Microsoft Office for Tablets (Android) Review: Is It Good for Business?

The new Android smartphone apps should look familiar to Office veterans. Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft’s new Office apps for Android smartphones are the best tools for editing documents, spreadsheets and presentations on the platform.  The new mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint are just as easy-to-use and feature-packed as the iPhone versions, launched last year.

Actually, the new apps aren’t the first Android-based Office apps. Microsoft already launched Android versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint in 2014, but they were only compatible with tablets. The new releases mark the first time you can use full-fledged versions of the three main Office apps on your Android smartphone.

Currently, the apps are still in a preview mode, so they’re not available to download directly through the Google Play app store. Still, anyone can sign up to get the apps now, or wait for the official launch later this year.

Wasn’t Office already on Android phones?

It’s true that the new Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps aren’t the first Android smartphone apps with the Microsoft Office branding. The Office Mobile app has been around for years. But Office Mobile is very limited; it only lets you view and make very simple edits to documents, spreadsheets and presentations, while the new apps are much more robust.

For example, Office Mobile limited document formatting to changing the color and size of text. And in spreadsheets, you can’t do much besides edit the content of individual cells and run a few simple equations. In comparison, then new apps are more lot like mobile versions of Microsoft’s desktop Office programs, giving you a lot more control over editing and creating new documents than Office Mobile. 

Requirements

The Android tablet apps carry a laundry list of hardware requriements in order to run them, but the new Android phone apps are much more lenient. Still, not every Android phone is capable of running them. Here’s what you’ll need.

• 1GB of RAM: Most Android phones easily meet this basic requirement, but some budget handsets might not have the necessary memory needed to run the new Office apps.
• Android 4.4 KitKat or 5.0 Lollipop: You’re more likely to run into software compatibility issues, especially if you’re using an older Android smartphone. The new Office apps will only work on Android phones running Android version 4.4 KitKat, or the newest version, Android 5.0 Lollipop. In fact, roughly half of Android handsets on the market don’t meet this requirement. Make sure to check your smartphone’s operating system if your’e having issues installing the apps.
• Microsoft account: You’re prompted to log into your Microsoft account when you load all three apps, so you’ll need to register for one before you can get started. Signing up is simple and free, however, and it ensures that your documents are backed up to the cloud via Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage platform.
• Office 365 subscription: You don’t need to subscribe to Microsoft’s premium Office 365 service to use the apps. However, subscribers do get some extra features in each app (more on these later in this review.)

Layout and design

The layout of these mobile apps should be familiar to anyone who regularly uses one of the two most recent Office desktop releases -- Office 2010 or Office 2013 – but things have been scaled down to fit on a cramped smartphone screen. The familiar Office sidebar can be summoned at any time in all three apps by swiping in from the left side of the screen, providing easy access to options for opening documents, creating new ones, printing and more.

The main document view in all three apps looks clean and uncluttered. The familiar formatting “ribbon” from the desktop Office apps is still here, but it’s positioned at the bottom of the screen rather than the top. It’s easy to hide or reveal the ribbon at any time by tapping a small arrow in the bottom right corner. Thankfully, Microsoft stripped away some non-essential options, leaving plenty of space for touch-friendly buttons

Since the apps were designed for small touch screen devices, Microsoft incorporated some good touch controls for navigating around the interface. That includes pinch-to-zoom to quickly zero in on an item you wish to edit. Panning around documents with my finger also felt responsive.

Features

Most of the features you could want in a mobile office suite are available with the free versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint for Android phones. For instance, Word lets you tweak the format of text and change paragraph styles right from the ribbon. You can also add bullet points, and edit the overall page layout.

Excel is surprisingly robust for a mobile spreadsheet application. Changing the formatting of your spreadsheets is easy, as is inserting charts and pictures. Plus, there’s a pretty extensive list of financial formulas. And you don’t have to start from scratch when you want to create a new spreadsheet, since the app comes with more than a dozen premade templates for business’ budget, invoices, online sales tracking, product inventory, travel expenses and more.

