LG’s G2 Smartphone: Four Features for Business Users

It’s no secret that smartphones are getting smarter and are becoming a natural extension of our business and personal lives. And within many Canadian businesses, the BYOD trend is taking off, which – after considering the myriad devices that can seamlessly function as a business and a personal device simultaneously – leads many of us to believe that the days of employees carrying both a work and personal phone are diminishing.

Which brings us to today’s topic: the LG G2. While many people have heard of LG’s new flagship phone, many business users are unsure if the G2 is as suitable for them as the Blackberry Z30 or Apple iPhone 5s smartphones. Without getting into too much spec talk, let’s look at the design features of the new G2 and see if it’s well suited for today’s busy professionals.

LG Gate
To satisfy the needs and requirements of BYOD programs in secure business environments, LG introduced a new platform called LG Gate. It allows personal and business information to be kept completely separate, and does so by running two independent operating systems on a single smartphone. This platform is well received by IT departments because it features data encryption, is compatible with Microsoft ActiveSync and has built-in mobile device management (MDM).

Data encryption ensures all personal and business data stored locally is encrypted and enclosed in different containers. Microsoft ActiveSync provides users with access to core, day-to-day Outlook functionality such as e-mail, calendars, contacts and tasks. And finally, mobile device management allows IT to manage and secure employee’s mobile devices.

LG Gate on the G2 securely encrypts the data on the phone so business users will be protected by the highest level of security their IT departments permit.

Slide Aside
Most phones have hidden features that, when enabled, can help users be more efficient in their day-to-day smartphone use. The G2’s ‘Slide Aside’ feature is an excellent way for business users to quickly navigate to the productivity apps they use the most. Enable it in the settings, and with a three-finger gesture you can swipe away any active app and dock it to the left side of the screen.

Up to three apps can be stored with ‘Slide Aside.’ It’s an excellent trick to quickly access the most-used apps by business professionals on a day-to-day basis.

KnockOn
For many business users, the importance of staying connected cannot be understated. During meetings, working lunches and networking cocktails, business users need to be able to quickly check their phones for emails, text messages and other push notifications.

The ‘KnockOn’ feature on the LG G2 allows users the ability to wake the phone up by tapping twice on the screen. Double tapping it again will put the phone back to sleep. This is a simple, yet effective trick that allows users the ability to quickly “check-in” without having to pick up their phone. For example, a business user can check for emails and text messages while having lunch with a prospective customer without breaking the conversation.

Guest Mode
Today’s business users are often carrying sensitive information on their phones that they want to stay protected. Anytime they let someone use their phone – whether it’s their kids or their colleague – they make themselves vulnerable to threats.

‘Guest Mode’ on the G2 allows users to set up a guest interface to protect files and deny access to certain applications. Enabling ‘Guest Mode’ creates two lock screen pins. One unlock pattern will open the phone to all the features. The other will unlock Guest Mode to allow other users to have limited phone access that can prevent access to personal or business information. Professionals can feel safe giving their phones to others for occasional use without the threat of their data being compromised.

The bottom line
Smartphones are indispensable tools for today’s entrepreneurs and business users. Picking the right one for both personal and professional use can be difficult. LG’s new flagship phone is designed to meet the requirements of both, making it a great choice for today’s small business owners.

Tell us your favorite smartphone for personal and professional use via the comments section below. Which one do you like the best and why?

By Andy Baryer
The Bell Blog team