Which smartphone is better for working in a taxi?

The reality is that probably not a single taxi driver can do without a working smartphone. With its help, the taxi driver actively uses customer search systems (for example, Yandex.Taxi, Uber), a city map with navigation, and has the opportunity to always be in touch. It should be understood that special smartphones designed for use in the taxi service are not produced as such, which means that the buyer needs to rely on certain selection criteria in order to purchase the most convenient gadget for this area of use.

What to look for when choosing a smartphone for a taxi?

So, we recommend starting from the following selection criteria:

Large display diagonal and good sensor responsiveness. Buy a smartphone with at least a 5.5-inch screen, as a smaller option will not be very convenient for navigation. In addition, the screen should respond to presses instantly, so as not to create additional inconvenience while moving;
Accurate geopositioning. The best choice would be a smartphone that simultaneously works with GPS, A-GPS, Beidou and GLONASS systems. The case when quantity is converted into quality;
Supports two SIM cards and LTE networks. A taxi driver often has to deal with several telecom operators, so it is extremely important for the smartphone to support two SIM cards, and working in 4G networks allows you to download the necessary information as quickly as possible;
Permanent and random access memory. The more internal memory, the less problems there will be with storing large amounts of application and map data, and the more RAM, the less likely it is that applications will unload on their own. That is, with a large amount of RAM, switching between programs occurs without unnecessary delays. Ideally, from 32 GB internal and 3 GB RAM;
Battery capacity. Although you can always recharge your smartphone in the car, active use of satellites and fast Internet during the charging process can heat up the device considerably. And strong heating is a direct path to lags and reduced service life;
Price. A phone purchased for work purposes should quickly pay for itself, so in our rating you will not find flagships, mostly only budget smartphones.

TOP 3 tablets for taxi drivers

Tablets are also often used instead of smartphones. They are large enough so you can easily see where the traffic jams are, how to get around them, and so on. You need to understand which is the best tablet for taxi drivers in order to choose among reliable models that have a sufficient margin of safety. Otherwise, there is a risk of breakdown after a short time.

XIAOMI MIPAD 4 PLUS 64GB LTE

This is a good tablet that is recommended for taxi drivers. It has a durable body. The manufacturer uses an IPS matrix, which has good image clarity. 1200p resolution is supported. The processor is eight-core, which allows you to quickly process a large amount of information. At the same time, there is a lot of RAM. Therefore, the user can not only work, but also install demanding games. The built-in memory may seem insufficient over time. Then you can install the flash card. Usually taxi drivers do not use the camera on tablets, but there are good 13 MP and 5 MP optics installed here. This is enough for high-quality selfies and more.

XIAOMI MIPAD 4 PLUS 64GB LTE

Characteristics

Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor;
8 cores;
2.2 GHz;
RAM 4 GB;
internal memory 64 GB;
cameras 13 MP and 5 MP;
GLONASS and GPS.

pros

value for money;
using Android 0;
there are jacks for headphones and for a memory card;
good autonomy;
great build.

Minuses

bad firmware, you need to change it immediately;
The screen brightness is not very good.

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD T5 10 16GB LTE

Another great tablet for working in a taxi. It will provide excellent visualization and uninterrupted communication thanks to the LTE signal. The device has many useful functions that can be used in your workflow. And a sufficient supply of power will also allow you to play or do something useful while waiting for passengers. The cameras are not very good: 2 MP and 5 MP, but this is enough for panoramic shots. The price of the wave is affordable. It is worth noting that GLONASS is supported here. This is important if a company is working on using it to track a driver's location.

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD T5 10 16GB LTE

Characteristics

HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor;
8 cores;
2.36 GHz;
RAM 2 GB;
internal memory 16 GB;
cameras 2 MP and 5 MP.

pros

stylish design;
high-quality processor;
long battery life;
Full HD;
nice price;
great sound.

Minuses

sometimes freezes.