PowerPoint is the simplest of the bunch, but it has most of the functionality you’d need to tweak a presentation before your next meeting. It can also help you create presentations from scratch. Choose from roughly 20 colorful templates, then write and format text and add transitions between slides.

I was disappointed to see that – like other mobile versions of Office -- you still can only have one document open at a time in any of the three apps, so you can forget about serious multitasking.

Premium features

If you happen to subscribe to Microsoft’s premium Office 365 service – which is essentially a Web-connected version of the basic Office suite – you get some extra features in the new Android phone apps, in addition to a whopping 1TB of storage space on OneDrive.

In Word, you gain extra tools like the ability to track and review changes when editing a piece, plus options to insert page and section breaks, create custom headers and footers for each page, and more. You also unlock a few features in PowerPoint, like a pen tool for inking annotations. Subscribing won’t unlock any extra features for Excel, however.

Conclusion

Let’s face it: you you probably won’t be spending a lot of time in the Office for Android apps. Smartphone office suites are mostly meant for making quick edits to existing documents. But it’s great to see that Microsoft’s new apps are robust enough to not leave Office veterans wanting. And since all three apps sync with OneDrive, you can be sure that any document you edit on your phone can be accessed on your desktop later.

Of course, there are plenty of other options for mobile business users. The obvious alternative is Google’s Docs, Sheets and Slides apps, which offer similar functionality to Microsoft’s suite, but have fewer formatting options. WPS is another good Android smartphone app for creating and editing documents, spreadsheets and presentations on the go.

But in my opinion, the new Office apps are currently as good as it gets on Android phones.

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LG G Stylo: Is It Good for Business?

The G Stylo has a large 5.7-inch screen and a built-in stylus. Credit: LG

A built-in stylus can turn a smartphone into a handy digital notepad. But so far, there haven't been very many stylus-equipped options outside of Samsung's pricey Galaxy Note line.

That's why LG's new midrange, pen-enabled phablet is so interesting. The awkwardly named LG G Stylo looks to be a more affordable alternative to the Galaxy Note 4 for budget-minded business users. The device can now be purchased via T-Mobile for $289 upfront, or $12 a month for two years.

While it looks a lot like LG's new flagship smartphone, the LG G4, the G Stylo doesn't come with the same top-of-the-line specs. For example, LG dropped the phone's RAM from 3GB for the G4, down to 1GB for the G Stylo, which means that apps probably won't launch as quickly and multitasking won't be as snappy. Additionally, instead of getting the G4's 32GB of internal storage, you get just 8GB on the G Stylo. That could be an issue if you want to store a lot of work documents on your smartphone. 

Meanwhile, the G Stylo's display has roughly half the resolution of the standard G4, so its picture quality won't be as sharp. On the bright side, LG bumped the G Stylo's screen size up from 5.7 inches (the G4 has a 5.5-inch display), which will give you more room to jot down notes with the included stylus.

The G Stylo's basic hardware should be sufficient for the average business user, but here's the killer: Unlike Samsung's Galaxy Note pen, LG's pen isn't capable of detecting varying levels of pressure. Instead, you get a basic capacitive stylus — the same kind you can buy for any other smartphone. In my experience, those sorts don't offer the level of precision and line control required for comfortable handwriting. 

On the bright side, having an internal silo on your smartphone in which to store a stylus is a handy feature. We'll have to wait until we get our hands on the G4 Stylo to see if it's a worthy alternative for business users in the market for a digital notepad.

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Dell Latitude E7250 Laptop Review: Is It Good for Business?

