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Whether you're a full-time teleworker or make the commute to the office every day, you've probably got one piece of tech that never leaves your side: your mobile phone. Some people are in a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) situation, while others have a handset picked for them by the IT department. Either way, that phone, if properly equipped, can be a tremendous boon to your productivity—if it doesn't become a distraction, of course.
“Smartphones are tremendously powerful, and with the right apps, you can get a lot done quickly. Large-screened devices make multitasking easier, especially on Android,” says PCMag mobile expert Iyaz Akhtar. “It’s basically carrying an ultra-mobile computer in your pocket.” For proof of that, look no further than Apple’s new line of MacBook Neo laptops—they’re powered by the same chip it used in iPhones from two years ago.
In recent PCMag surveys of our US and Canadian audiences, we asked IT managers to tell us about the phones they manage and deploy in the workplace, as well as which wireless carriers they prefer for end users. We also questioned employees who use their personal devices at work. The end result: a guide to which phones and carrier brands are the top options for work in North America.
If you want to know about the right phones and networks you should consider for personal use, read You Picked the Top Wireless Carriers and Phone Makers in North America.
United States: The Top IT-Managed Mobile Carriers for 2026
Wi-Fi only goes so far with a mobile device. In the field, workers need a reliable mobile provider for voice and data. Among IT professionals, the top choices are the big three US carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. And the clear winner this year is T-Mobile.
(Note: Click the arrows in our interactive charts to view various elements of our survey results.)
T-Mobile earns the top rating in nearly every subcategory, particularly for call quality and the speed and reliability of its data network. Plus, the brand comes out well ahead of the competition on our most important metrics for picking an award winner: overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.
“T-Mobile has better coverage and fewer interruptions than several other services I've used,” says one IT manager who responded to our survey. Another says T-Mobile has “excellent services and a great price. We used Verizon for a long time, but fees continued to increase, and service decreased."
Verizon, meanwhile, comes under some criticism for costs (“expensive and overpriced,” says one survey respondent) and scores low for fees, the only brand on the chart under 6.0 out of 10.
United States: The Top IT-Managed Phones for 2026
Among IT managers, the only brands to make this list were, unsurprisingly, the biggest-selling phone brands on earth: Apple and Samsung. And Samsung wins, handily. Its satisfaction rating is more than a half point ahead of Apple’s; its likelihood-to-recommend score is a full 1.5 points higher. Galaxy phones outrank iPhones in every subcategory where both are rated.
“We have standardized on Samsung and would not likely change,” says one IT professional. “Ease of use and reliability are major factors.”
“The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the ultimate power user's phone,” says another. “The S Pen is invaluable for quickly annotating system diagrams and taking notes during troubleshooting. The massive screen and performance handle multiple apps simultaneously, which is essential for my IT work. Android's flexibility lets me customize everything exactly how I need it.”
Samsung's durability comes up quite a bit in the comments. One respondent notes that a user’s Samsung phone was run over by a tractor with no ill effects. Another says, “I recently dropped a Galaxy S25 Ultra in a soapy bathtub. It was submerged in about 7 or 8 inches of water for an unknown amount of time. When it was found and pulled out, the screen lit up and functioned completely normal. The phone didn't even notice that it was just minutes away from exceeding its IP68-rated duration of submersion.”
“IT folks being smitten with Samsung is no surprise," Akhtar says. "Galaxy phones and tablets feature multitasking customizations that go beyond regular Android. If you frequently use two apps at once, you can create an App Pair shortcut. Tiling multiple apps is no problem on a Galaxy Z Fold or a Galaxy Tab. Add in Dex, Samsung’s desktop-like interface, and productivity soars."
To see which handsets currently lead in our lab testing, read The Best Phones We've Tested.
United States: The Top Phone Brands for Work 2026
In our survey, 48.5% of respondents report using their personal phones for work. From that group, we determine the best brand for on-the-job use. It’s a tight contest among three companies, but in the end, Google wins the Business Choice award for work phones in 2026.
Google ranks highest for satisfaction, setup, reliability, display quality, and durability. Google and Samsung tie as the brand most likely to be recommended to colleagues. Respondents deem Google's Pixel the best phone camera for taking pictures or videos at work.
Readers who use Pixel phones for their jobs appreciate how they work with other services. “I like how my Android system integrates with things like Gmail," one survey taker says. "I really feel like it's part of a whole ecosystem.” Another says, “With a Google phone, you always get the updates to Android first.”