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD T5 10 16GB LTE

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A 10.5 SM-T595 32GB

When deciding which tablet is best to buy for taxi drivers, you should pay attention to this model. It is manufactured by a well-known company that uses high-quality components. The filling is not bad: 32 GB of internal memory, enough RAM. The device itself is small, but quite sufficient for the job. True, watching movies on it will not be very convenient precisely because of its small size. IPS matrix. 1200p resolution is supported. An eight-core processor is an important competitive advantage. It allows you to quickly process the necessary information. The tablet rarely freezes. The frequency is 1.8 GHz, and the RAM is 3 GB.

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A 10.5 SM-T595 32GB

Characteristics

Qualcomm Snapdragon 440 processor;
8 cores;
1.8 GHz;
RAM 3 GB;
internal memory 32 GB;
cameras 8 MP and 5 MP.

pros

reliable manufacturer;
reasonable price;
compact device;
does not lose connection;
good speakers and cameras;
works autonomously for a long time.

Minuses

not identified.

Table. Comparative characteristics of tablets for working in taxis

Model	Number of Cores	Frequency (GHz)	RAM (GB)	Built-in memory (GB)
XIAOMI MIPAD 4 PLUS 64GB LTE	8	2.2	4	64
HUAWEI MEDIAPAD T5 10 16GB LTE	8	2.36	2	16
SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A 10.5 SM-T595 32GB	8	1.8	3	32

Important . The Samsung tablet became the best because it has an excellent build and no problems with service. If something happens to the device, you can always find inexpensive original components, after which the device will work again. With the other two tablets, everything is not so simple, because changes to the technological process are made frequently. That is, after a couple of years, finding the necessary parts may turn out to be a problem.

10ZTE Blade A530

One of the most economical options for a taxi driver.
With a price tag of about five thousand rubles, you get technical parameters that you won’t be ashamed to tell your friends or clients about. What exactly did the manufacturer save on? The battery has a small capacity, the amount of RAM and internal memory is 2 and 16 GB, respectively. But the device has an excellent 5.45-inch screen and supports a wide range of communication standards: GPS, GLONASS, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. In addition, the Blade A530 has 2 SIM card slots, which is extremely important for use in a taxi.

Pros:

Removable battery.
Performance/cost balance.
Neat appearance.
Oleophobic coating - scratch-resistant screen.

Minuses:

Raw firmware.
Low image clarity (720p).
Muffled speaker.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 3/32GB

Chinese flagships have become very popular in the smartphone market. This is due to the fact that they do not differ much in characteristics compared to their expensive, famous counterparts.

Autonomy and performance

The phone is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh. This volume is average. The smartphone holds a charge for a long time, as it has an economical Snapdragon 625 processor.

Display and Communication

Despite the fact that the phone is budget, it has a 5.45-inch screen with a resolution of 1440x720 pixels. Good color rendition and increased brightness allow you to avoid confusion when working with the navigator. GPS reception is stable, without any loss of Internet connection. LTE is available, which will increase the speed of loading information.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

Low price (9000 rubles);
Good build quality;
High performance.

Flaws:

Small battery capacity;
Image quality when shooting at night.

9Prestigio Muze F5 LTE

The Prestigio brand was not destined to gain enviable popularity, but it received plenty of criticism.
But still, few Chinese smartphones with a surprisingly low price tag can be so balanced. Muze F5 easily copes with the tasks of a taxi driver, but only supports one GPS/A-GPS satellite navigation. At the same time, there is LTE, 802.11n and support for two SIMs. For a 5.5-inch display, an energy-efficient battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh is the optimal solution.

The low cost is due to the use of a budget MediaTek MT6739 processor, 2 GB of RAM and a low display resolution - HD. But for simple taxi applications this is quite enough.

Pros:

Good battery.
Low price.
Convenient gesture control.
Protective film included.

Minuses:

Lack of GLONASS.
Controversial manufacturer.
No camera.

Criteria for choosing a gadget for a taxi

Let's see how to choose a smartphone for a taxi and what to look for:

The battery capacity must be more than 3000 mAh;
Good screen resolution for clear visibility of map symbols;
Large amount of random access memory (RAM) for the ability to use several applications simultaneously;
Large display for easy use;
Not a big price up to 15 thousand;
4G support.