The Dell Latitude E7250 earns 4 out of 5 stars. Credit: Jeremy Lips

If you don't mind sacrificing screen space for a more portable design, Dell's new Latitude E7250 is an enticing portable workstation. The business notebook comes with a compact, 12.5-inch screen, plus a durable design, a comfy keyboard, good security features and all the ports you could ask for in a work laptop. But starting at $1,079, it's a little pricier than some competing machines. So does the Latitude E7250 do enough to stand out as the compact business notebook to buy?

Design

 

The Latitude E7250 sports a simple, understated design, and that's a good thing. Its magnesium-alloy chassis comes with a matte-black finish that will look right at home in a business meeting. The lid, meanwhile, sports a woven carbon-fiber texture that's a bit more interesting to look at than the smooth finish on Lenovo's ThinkPad notebooks. Likewise, the E7250's tapered edges give it a more streamlined look than that of a boxy ThinkPad.

Dell's notebook is a bit on the heavy side. It tips the scales at 3.4 lbs. when configured with a touch screen, though it's a more manageable 2.76 lbs. without one. The notebook is still heavier than the ThinkPad X250, which weighs 3.66 lbs. with a touch screen. Other ultraportables are lighter than both of those notebooks, such as HP's featherweight EliteBook Folio 1020, which weighs 2.68 lbs. but runs on a less powerful Intel Core M processor. 

 

The E7250 is also a bit bulky compared to its closest competitors. Measuring 12.2 x 8.3 8 0.83 inches, it's larger and thicker than the ThinkPad X250 (12.03 x 8.21 x 0.8 inches) and Folio 1020 (12.2 x 8.27 x 0.62 inches).

The bottom line is that while the 12.5-inch E7250 is a relatively compact business notebook, other laptops will feel lighter on your daily commute.

Display

 

The E7250's 12.5-inch display is a bit smaller than what you'll find on the average 13-inch consumer laptop, but it's still sharp and spacious enough for everyday productivity tasks. The 1,920 x 1,080-pixel panel on our review unit produced crisp, clean text, though colors are a bit muted. On the bright side, it delivers a whopping 360 nits of brightness at its highest setting, which is significantly higher than the category average of 255 nits. 

Our review unit was equipped with a touch display, but I would recommend forgoing that feature. Touch panels add weight and cost, without adding much useful functionality on a traditional notebook like this.

Keyboard and touchpad

 

A great business notebook should come with a great keyboard, and the E7250 doesn't disappoint on that front. The notebook's keys offer a generous 1.8mm of travel, which is noticeably deeper than the average laptop's 1.5mm of travel. That's a perk for business users, since deeper keys generally mean a more comfortable, desktoplike typing experience. The E7250's keys feel nice and snappy, too, with a good amount of feedback on each keystroke; no mushy key presses here.

The 3.9 x 2-inch touchpad is a bit on the small side for my taste. It features discrete buttons instead of built-in buttons, which allows for more-precise right clicks than you'd get on a touchpad with built-in buttons. On the other hand, the dedicated buttons reduce the amount of overall space available for pointer navigation. 

 

Pointer navigation feels responsive, and multi-finger gestures like two-finger scrolling also work well. I don't love the matte-plastic finish of the touchpad, though; my finger glides more easily on pads with a softer finish.

The larger, 14-inch Latitude E7450 comes with a second cursor-control option in the form of a pointing stick positioned in the center of the keyboard, but that feature isn't included on the E7250. Pointing sticks are nice for making precise mouse movements without moving your hands from the keyboard. If you want a pointing stick on a 12.5-inch business notebook, you can find it in the ThinkPad X250.

Ports and connectivity

 

Every port you could want on a business notebook is here. That includes three USB 3.0 ports, including one with PowerShare functionality, handy for charging your smartphone while your notebook is in sleep mode. 

The back of the notebook houses an HDMI port and a mini DisplayPort for connecting to a larger monitor, or linking your notebook to a projector for a presentation. There's also an SD card reader to expand your internal storage, and an Ethernet port for connecting to wired Internet and secure company networks.

