Been running FieldPulse on both tablets (iPad Pro) and phones (iPhone 14) out in the field for about 6 months now. Starting to notice some gaps between the two experiences and wanted to flag them for folks making device decisions.
Here's what I've tracked so far:
Works on both, no issues:
- Work order viewing and updating
- Photo capture and annotation
- Signature capture
- Offline mode sync
- GPS check-in/check-out
Tablet-only or tablet-works-better:
- Split-screen view on iPad — can have work order open alongside maps or PDF manual. Huge time-saver.
- Photo annotation precision — drawing boxes/arrows with Apple Pencil vs finger on phone is night and day
- Checklist form layout — longer forms don't require as much scrolling, can see full sections at once
Phone-only or phone-works-better:
- Barcode scanning via camera — feels faster and more natural on phone, less awkward positioning
- One-handed operation — obvious, but updating status while carrying gear matters
- Pocket-friendly quick checks — pulling phone to confirm next job vs unzipping tablet case
Actual gaps (phone missing entirely):
- Landscape orientation lock on iPhone — app forces portrait, which is annoying when mounted in vehicle
- External keyboard support — Bluetooth keyboard pairs but shortcuts don't work on phone app
Unclear if it's missing or I'm missing something:
- Customer portal preview — thought I saw this mentioned for tablet but can't find it
Anyone else doing the dual-device dance? What am I missing? Especially curious if Android tablets have different gaps than iPad.
omg the portrait lock thing drives me NUTS. got a cheap phone mount in my van and have to like crane my neck to read the next job lol. also yeah barcode def feels faster on phone, tablet camera is slower to focus in my experience (Samsung tab A8)
Confirmed on Android tablet side:
- No split-screen support on FieldPulse app specifically — Android allows it system-wide but app doesn't resize properly, just letterboxes
- Stylus support varies by device — works on Galaxy Tab S series, generic styluses on budget tablets are hit-or-miss
Pro tip: If your team mixes devices, standardize on one form factor per role. Dispatchers get tablets for the screen real estate, field techs get phones for mobility. The "both" model creates more support tickets than it solves.
Sylvia that's exactly the conclusion I'm coming to. Was trying to be flexible but it's creating this weird tier where some techs can do things others can't, and I'm the one fielding "why doesn't mine do that" questions.
What's your device standardization? iPad + iPhone or Android across the board?
iPhone SE for field, iPad Air for dispatch leads who do field visits occasionally. Kept it simple, bulk purchasing through Apple Business Manager. Not the cheapest but support overhead dropped maybe 60%.
Hi Josh — happy to help clarify a few things here!
First, the landscape orientation limitation on iPhone is a known gap we're tracking. No ETA yet but it's on the mobile team's radar.
Regarding customer portal preview — this is currently tablet-only (iPad 10.2" and newer, Android tablets 8"+). Phones don't support it due to screen size constraints in the layout. You can access it via More → Customer Portal Preview on supported tablets.
For the external keyboard shortcuts — this varies by OS:
- iOS: Limited support (Tab to move between fields, Space to select checkboxes)
- Android: No custom shortcuts currently mapped
A few other tablet-forward features not yet on phone:
- PDF markup with annotation layers — phone gets basic view, tablet gets full markup tools
- Multi-work-order comparison view — side-by-side on tablet, sequential on phone
See this article for full device capability matrix
Let me know if you'd like me to flag your account for the landscape orientation beta when it opens!
Thanks Priya — yes please flag me for that beta. Also good to know about the portal preview, thought I was going crazy looking for it.
The PDF markup thing explains why my lead tech's markup looked different than mine. Thought it was a permissions issue.
in my experience the "features" on tablet mostly just slow you down. been doing this 14 years, phone is fine. if you need a spreadsheet view maybe you're overcomplicating the job. no offense.
that said the barcode thing is real, phone camera modules are just better optimized for quick focus.
so basically what i did was i started with just my phone right, and then i got a tablet because everyone was saying it was better for the checklists and stuff, but tbh i ended up back on phone only after like three weeks because i kept leaving the tablet in the van or forgetting to charge it and basically it was just one more thing to manage
pro tip tho: if you do the tablet thing get a case with a hand strap, the one i had was slippery and i almost dropped it like five times on concrete