Below are 10 top smartphones for working in Yandex.Taxi. When compiling this rating, we tried to select gadgets with a large screen and good resolution, which makes it convenient to use the navigator, a stable network connection, sufficient memory, and a non-staining case. At the same time, we took into account that most people are not ready to buy expensive phones for work. Sometimes an excellent option would be to combine work and personal contacts, for which we made a separate rating of phones with three SIM cards.

8Meizu M5 Note 32GB

While the Meizu company is collapsing, let's look at one of the most successful models of its production.
M5 Note 32GB is perfect for intensive use in a taxi, as it has a high-quality 5.5-inch display with FullHD format, supports two SIM cards, LTE-A Cat, VoLTE, A-GPS, GLONASS standards. The battery, although non-removable, has a capacity of as much as 4000 mAh, which allows it to work for more than a day in intensive use.

Users like the Flyme shell (it has its advantages compared to MIUI and EMUI), the very convenient mTouch button, and fast charging (100 minutes - 100%).

Pros:

Attractive design.
Flyme shell.
Metal body.
Fast fingerprint scanner.

Minuses:

Terrible camera (as in all non-flagship Meizu).
You can't get root rights.
Constant notifications from the “Chinese”.

7Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 4/64GB

An unconditional hit of sales, the sales of which have reached incredible figures.
The screen with a diagonal of almost 6 inches and FullHD+ resolution is perfect for the tasks of a taxi driver, and the moderate price tag pays for itself quite quickly. The Snapdragon 636 processor is able to cope with any needs of the modern user, for example, a “cold” start of GPS occurs in just a few seconds. The 4000 mAh battery can last more than a day with active use. The phone supports two SIMs, but if you need to install a memory card, you will have to sacrifice one SIM.

Judging by the reviews of real owners, one cannot be dissatisfied with such a purchase.

Pros:

Impeccable reputation.
Large display.
Great battery.
Convenient gesture control.

Minuses:

There may be problems with the firmware (you need to be careful when purchasing).
MIUI is not for everyone.
Screen color rendition.

6Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite

Another extra-popular budget phone from Xiaomi with a large display and balanced characteristics.
Great news for opponents of the MIUI shell (and there are quite a few of them) will be the operation of a smartphone based on Android One. In addition, the A2 Lite, whose price tag does not reach tens of thousands of rubles, is equipped with a full set of network interfaces and satellite navigation modules. There are no problems with performance either. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor is quite suitable for modern needs, and the capacious battery will not allow the smartphone to run out during a work shift.

According to Yandex.Taxi, this is the best Xiaomi smartphone for working with Taximeter - rating 4.04 from drivers (the best one has 4.23).

Pros:

Android One.
Driver recognition.
Powerful hardware for most tasks.
Oleophobic screen coating.

Minuses:

Unibrow (subjective, but there are many opponents).
Low quality of pictures.
Dimensions and weight.

The best smartphone models

Based on the results of numerous driver surveys, a rating of phones for Yandex Taxi 2021 was compiled. Models from it are the most compatible with Taximeter.

All other smartphones can be divided into 2 groups:

suitable for working as a driver in Yandex Taxi;
unsuitable for successful cooperation with the aggregator.

The list is arranged in descending order (from most suitable to least):

Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (Samsung Galaxy) 2021;
Samsung Galaxy J3, J7 (phones manufactured in 2021 and 2021 are suitable);
Huawei Y5 and P10 lite (Huei iGrek5 and P10 lite);
LG X power (Elgie X power);
Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 from 2021;
Samsung Galaxy S4, S6;
Samsung Galaxy J5 2016-2017 and the same model Prime (Prime);
Samsung Galaxy Note3 (Samsung Galaxy Note 3);
Samsung Grand Prime Plus;
Huawei Y3II, Y5II;
Lenovo A-2010-a.

5Huawei Honor 7x

It is absolutely not necessary to spend several tens of thousands of rubles to purchase a decent smartphone.
Especially if its main purpose is to perform purely work tasks. Although Honor 7X does not stand out from more expensive devices with enviable technical features, it demonstrates stable operation and good system performance. Drivers rated it at 4.08 points. The body is durable and made from aluminum and feels more expensive than competitors like the Moto G5 Plus. The display is large, 6-inch, with FullHD+ high-definition resolution. Inside there is a powerful Kirin 659 CPU, and 4 GB of memory is enough for a dozen open applications in the background. The only thing that will not please you is the combined slot for a memory card and SIM.