BUY Dell Latitude E7250 on Dell.com

Security

 

Business users will appreciate the extra security features included with the E7250. That includes Dell's Data Protection software, which lets you set secure encryption policies for your system. The notebook also comes with full hard-drive encryption via Microsoft's BitLocker. Meanwhile, a smart card reader on the notebook's left edge will let you configure the machine to require a physical card to verify your security credentials.

It's possible to order the E7250 with a fingerprint reader, though my review unit didn't come with one, so I wasn't able to test this add-on's reliability. The upgrade costs just $14, though, so I recommend that business users go for it. Fingerprint readers are handy for keeping your work laptop locked down, since fingerprints are more secure than passwords.

Videoconferencing

 

The E7250's front-facing shooter won't impress you with its image quality, but it’s more than good enough for meeting remotely with colleagues or clients. A selfie I snapped with the notebook's 1,920 x 1,080p webcam came out a bit grainy, but no more so than the average notebook that comes across my desk. Additionally, the E7250 produces loud audio, topping out at 98 decibels, compared to an average of 73 dB for the average ultraportable notebook. That means you'll have no trouble hearing the person on the other end of the line. The machine's small speakers are positioned under the notebook's front lip, so audio quality suffers a bit when you're using the keyboard.

Battery life

 

The E7250 will easily get you through the end of the workday and well beyond. The machine lasted an impressive 9 hours and 18 minutes on our battery life test, which simulates continuous Web browsing over Wi-Fi with the screen set to 100 nits of brightness. That's longer than the average ultraportable notebook (7:31), and it also beats out the E7250's primary competitor, the ThinkPad X250 (7:39). On the other hand, that machine has an optional battery that can boost its longevity to an unbeatable 15 hours and 12 minutes, though this adds significant extra weight and thickness to your notebook.

Configurations and performance

Dell sells the Latitude E7250 in a variety of configurations, with a top-end model that includes a Core i7-5600U processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) and a full-HD touch display for $1,948. A more affordable sweet spot for business users comes with a Core i5-5300U processor, 8GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and a 1,366 x 768-pixel display for $1,365.

My review unit, which sells for $1,776, came with the following hardware:

• Intel Core i5-5300U processor
• 8GB of RAM
• 256GB SSD
• 12.5-inch, 1,920 x 1,080-pixel touch-screen display

This model returned good results in our performance tests. On the Geekbench 3 test, which measures overall performance, it scored a solid 4,866, which beats out the ultraportable-category average score of 4,037, as well as the EliteBook Folio 1020 (3,814), though that machine runs on a lower-power Intel Core M-5Y71 processor. A similarly configured Lenovo ThinkPad X250 performed slightly better than the E7250, though, netting a score of 5,259.

Regardless, the E7250 feels fast. Apps opened and ran smoothly during my testing period, even when editing a large spreadsheet and streaming HD video from YouTube with more than a dozen tabs open in my Firefox Web browser. There's more than enough power here to handle the average workload.

The competition

Lenovo's 12.5-inch ThinkPad X250 offers a slimmer design, and Lenovo's TrackPoint pointing stick, but it doesn't last as long on a charge as the E7250 — that is, unless you opt for the X250's bulky six-cell extended battery.

The 12.5-inch HP EliteBook Folio 1020 is thinner and lighter than the E7250, but it offers a less powerful Core M processor and shorter battery life.

Lenovo's 12.5 inch ThinkPad Yoga 12 laptop is powered by a slightly slower processor than the E7250, but it's a bit cheaper and has a flexible design so it can be used as a tablet.

The 13-inch  is lighter and has much longer battery life than the E7250, but it has a lower-res screen.

Bottom line

 

There's a lot to like about Dell's compact business notebook. From an excellent keyboard to a durable design and strong performance, the E7250 has what it takes to tackle the most demanding of workloads.

