Top 25 iPhone & iPad Apps for Business

BatteryBoost Magic App (Free)

This app’s graphical display spells out how much time remains for WiFi web browsing, GPS navigation, music or video playback, watching YouTube videos, using apps, playing games, taking pictures and recording video. While we recommend the free app, the paid version ($1) reportedly adds a three-step, automated, full-cycle charging feature to maximize battery life. According to some recent user reviews, however, the paid app doesn’t actually add much value beyond some basic battery-saving tips.

Dropbox

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a free Dropbox account and plenty of reasons why you should. The service (you get 2GB of storage for free) makes it easy to have your most important computer files available on your iPhone or iPad via the Dropbox app or from another computer. The Dropbox app lets you view and share those files and open them in other iOS apps. For instance, when stuck in a long checkout line during the holidays, I finished editing an article on my iPhone by grabbing the file out of Dropbox and working on it in Apple’s Pages app. One quibble: I wished the Dropbox app sorted files by date.

FlightTrack Pro

FlightTrack Pro is the single most useful app for frequent business travelers. So many features, so little space to describe them, but here goes: The app integrates with TripIt and your iOS calendar beautifully. Live flight tracker maps pinpoint a plane’s current location as well as the weather. Maps work in offline mode, so you can use the app in flight. Flight updates are pushed to your device, even when the app’s closed. And for an extra $4, you can view an airport’s current arrivals and departures ‘board,’ as this screen shot illustrates. To paraphrase that old American Express ad, don’t leave home without this app.

iFax Pro

Fax machines are so 1996. But there are times when someone insists that you fax them a document—while you’re on the road. In that situation, iFax Pro will spare you mucho aggravation. The app lets you snap a photo of a document (or anything else for that matter) and fax it directly from your iPhone or iPad. The app integrates with Dropbox, so you can add docs from your Dropbox folder to a fax. You pay $1 to send a fax with up to five pages; $2 for a fax with 10 pages, and so on. As for receiving faxes, you’ll need to spend $13 per month or more for a local fax number.

Magellan RoadMate USA

Most business travelers understand there’s no such thing as a perfect GPS device or app. At some point, they’ll all lead you down routes best described as “circuitous.” Even so, you may come to love RoadMate USA. For one thing, it locks onto a GPS signal quickly, even when you turn your iPhone on for the first time in a new location (such as after a flight). My Garmin GPS sometimes took up to 15 minutes to accomplish this. RoadMate USA’s turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions are mostly accurate. On occasion, however, it will tell you to turn right, then suddenly change its mind. It also displays highway interchange signs. Plus, you won’t have to pack a portable GPS anymore.

Numbers

Don’t be fooled: Numbers isn’t just a spreadsheet program. It’s also a great list-making app, among other things, especially on the iPad. For instance, before traveling, I use Numbers’ Travel Planner template to combine my travel itinerary, packing list, airline and hotel reward program account numbers, and activity list within one visually pleasing, multi-tabbed spreadsheet. The document syncs to my iPhone, too—so those hotel loyalty program account numbers are handy when I’m at the registration desk. The app also has templates for a mortgage calculator, loan comparison, expense reports, budgets, personal savings and more. You can import and export to Excel, of course. But after using Numbers for a while, you may not want to.

Recorder

 On occasion, I need to record business calls (with the other party’s consent, of course). The Recorder app does a great job of this on an iPhone, though in addition to buying the app, you must pay for the privilege ($2 for one hour of recording time, $13 for eight hours). You can also use the app to record meetings, conference sessions and anything else, with good results. The app lets you trim clips right on your iPhone, post them to Twitter (but why?), or send them to iTunes on your computer over Wi-Fi. Some reviewers have posted one-star reviews and complained of glitches, but this hasn’t been my experience.

Skyscanner

Just like anyone else, business travelers need to find the lowest airfares. Skyscanner helps you out by visually display on bar charts how fares fluctuate day by day for a given itinerary. Another cool feature: Using the Explore feature, you can type in your home airport, select “Everywhere” as the destination, and “Any Day” as your departure and return dates. Skyscanner will then display a slowly spinning globe, with airfares to various destinations pinpointed. The Search feature lets you more quickly locate the least expensive routes from your home base. Downside: You don’t get the filtering options of Kayak (another great iOS app), such as the capability to block red-eye flights or commuter jets. 

White Noise

It may seem odd to recommend a noise app for business, but trust me: If you’re a light sleeper who travels often, you’ll want this app. I use it to block ambient sounds when I’m trying to fall asleep in a hotel room during a business trip. I also use the app when I’m working to filter out noise from an adjacent office, so I can concentrate. Along with the White Noise sound, I also like Air Conditioner and Airplane Travel. There are plenty of exotic sounds, too, such as Amazon Jungle, Dish Washer, Cars Driving, Tibetan Singing Bowl, and Cat Purring. The Heartbeat sound might help infants fall asleep, but others may find it a bit too Edgar Allan Poe-ish.

Xmarks

On my iMac and MacBook Air, I alternate between the Chrome and Firefox browsers. When on my iPad or iPhone, I use the default Safari browser. You might assume keeping bookmarks in sync across all these browsers and devices is a nightmare. It isn’t, and that’s because of Xmarks. All my bookmarks are stored automatically on Xmarks’ servers and synced across the browsers on my Macs. The Xmarks app gives me access to all my bookmarks when I’m using my iPad or iPhone, too. I click a bookmark in the Xmarks app; it previews the web page; and I can choose to open it in Safari. Though the iOS app is free, it only works for those who pay $12 annually for the Xmarks Premium service—money well spent.