Except for North America and Oceania, every area in the world has a majority of Android mobiles users. Therefore it is expected that companies in many locations would support and provide Android devices to employees as their primary mobile devices.

Businesses are likely to support or distribute Android devices at least as a backup alternative, even in markets where Apple’s iPhone dominates or has a comparable market share.

With regard to enterprise concerns on performance, device management, bulk device enrollment, and Security update commitments, Google provides a certification called Android Enterprise Recommended.

Google releases a tool to assist IT in determining whether devices are certified in various locations, as well as to investigate supported Android versions and security update end dates.

However, the Google business compliance checker is not maintained up to date, so it cannot be depended upon alone, as Computerworld columnist JR Raphael has demonstrated.

Furthermore, it’s unclear how Google enforces compliance once goods are approved.
In conclusion, Android Enterprise Recommended should only be used as a starting point for limiting your choices.

Because of Apple’s strict control over the iPhone and its iOS operating system.
IT can be confident in the device’s capabilities, security patches, software upgrades, and manageability.

The Android market, in comparison, is extremely varied, with dozens of manufacturers leveraging Google’s platform while providing differing degrees of quality and support.
As well as sometimes insufficient or irregular OS and security upgrades. As a result, IT must put more work into choosing and supporting mobile devices when using Android.

Because of this, even in areas where Android predominates, iPhones are more likely to be the official business platforms.
(also known as corporate-liable devices) for smartphones that businesses purchase for their staff.

However, employers frequently permit workers to use their own devices for work (also known as employee-liable devices or bring-your-own devices, or BYOD)
By giving them access to at least business email and calendars and frequently web-based services.

What criteria does IT employ to decide which Android devices to support or purchase for its users? Starting point: this article.

suggestions for the top Android  phones business gadgets

There is just one Android manufacturer for knowledge workers and general business usage that offers worldwide device availability, enterprise-class (even military-grade) security.
And multiyear software and security upgrades after purchase.
Samsung. As a result, Samsung is globally the best (and sometimes the only) option for Android handsets that are corporate-liable.
Samsung refers to these devices as android mobiles Secured by Knox.

The Galaxy S, Galaxy A5x, Galaxy A3x, Note, XCover, Z Flip3, and Z Fold3 series are among its enterprise-grade products.
Five years after their initial release, these models are guaranteed security upgrades.
Samsung discloses the security lifespans for its enterprise-grade devices, which vary by product.

The usage of Samsung’s proprietary UI and its proprietary apps (albeit you may still use the normal Google apps)
Can also require additional IT assistance for people more accustomed to Google-standard Android devices, thus this is something to be aware of when using Samsung devices.

Raphael, a columnist, also takes issue with several of Samsung’s privacy and advertising policies.
However, no other android mobiles manufacturer provides the same level of availability and security as Samsung does.

With the exception of the proprietary UI and applications, Google’s Pixel 6 series and upcoming Pixel 7 series are both similarly safe.
After the initial release, Google also guarantees five years of security updates.

However, just twelve nations—Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States—offer the Pixel 6 series.

In addition to these nations, the Pixel 7 series is available in Denmark, India, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.

The Edge 30 Fusion and Ultra variants of Motorola’s enterprise-class Android smartphones are equally safe.

The majority of Europe, a good portion of Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Canada, the US, and the UK are among the 65 nations where they are sold.
Motorola falls a little short when it comes to update support, promising only one significant Android OS version update and only three years of security patches.

In the majority of nations, these advised gadgets are frequently too expensive for salaried workers and their employers to purchase for anyone other than executives or those managing extremely sensitive information.

Thankfully, there are a few Android manufacturers, such Nokia, OnePlus, Oppo, Sony, and Xiaomi, that give a selection of low-cost and mid-range phones with decent quality and acceptable security.
Additionally, Samsung offers a number of reasonably priced phones with respectable security, while Motorola offers the Moto G and Edge Neo versions.
The presence of these suppliers varies greatly between and within areas as will be demonstrated later in this article.
Why are these suggestions made? And what additional choices does IT have or could be compelled to support by user pressure.
The next sections examine the key elements: security, updateability, device capabilities relevant to business usage, and vendor accessibility around the globe.
There is also a section on front-line Android smartphones with specialised functions.

Considering security for Android devices

Security was a big IT worry when Android first came out. In terms of mobile security, Research in Motion’s.

BlackBerry had set high standards in the 1990s and early 2000s, but the first Android (and iOS) smartphones were well below what IT had anticipated.

Beginning in the early 2010s, Apple, Samsung, and Google all took steps to improve mobile security to a level at least as strong as BlackBerry’s.
In 2015, Google released Android 5.0 Lollipop, which included container-based separation of business and personal data and apps as a standard feature.
The Android platform has robust security features by 2017.

Through hardware and software enhancements, such as Samsung’s Knox platform for its corporate devices in 2013 and Google’s Android for Work (later renamed Android Enterprise) for the rest of the Android world, more advanced features were accessible. In 2018, Android 9.0 Pie included Android Enterprise support as a standard feature.

Today, IT can rely on Android devices to have the bare minimum of security. However, certain users require more protection.
Such as senior executives who work with confidential company information or operations employees who oversee vital supply chains or infrastructure.

There are three different security levels to take into account, and many businesses will require more than one:

This level of protection is suitable for personal devices that are allowed access to elementary business services like email.