Lenovo's ThinkPad X250 is another strong competitor, with a slimmer design and slightly faster performance. It died about an hour and a half sooner in our battery life test than the E7250, though. That makes Dell's new ultraportable a really good option for mobile workers.

BUY Dell Latitude E7250 on Dell.com

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Buy Buttons Turn Google Into Mobile Marketplace

Credit: GongTo / Shutterstock.com

Google has been putting serious effort into making Search more mobile-friendly, from prioritizing mobile-optimized websites to revamping ad units. Now, the company is further upgrading the platform by diving deep into e-commerce.

Google will soon be adding buy buttons to search-results pages on mobile devices, a report by The Wall Street Journal revealed. The search giant raised controversy last year when it announced these plans, which will now be implemented over the next few weeks.

This move will essentially turn Google Search into an online marketplace, challenging giants like eBay and Amazon. Like Google's previous changes to mobile search, the new buy buttons aim to make Search more functional and user-friendly for the increasing number of users searching on their mobile devices.

The Google buy button will appear on paid product listings on search-result pages that are viewed on mobile devices.

When users perform a search, relevant products will appear above search results in the "Shop on Google" box. Sponsored listings will have the buy button, while nonspored products won't.

To make a purchase, customers just have to click on the buy button and finish the transaction on a designated Google product page. Google is said to support different types of payments, but payment details remain confidential and will not be sent to retailers.

Although this essentially turns Google Search into an online marketplace, note that Google does not directly sell to consumers; its role is limited to increasing visibility for sponsored products and processing transactions. Retailers remain as merchants and are also responsible for fulfilling orders.

The service also works a lot like the Google Ads system. Unlike other marketplaces that take commission from each sale, retailers pay on a per-click basis like the current ad pricing model.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X250 Laptop: Is It Good for Business?

The ThinkPad X250 sports 12.5-inch display and a compact design.

If battery life is your top consideration in a new business notebook, Lenovo's new ThinkPad X250 is hard to beat. With its beefy, 6-cell battery attached, the notebook outlasts just about every other model on the market. 

That epic longevity is combined with Lenovo's industry-leading ThinkPad keyboard, fast performance and all the ports and docking options that you could ask for in a compact, 12.5-inch business notebook. And, starting at just $755, it's pretty affordable, too.

The X250's battery life actually depends on which battery you choose. The default 3-cell battery actually offers average battery life, running for about 7 hours and 39 minutes. But with Lenovo's extended 6-cell battery attached, the machine ran for an incredible 15 hours and 12 minutes in our battery life test, which simulates continuous Web browsing over Wi-Fi. That's nearly double the category average of 8 hours and 4 minutes — perfect if you need a notebook that can easily last through any business flight.

Battery life aside, you get a choice of processors up to Intel's fifth-generation Core i7 chip, and an array of ports, including an Ethernet port, a 4-in-1 card reader and a VGA-out port, so you can connect to older projectors for business presentations. You can even add a fingerprint scanner, which is great for keeping your work notebook locked down without an annoying password screen.

However, workers who want more screen space should consider the larger ThinkPad T450s instead, as it offers a nearly identical feature set in a larger, 14-inch frame. It doesn't last as long on a charge as the 12.5-inch X250, though, even with its extended battery attached.

Check back for a full review of the ThinkPad X250 very soon.

Buy Lenovo ThinkPad X250 on Lenovo.com >>>

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Facebook Adds 'Call Now' Button to Local Ads

Credit: Facebook

Facebook Ads are one of the most effective ways for customers to find your business on social media. Now, it's one of the easiest ways for them to reach you, too.

Facebook is launching the "Call Now" and "Get Directions" buttons to Facebook Ads to make it more convenient for customers to reach businesses directly from their mobile phones. Part of Facebook's local awareness ads program, these two new features aim to help small businesses expand their reach in the most cost-effective way possible.

Here's how the new buttons work and how you can create local awareness of Facebook ads with these call-to-action buttons.

