The best phones for Uber drivers

Driving with Uber is a great opportunity to make some extra cash or even provide a significant income.

Getting started does require that you have access to a qualified vehicle or rental vehicle as well as a smartphone with adequate bandwidth capabilities. 

These days, options boil down to just a few options, which we will get into later and describe a few of the pros and cons for each. 

Uber’s phone requirements for drivers

• Each driver must have their own smartphone with its own designated SIM card, so they have access to the Internet, email, Whatsapp, and other channels of communication.
• Drivers must use iPhones with iOS 11.0 or higher, and Android version 5 or higher.
• Phones that are used by Drivers must also have a minimum of 2GB of data available every month. Luckily, Uber added VOiP services on their app to allow drivers and riders to call and message freely.

iPhone, Samsung, or Pixel?

Uber allows every type of smartphone with broadband capabilities, SIM card, and GPS capabilities to be used on their platform. However, most phone options for people come down to an Apple or Android device. 

Note: with just about any of these phones, you’ll be able to download the free Gridwise app, where you can:

• Effortlessly track all of your rideshare miles to maximize your tax deduction
• Save time by receiving alerts when passengers are arriving at your local airport and check the queue length from anywhere
• See how your earnings break down across services so you know where to focus more of your time on the road
• Compare your earnings to other drivers in your area 
• Get alerts about local traffic, weather, and large events going on in your city
• Easily switch between apps from anywhere on your phone (Android only)

Not too bad for a free app huh?

In short, the Uber app isn’t extremely taxing, so capability isn’t much of an issue. Instead, priority was given to phones that are user-friendly and offer a sufficient display for finding your next customer and where they are headed.

Apple

Apple seems to be the most popular smartphone available. This is mostly due to Apple creating a seamless experience on the phone that most people are comfortable with. Apple has been extremely competitive as of late with battery life and is held as the best in the industry in terms of charge. 

Pros: 

• Battery Life 
• Simple Design

Cons: 

• Price
• If you use the driver app on an iPhone not updated to iOS 11 or above, notifications about new trip requests may occasionally not display correctly.

Samsung

Samsung is the second most popular phone option and includes a few more features that some find lacking in the others. Samsung phones are historically known for their cameras and the most recent phones feature up to 5 cameras! You can download the Uber Driver app on any Android device that is 2013 or newer and runs version 5 or higher.

Pros: 

• Camera capabilities 
• Screen Size

Cons:

• Price

Google Pixel

Lately, Google’s phone has become a third contender in popular phones and for good reason! The affordable Pixel delivers a super low price smartphone with all the capabilities of your top name brand phones. 

Pros: 

• Price
• Headphone Jack (No wireless headphones or adapters needed) 

Cons: 

• Weak battery 
• Not water resistant

Choosing the right phone as an Uber driver

As you can see, while Uber does have a few requirements, there are plenty of options to choose from. From the list above, you should have no problem finding a phone that works for both your needs as a driver and in your personal life, too, no matter what kind of budget you’re working with.