Device encryption, password enforcement, remote lock and wipe, and sandboxed execution of security operations are all included in the basic security level.

With even the most basic management tool in place, like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, all current Android devices enable this level.

Moderate security: This level is ideal when IT mandates or permits the use of personal devices for corporate apps and access.
As well as when company-issued devices are permitted to be used for both personal and business reasons.

With the moderate security level, you can separate work and personal data and apps using containers.
A unified endpoint management (UEM) platform that supports Google’s Android Enterprise platform, or, only for Samsung devices, Samsung Knox.

The moderate security level offers the same level of protection as the basic level.
To compare the capabilities of the top UEM systems, consult Computerworld’s guide.

All current Android smartphones with at least 3MB of RAM allow the separation of work and personal life, however certain UEM platforms could demand that the devices run more recent Android versions than those that are in use at your company.

Advanced security: People working with sensitive data and systems, such as those in the government, military, financial sector, healthcare industry, and critical infrastructure like utilities, energy, and transportation, should use this level of security.
It is also appropriate for executives, human resources specialists, and finance professionals.

In addition to chip-based security, which helps prevent unwanted access by spies and hackers.
The enhanced security level also complies with the most recent US Common Criteria security standard.

Chip-level security uses Android’s Keystore service to identify hacks to the operating system, firmware, memory, and other fundamental systems and locks down or turns off the device as a result.

While not a prerequisite for Android Enterprise Recommended, such hardware-level protection is necessary for military-grade security.

To safeguard system integrity, very few systems employ chip-level security: While Google’s Pixel series utilises its own.
Titan-M processor for its Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), Samsung’s Android Secured by Knox phones use Arm’s TrustZone chip for their Trusted Boot, Motorola claims that all of its Android devices use Arm’s TrustZone chip for its Strongbox.

This functionality is also available on Apple’s iPhones thanks to the Secure Enclave.

Despite not responding to my questions regarding their security capabilities.
The other Android makers’ websites’ specification data suggests that they do not enable hardware-based protection.

The US government is aware that it may rely on Common Criteria since it sets precise security measures that apply to all devices.

A few Android smartphones from Google, Huawei, Motorola, Oppo, Samsung, and Sony, as well as several front-line specialist devices from Honeywell and Zebra Technologies.

All meet Common Criteria requirements. (To acquire the most recent list, use the Common Criteria online tool’s “Mobility” filter.) Apple’s iPhone conforms as well.

Government approval for Android security

To choose Android devices for sensitive purposes, IT firms may wish to look at government certifications. In the middle of the 2010.
it was big news when Apple and Samsung both received approval from the US Defense Department.

UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), and Australian Signals Directorate for use of their enterprise-class devices, ending BlackBerry’s long-standing monopoly on government approval.

Such statements are now uncommon, and governments now concentrate on making sure that authorised UEM platforms are in place to control the commonly used iPhones and Android phones.

Android devices from Honeywell and Zebra Technologies for critical usage. Additionally, the Australia Signals Directorate recently certified a number of Samsung phones.

Security concerns surrounding Huawei’s Android mobile raise serious concerns

These worries are not brand-new: At an off-the-record CIO conference in 2012.

US intelligence authorities were then, (under the Obama administration).
Subtly alerting business CIOs about Huawei’s extensive surveillance operations throughout its whole technological stack.

“With the recent public statements from the administrations of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

The same claims have already been made by other nations, which Huawei refutes..
Concerned IT departments may want to use management tools to prevent Huawei and other mistrusted devices from accessing their resources.
Because Huawei devices are popular in a number of markets, including China, of course.
But also in many regions of Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and South America.
Make careful to confirm that your management tool can restrict access depending on the manufacturer of the device.

Android device guarantees for security and OS updates

In order to lessen the danger of being hacked using outdated devices that haven’t maintained their defences.

IT often seeks assurances that devices will receive security patches and OS updates for several years.

One to three future Android OS versions are normal for OS upgrades, according to my examination of Android vendor sites.

And three to five years is the typical commitment for Android security updates for business-class devices.

(In comparison, Apple normally offers iOS upgrades for five years and seven years of security updates.)

The Android manufacturers who are the least generous with OS upgrades include Motorola, Oppo, and Xiaomi

who promise their enterprise-class handsets just one significant Android upgrade.

For business-class Android devices, vendors’ announced update pledges include:

Google: three years of OS upgrades and five years of security updates
Three years of security updates, one year of OS upgrades are provided by Motorola.
Nokia: two years of OS upgrades and three years of security updates
Four years of security updates and three significant OS upgrades for OnePlus
A year of OS upgrades, three years of security updates
Realme: two significant OS upgrades and three years of security updates
Samsung: three “generations” of OS updates and “at least” four years of security updates
Vivo: three years of OS upgrades and security patches
Three years of security updates and one significant OS upgrade from Xiaomi

The websites for Huawei, Infinix, Itel, and Tecno did not provide any information on updates.

And the businesses did not reply to my requests for information.

Just be aware that the tool might not include the most latest versions additionally.

I advise you to purchase some older gadgets and check how current the security patches.

Are to determine if suppliers fulfil their promises, Have they remained active for the allotted time.

Google says on its Pixel page for instance that Pixel phones purchased.

Directly from Google frequently receive upgrades earlier than those purchased through a carrier.

Only Apple has been able to completely take control over upgrades from the carriers.

despite the fact that carrier control has long existed and predates current mobile devices.

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