How the buttons work

The Call Now button appears at the bottom right corner of each ad unit that appears on users' News Feeds on the Facebook mobile app. All customers have to do is tap on the button and their phone will automatically call your business.

The Get Directions button works the same way.  Customers who wish to visit your business simply have to tap on the button and it will automatically launch their maps or directions app and show directions from their location.

With these call-to-action buttons, customers save time from having to search for your contact information. By allowing them to instantly reach you, they are more likely to visit your business and make a purchase.

Creating and measuring an ad

Facebook makes it easy to set up a local awareness ad with the new buttons. These ads can be created straight from your Facebook Page, where you'll choose which call-to-action button you want to use. Set your budget and target area, and Facebook handles the rest.

To measure your ad's and button's performance, Facebook has also added the call-to-action metric to the Facebook Ads analytics tool. There you'll find how many people you've reached with the ad and how many are clicking on the Call Now and Get Directions buttons.

Find out more about the new call-to-action buttons and local awareness ads at Facebook for Business.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Review: Is It Good for Business?

The Galaxy S6 has good looks to back up its great features. Credit: Jeremy Lips

 

Samsung's Galaxy S6 Edge feels like the business phone of the future. In reality, it's almost functionally identical the standard S6, but it offers a unique, almost sci-fi design that's sure to turn heads at the office.

The S6 Edge is an expensive smartphone, though. It will cost you $300 upfront when you sign a two-year contract through Verizon or AT&T — a price that used to be reserved for monster phablets like the Galaxy Note 4. The standard Galaxy S6 costs $200 with a two-year agreement.

Price aside, the S6 Edge is a top-tier work phone. It offers a roomy 5.1-inch display, handy software features like split-screen multitasking, and even a fingerprint scanner for added security. But should you pay for it, when the standard Galaxy S6 is already so good — and $100 cheaper?

Design

The S6 Edge effortlessly knocks the iPhone 6 from its pedestal as the best-looking business phone around. Samsung has delivered a design that's light-years ahead of the plastic, toylike design of last year's Galaxy S5. This really is the best-looking smartphone I've ever seen.

In addition to the two tapered edges, the S6 Edge sports a sturdy aluminum frame that makes the whole package feel solid and durable. The back of the device is made from scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, the same material used on the front display. As a result, the S6 Edge is one of the more slippery smartphones I've used; I never dropped it from my hand, but I did catch it trying to slide off my desk a few times when it was on a slightly uneven surface.

My review unit came in Sapphire Black; white and gold versions are also available. My unit wasn't totally black though; it actually looks dark blue when the light hits it at an angle, which is a very attractive effect.

The S6 Edge measures 0.26 inches thick and weighs 4.7 ounces, making it thinner and lighter than the standard S6 (0.28 inches, 4.9 ounces). It's even slightly thinner, but a bit heftier, than the iPhone 6 (0.27 inches, 4.6 ounces). HTC's One M9, which is probably the S6's closest Android competitor, is much chunkier at 5.5 ounces, but that phone has a larger 5.5-inch display.

Performance

Business users with only basic computing needs don't necessarily need the fastest smartphone around. But a little extra power under the hood is nice for making navigation quicker and multitasking smoother. And phones don't get more powerful than the S6 Edge. Like the standard S6, it runs on Samsung's Exynos octa-core processor [L1] with 3GB of RAM, so it has more than enough power to handle just about any workload.

When we ran the S6 Edge through the Geekbench 3 test, which tests overall performance, it far outpaced its competitors with a score of 5,335. In comparison, the iPhone 6 scored 1,2931, the Galaxy Note 4 scored 3,124 and the HTC One M9 scored 3,818.

Display

It's not just the frame of the S6 Edge that's tapered on each side; the screen actually curves right along with it. It's a neat effect, but it won't really change how you use the phone very much. (See the next section of this review for more on this.)