“The Pixel has all of Google’s software tricks in one package,” Akhtar says. “AI tools make it easier to clean up images, revise your messages, and generate summaries. Pixels also offer Magic Cue, a proactive assistant that brings you information at the right time. For example, Magic Cue will bring up your ticketing information when you call an airline.”
Second place isn’t Apple, as you might expect, but the other major Android phone maker, Samsung. It doesn’t distinguish itself in most of the subcategories, but it still posts slightly higher satisfaction and likelihood-to-recommend scores than Apple.
Apple, meanwhile, has its strengths, such as ease of use, design, biometric security, and messaging. At the bottom of the list, Motorola has only one standout score, for the value of its more affordable handsets.
Canada: The Top IT-Managed Mobile Carriers for 2026
As in previous years, this list shows that IT professionals in Canada prefer the services of the major mobile network operators (MNOs)—the wireless carriers with the full infrastructure in place to support employees. Our list this year includes the big three (Bell, Rogers, and Telus), plus Freedom Mobile (see below).
For the third time since 2023 (we didn't survey Canadians last year), Telus Mobility, the mobile arm of the telco, takes the Business Choice award for favorite mobile carrier, even though its overall satisfaction score dipped slightly since 2024, while Rogers's and Bell's both rose. Telus is also on top for likelihood to recommend, customer support, and call quality.
“Telus is good for business,” says one survey taker. “Easy to understand and clear.”
“Telus is honestly a great choice if you are looking for fast data speeds with reliability,” says another. “I have used it for about four to five years, and I have also tried Rogers, but they are nowhere close.”
Rogers Wireless still fares well here, tying with Telus Mobility for management capabilities and data speeds, and posting the best scores for coverage, data network reliability, and voicemail. Bell’s only standout rating is a tie with Telus for the selection of phones it offers.
Freedom Mobile, meanwhile, is in a unique position. In 2022, it was the fourth-largest carrier in Canada, but it was purchased by Quebecor in 2023, making it part of the Videotron family. That now makes Videotron the fourth-largest carrier—but that brand did not make this list, because Freedom and Videotron are still marketed separately. Freedom’s standout score here is for price, though it's only 7.1 out of 10.
Canada: The Top IT-Managed Phones for 2026
As in the US, Samsung wins as the smartphone brand preferred by Canadian IT managers. Samsung dominates seven out of 10 subcategories and ties with Google for repairs.
Apple is just a bit ahead of Samsung for display quality, which is surprising given that Samsung, which manufactures so many displays (including the OLED screens used on many iPhones), usually dominates that category. Google’s only win is for tech support.
“I absolutely love Samsung devices—so easy to use," says one IT manager. "They can benefit your business easily [so you] have your inventory, quotes, scheduling, everything, right there in your hands."
“Samsung has been very consistent with their work products,” says another. “They don't limit how the device is used. Unlike one of the majors out there that claim they are the best." (They mean Apple.)
Akhtar praises Samsung for its focus on privacy and IT controls. “Samsung Knox locks down Galaxy-branded devices to keep private information private," he says. "The company’s Knox Suite is designed to make management of work devices simple."
Canada: The Top Phone Brands for Work 2026
This is our third time in four years asking Canadians to rate their mobile work solutions. The top four brands on the list can all celebrate earning decent scores, but our main focus is overall satisfaction, where Samsung leads Apple by just a tenth of a point. Samsung also has the highest likelihood-to-recommend score, as well as the highest scores for display quality and durability.
“Bring along your own Samsung phone, and you can still keep your personal and work life separate,” says Akhtar. “It conveniently allows you to set up a work profile that's managed by your company's IT team."
Apple comes in second. The brand leads for design, biometric security, and ties with Samsung for setup and photo-taking. Motorola, which ranks third, scores highest in value, ease of use, and email, and ties fourth-place Google for repairs. Google and Apple tie for tech support. Meanwhile, Google leads in battery life and Wi-Fi hotspot performance.
LG, it should be noted, makes the list but hasn’t manufactured new smartphones in five years, a testament to its phones' longevity.
The PCMag Readers’ Choice survey for Phones and Mobile Carriers in the US was in the field from Nov. 25, 2025, to Feb. 18, 2026. The Canada survey was conducted via a panel of users from Feb. 18-23, 2026. For more information on how we conduct surveys, read our methodology.