Pros:

Great display.
Oleophobic coating.
Long work on one charge.
Decent camera.

Minuses:

The back cover is susceptible to fingerprints.
Very thin and slippery body.
You can run into Chinese firmware.

4Samsung Galaxy J8

The main advantage of this smartphone is the first thing that catches your eye - it is a large and bright 6-inch Super AMOLED display.
And although the resolution here is not the highest definition (720p), the quality of the matrix is indeed better than in more expensive analogues. The J8 cannot boast of powerful hardware - the Snapdragon 450 and 3 GB of RAM can hardly cope with serious tasks, but there is no point in overpaying for the extra gigahertz and gigabytes for an ordinary taxi driver. But with communication standards and satellite navigation, everything is in perfect order - both GLONASS and BeiDou are supported.

Drivers rated the device with an almost record rating of 4.19. What speaks in its favor is, first of all, stability (for which Samsung has always been famous), reasonable price, well-thought-out proprietary shell, and comfortable daily use.

Pros:

Positive nature of the reviews (rare for the J line).
sAMOLED.
Economical battery consumption in navigator mode.
Loud noise.

Minuses:

No contactless payment.
There may be communication problems.
Lack of optical camera stabilization.

3Yandex. Telephone

Why not purchase a Yandex.Phone in addition to the Yandex.Taxi application?
Although there is enough skepticism towards this smartphone. Many, for example, do not understand why buy it if there are cheaper and more powerful analogues on the market. However, this is nothing more than a superficial look. For its price, Yandex.Phone offers a 5.65″ display with a resolution of 2160×1080 – an excellent solution. Support for numerous 4G, GLONASS and NFC bands is also a wealth of advantages. And in terms of hardware, everything is very good - with a Snapdragon 630 and 4 GB of RAM (with 64 GB of native memory), there are no glitches or freezes to worry about.

The icing on the cake will be the presence of a progressive USB Type-C port and Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging. The only disappointments are the speaker volume and the rather weak camera.

Pros:

Type-C + mini-jack.
Deep integration of Yandex services.
NFC module.
Convenient voice assistant “Alice”.

Minuses:

Camera.
Problematic fingerprint scanner.
Insufficient speaker volume.

2Xiaomi Mi Max 3 4 64GB

“Mad Big Max” is the choice of fans of the huge display, because here it is as much as 6.9 inches and looks more like a tablet than a phone!
Navigation and communications are in perfect order—everything a taxi driver needs is supported. Considering that the smartphone is endowed with such a huge diagonal, it would be logical to assume short operation on a single charge. But the Chinese company took this into account and equipped the Mi Max 3 with a 5500 mAh battery! Users note that without recharging it can last 2-3 days.

If you have problems with communication, update the firmware, since version 8.3 is largely unfinished. In general, the model is completely superior to the generally accepted Mi Max 2 and is very convenient for use for work purposes.

Pros:

Excellent face unlock performance.
"Long-lasting" battery.
No "brakes".
USB type-C.

Minuses:

Disadvantages of the firmware.
Not very loud speaker.
No NFC.

1Samsung Galaxy J6+

Few expected to see this smartphone on the first line, but the taxi drivers themselves made their choice.
According to official Yandex.Taxi data, it is the Samsung Galaxy J6+ that has the highest average rating among taxi drivers using the Yandex Taximeter. 4.23 is the highest figure, and J6+ is 0.04 points ahead of its closest pursuer (J8). This is an inexpensive device from last year with a 6-inch display, a full set of communication and navigation modules, 3 GB of RAM and 32 internal memory. Supports 2 SIM cards. It is a little surprising to find a very outdated Snapdragon 425 processor under the hood, however, according to drivers, it is capable of coping with everyday work tasks.

Users give special respects for the successful location of the fingerprint sensor, combined with the lock key. There is also a good speaker and decent cameras for the price.

At the same time, it should be taken into account that the entire J line turned out to be not very successful in terms of the ratio of characteristics and prices, and therefore we will not recommend these devices for everyday use. But as a workhorse, they show themselves absolutely at their best.