Even with the curved edges, the S6 Edge's 5.1-inch display is about the same size as the screen on the standard S6. That means it gives you a good amount of space for screen-intensive tasks like viewing documents and lightly editing spreadsheets, without being so big that the phone feels cumbersome. Personally, I think it strikes a nice balance between more compact phones like the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and a massive device like the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 4.

The 2560 x 1c440-pixel screen is also seriously sharp, colorful and bright. It delivered an impressive 536 nits of brightness in our screen test, which is quite a bit higher than the average (396 nits). That'll help you use the phone outdoors or in direct sunlight.

It S6 Edge’s display looks pretty great if you want to watch a movie on it during a flight, too.

Edge functionality

The S6 Edge isn’t actually the first Samsung phone with a curved screen. That distinction goes to last year’s Galaxy Note Edge. But that phone offered a bit more functionality on its edge display, like letting you set up app shortcuts for easy multitasking.

The S6 Edge doesn’t have that. Instead, swiping in from the side of the screen displays People Edge, a customizable list of your favorite contact. Each is marked by a different color, which comes into play during another edge feature: when the phone is lying face down and one of those contacts calls, the edge will glow with their corresponding color.

When the screen is off, you can view a few tickers with information like the weather, news or stock updates. I don’t really see any reason to use the slowly-scrolling tickers, though, when you could just turn the main screen on.  

These are mildly interesting and occasionally useful features, but they’re not exactly mind blowing. The fact is that the S6 Edge’s unique design is mostly for show.

Interface

Samsung's TouchWiz software — a customized version of Google's Android operating system — is known for being packed with so many niche features that it can be overwhelming. Thankfully, Samsung trimmed the fat for the S6 and S6 Edge. I suspect that very few users will notice the absence of small features like the Galaxy S5's Air View, which blew up pictures and images when you hovered your finger over them.

With some of its baggage gone, TouchWiz's best features really have a chance to shine. For example, S Finder — which can be launched with one tap from the notification drawer — is still a great way for you to locate files, apps and menus without digging through tons of menus. And Samsung's virtual keyboard is still the best one for business users, since it includes a dedicated number row above the standard QWERTY layout.

In this photo, you can see the cleaned up interface of the S6 Edge’s options menu (left) vs. the cluttered look of last year’s Galaxy S5.

Multitasking

But my favorite TouchWiz feature is still the multiwindow mode, which lets you run two apps at once in a split-screen view for better multitasking. Launching multiple apps is easy — just hold down the Recent Apps button, located just to the left of the home button, and select the apps you want to use. Then you can change the size of each app window by dragging the border between them, or rotate your phone to change their orientation.

Sure, multiwindow mode feels more cramped on the S6 Edge's modest 5.1-inch display than on the Galaxy Note 4's huge 5.7-inch display. I still like having the feature for certain tasks, though, such as using the calculator or searching the Web while I'm drafting an email.

Videoconferencing

A good front-facing camera is a nice perk if you plan to use your smartphone to meet remotely with colleagues and clients. The S6 Edge comes with a nice 5-MP front-facing camera that captures images that are clearer than most smartphone shooters. A selfie I snapped with the device was nice and crisp, with accurate colors and not much visual noise. And the phone delivers loud, clear audio, so you'll have no trouble hearing the person on the other end of the line.

Security 

Last year's Galaxy S5 had a fingerprint scanner, but it was so unreliable that it wasn't really worth using.  That's been totally corrected with the S6 and S6 Edge. Both phones come with a fingerprint scanner that's every bit as easy to use as the Touch ID scanner on newer iPhone models.

Just place your finger over the S6 Edge's home button and wait a moment for your phone to unlock itself. It's a big perk for business users who want to keep their work phones locked down without resorting to annoying password screens.

The fingerprint scanner can also give you access to the S6 Edge's other big security feature, the Knox workspace. Knox is the name for Samsung's smartphone security software, which is available in two varieties. The first is the Knox Enterprise Mobility Management suite, which is made for large businesses, with features to help an IT department security [L2] deploy and manage company-owned phones.

