too. A lack of sensors and stylus make it less practical for property managers, but you can do Zoom meetings, manage your listings, edit and upload high-quality photos, manage your bookkeeping and accounting, and conduct your visual inspections easily.

7. Cat S62 Pro — yet one more durable industrial-grade smartphone is the Caterpillar Cat S62 Pro.

The Cat S62 Pro thermal imaging enhancement will appeal to technicians to provide even more thermal detail to help locate and diagnose the damp, the draught, the leak, the hotspot, the electrical short, the blockage or the elevated temperature.

The thermal imaging camera offers 1440 x 1080 HD output with VividIR MSX linear overlay at a measurable range of -20°C to 400°C. Sensors included are FLIR Thermal Lepton 3.5, Fingerprint, NFC, Proximity, GPS, Ambient Light, Compass, and Gyro.

Housed in a non-slip rubberized TPU, its drop, water, dust and waterproof limits are impressive, and that includes dops of 6 feet onto hard surfaces. The 5.7″ FHD+ (18:9) display (Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6) and the memory to 6GB RAM / 128GB ROM and added a fingerprint sensor.

The Cat S62 Pro smartphone uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octo Core 2.0GHz chipset with 6GB of RAM, 128GB ROM internal storage, extendable via sim to 256GB, along with extended battery life – up to two days general use (4000mAh). It includes Bluetooth 5.0 and 4G support but not 5G.

Resistant to humidity and salt mist and thermal shock: handles low to high-temperature differences between-30°C (-22°F) to 75°C (167°F) for up to 30 minutes.

8. Motorola Moto G Power 5G | 2023 Moto G, stylus 5G — Motorola products are preferred by many technicians given its history with business customers. The Moto G Power 5G is a very affordable smartphone that includes a large screen size, stylus pen and 5G modem, all of which are handy when you’re out of the office. It uses the Android iOS.

The phone isn’t a powerhouse like the Apple iPhone or AGM G2 Guardian, yet for about $250, it’s certainly priced well. It has a 6.6″ display (not Gorilla Glass) with a nice 2,400 by 1,080 pixel 48MB resolution with a 120 Hz refresh rate. It offers face unlock, and a depth sensor to improve images, but it doesn’t excel in low-light conditions. Its performance for video is on the low end of the spectrum.

The Moto G Power 5G can handle humidity but is not waterproof so you’ll need to be careful. Sensors included: proximity sensor, ambient light, accelerometer, gyroscope, SAR sensor, magnetometer, barometer,  fingerprint reader and sensor hub.

It uses a Snapdragon® 6 Gen 1 processor. You can get up to 6GB of RAM (which you’ll need) and 256GB of internal storage and external storage up to 2 TB. Its 5,000mAh battery will give you up to 13 hours of normal use and takes 2 hours to fully recharge. Under tests, the phone performed well with 5G and Wifi connections.

If you have a limited number of properties, the Moto G Power 5G might be all you need.

9. OnePlus Nord N30 5 – This affordable ($299) 5G capable Android smartphone is said to be comparable to the Moto G Power 5G and the Google Pixel 6a, both economy phones.

It features a 6.7 inch display and is a little lighter than most other phones. The phone’s 2,400-by-1,080-pixel resolution. Battery life is rated at 11 hours and 50W SUPERVOOC fast charging gets up again fast. It offers impressive, dual stereo speakers for good audio for any mobile meetings you might have.

The OnePlus Nord N30 5 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor with 128GB 8GB RAM.

For property pros with limited rental property portfolios, this low-cost phone might be suitable to access property management software and get work done on the road.

These Phones are Serious Business Tools

For the progressive mobile property manager or landlord, a powerful modern smartphone is a substantial asset. These devices help you become more effective as you communicate, visit, and engage your tenants to improve relations, keep tenants leased, and optimize maintenance tasks.

Today’s tenants respect a property manager or landlord who uses technology well. To them, it shows respect in responsiveness, convenience as well as progressiveness in business.

Having a powerful smartphone with the required features means you’re ready for anything you confront on the road and are able to stay connected and get work done via your ManageCasa platform dashboard.

Good luck with your evaluation of these phones for business use and we hope it makes your experience with ManageCasa even better.

Don’t forget to download the ManageCasa smartphone app for Apple iOS and Android iOS.

Getting Started:  Property Management Software | Property Management Apps | Landlord Apps | Software Rating | Software Review | Software Recommendations | Software Criteria Overview | Software Performance Reviews | Questions about Software | Software Product Demo | Buy Software Guide | Software Pricing and Affordability | Set up ManageCasa Account | Accounting Software  Software for Mid Sized Companies