Pros:

Large, flicker-free display (PWM).
Work stability.
It's not scary to drop it.
GLONASS + BeiDou.

Minuses:

Limited performance.
Long charge.

Answers on questions

Finally, we’ll look at a few common questions and give answers to them that will allow beginners to choose the best device.

What to do if a smartphone or tablet is not on the list of acceptable ones?

Published lists are only recommendations from company representatives. They have tested about 1,000 models, but the market is constantly being updated with new devices. If your device is not on the list, make sure it meets the following requirements: GPS and GLONASS, Android version 5.0 and higher, more than 2 GB of RAM, camera. With a high degree of probability, the Taximeter will work without problems.

Is there Taximeter for iOS?

At the moment, the mobile application is presented not only for Android; the developers have also released the program for iOS. Android smartphones are cheaper and are in great demand among Yandex Taxi drivers. However, Apple gadgets allow the application to work more stable. Read more about the Yandex Taxi program for drivers.

How was the list of phones recommended for working in a taxi compiled?

When conducting research to determine suitable gadgets, common models were tested and statistics were collected. It was also studied how long the driver spends on the line using each device. As a result, average values were derived and deviations were found.

The devices were also evaluated by company employees, giving gadgets ratings from 1 to 5. Also, the list included only affordable models that can be bought in stores and that are common in the secondary market.

Which smartphone is best to buy for taxi driving in 2021?

Two methods were used to compile this rating.

The first is to find the best budget models on the market for your basic taxi service needs. Such a smartphone should have at least a 5.5-inch display (preferably 6+), not slow down (from 2, or better yet, 3 GB of RAM), excellent communication (support as many standards as possible), good battery life, and a loud speaker and generally demonstrate stability. Models such as Xiaomi Mi Max 3, Yandex. Phone and Meizu M5 Note.

The second is the use of ratings from taxi drivers, who gave absolute leadership to one manufacturer - Samsung. The top five models are as follows: 1) J6+; 2) J8; 3) j4+; 4) J6 (2018); 5) J4 (2018). Our rating included only those models from this list (and it is quite wide) that did not receive sharp criticism from real owners and justify their price with high-quality work. The choice is yours!

Phone characteristics for working in Yandex Taxi

The first is the OS. An Android smartphone, the application was developed for this operating system. “Taximeter” can be downloaded to your device for free from PlayMarket. The program weighs a little more than 50 MB and does not take up much space. The app is well designed and runs smoothly.

The second is Internet access. You need a stable and powerful Internet. Built-in good GPS module, as well as a mobile tariff that provides a sufficient amount of traffic. The driver’s connection with the program must be uninterrupted so that requests and comments on orders arrive on time. This aspect should be taken care of to avoid overlaps and mistakes in the routes. Prompt communication with the passenger and the operator is extremely important.

The third is RAM. The phone itself should be fast in multitasking mode. This can be achieved by choosing a model with 3 GB of RAM. At the same time, the driver has a Taximeter, a navigator, instant messengers and mobile data transmission running. It should be possible to use the application and at the same time receive calls. For example, if a client cannot find a car or is delayed, he will call. Even if the driver knows the city perfectly and does not use a navigator, questions may arise along the routes. It’s convenient to launch a navigator on your smartphone and quickly see the location of an unknown building or street.

This is interesting: The best phones for 5,000 rubles - a review of the best

The fourth is the battery. A capacious battery that allows you to work without recharging for the entire shift, which is an average of 6-8 hours. At least 3000 mAh. In the car, you can charge your phone from the cigarette lighter using a car charger, but this is inconvenient. An extra wire will prevent the device from being properly fixed and will limit movement. And while on charge, the smartphone provides less performance. Ideally, you only have to charge your phone at home, while resting between work shifts.

Fifth is the display. The large screen will allow you to see details on maps and system messages. For comfortable work, a diagonal of 6 inches is recommended, with a resolution of at least 1560 by 720 pixels. The display should be bright so that it is clearly visible in sunny weather. While driving a car, it is unsafe to peer at your phone, trying to read the necessary information. The driver must see everything perfectly on the screen of his device.