Small business owners, on the other hand, will get more out of My Knox, a separate app that provides good protection out of the box — no IT support necessary. When you tap the My Knox app icon, you switch between the standard S6 Edge home screen and the Knox workspace, which separates your work apps from personal stuff. That provides an extra layer of security, ensuring that other people (as well as rogue applications) can't access your sensitive work data.

Battery life

Edge functionality aside, here's the other main difference between basic and Edge versions of the Galaxy S6: The Edge model lasts longer on a charge. It ran for a solid 8 hours and 57 minutes in our battery life test, which simulates continuous Web browsing over Wi-Fi with the screen set to 100 nits of brightness. That's longer than the standard S6 (8:32) and the smartphone average (8:22). It also beats out other flagships, including the HTC One M9 (7:14) and the iPhone 6 (7:27).

The S6 Edge's impressive longevity is a big plus for business users who depend on their phone to last through the end of the workday and beyond. But remember that, unlike the S5, neither version of the S6 has a removable battery, so you won't be able to swap out a dead battery for a fresh one in the middle of a long business flight.

The competition

The most obvious alternative to the $300 Galaxy S6 Edge is the basic Galaxy S6, which is functionally identical, apart from a few edge features, a boxier design and a cheaper $200 price.

HTC's One M9 sports a slick all-metal design and a bigger 5.5-inch display, but it lacks the security features of Samsung's phones. It has an SD card slot, though, which the S6 Edge lacks.

LG's G4 also sports a large 5.5-inch display in addition to a fancy leather back. Its lacks a fingerprint scanner and has shorter battery life than the S6 Edge, however.

Apple's iPhone 6 offers good security options and a great selection of apps, but it also doesn't last as long on a charge as the S6 or S6 Edge.

Bottom line

What more can I say about a smartphone that's functionally identical to my favorite overall work phone? The S6 Edge delivers all the features of the standard S6, but in a sleeker package. If you like the look and can afford to pay the $100 premium, the S6 Edge is a no-brainer.

If you're on the fence, though, the standard Galaxy S6 is probably a better bet. The novelty of the curved screen is likely to wear off fast, and the cheaper model is just as versatile and powerful. Either way, business users can't go wrong.

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Lenovo ThinkPad E450 Laptop: Is It Good for Business?

The ThinkPad E450 is thicker and heavier than it's more premium cousin, the ThinkPad T450s. Credit: Jeremy Lips

Want the perks of a ThinkPad without the lofty price tag? Lenovo's ThinkPad E450 is a nice business notebook that provides most of the best features of its more premium brethren, but it starts at just $580. Compared with the ThinkPad T450s, which starts at $880, the E450 is really affordable.

You'll make some concessions by opting for the less expensive machine, but let's consider the E450's positive traits first. You get a reasonably sharp 14-inch, full-HD display and good performance, with processor options up to Intel's fifth-generation Core i7 chip. You also get a fingerprint reader for added security — a great feature to help you keep your work laptop locked down, without an annoying password screen.

ThinkPads generally provide some of the most comfortable keyboards out there, and the E450 is no exception. The machine offers a spacious layout with deeper keys than the average notebook, so it feels more like you're typing on a desktop keyboard.

So what features will you sacrifice by going for the cheaper ThinkPad option? For starters, the notebook is thicker and heavier than the T450s, making it a worse option for commutes and business trips. And while the screen offers plenty of real estate for daily business tasks, it's dimmer than the average notebook. Plus, the machine offers weak battery life, running out of juice a full hour before the average laptop in the thin-and-light category. The long battery life of the pricier ThinkPad T450s is one reason that it's our favorite overall business notebook.

Check back soon for a full review of the ThinkPad E450s.

Buy Lenovo ThinkPad E450 on Amazon.com

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