Apple’s smartphones are powered by iOS - a lightweight operating system known for its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with Apple's ecosystem. As excitement builds around the announcement and open beta release of iOS 17, many are speculating that the general rollout could happen as early as middle to late September this year. Apple never fails to amaze its users with the latest features in the upcoming iOS versions. You may be curious about the app features that are game changers for office work and productivity. This article will answer your question and guide you about four updated apps in iOS 17.
1 . Notes
The updated iOS 17 features an advanced Notes application that supports interlinking, which enables users to link one note to another to create a Wiki-style file management system. By incorporating these links in your personal notes, you can organise your thoughts or discover new connections and associations between ideas. Furthermore, the latest update will enable users to annotate PDFs in various ways such as highlighting, drawing, annotating, underlining, and strikethrough. Additionally, users can add stamps, comments, and reviews, as well as scan documents directly within the Notes app.
2 . PDFs
PDFs play a crucial role in seamless document viewing and sharing across devices. The iOS 17 productivity updates feature enhanced autofill, allowing users to securely use saved information from contacts to fill out a PDF or scanned document faster. It uses field detection technology to identify the fields in a PDF so you can quickly add details.
The enhanced PDF version allows users to complete a form and return it to the sender quickly. This feature is convenient for quickly returning your completed form to the sender in Mail.
3 . Freeform
Freeform is Apple’s stock creativity application available for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It gives you a platform to unleash your creativity and layout creative content on a flexible canvas letting them see, share, and collaborate all in one place without worrying about layouts or page sizes.
They have incorporated Freeform in iOS 17 productivity updates. New tools will be added such as a watercolour brush, calligraphy pen, highlighter, variable-width pen, and ruler that will help users better collaborate and brainstorm.
It has a feature called Follow Along that lets you track what area of the whiteboard your collaborators are working on. Your smartphone’s screen will show you what they are looking at as they move through the canvas.
4 . Facetime
Facetime is Apple’s trademark application for video calling. The latest update of iOS includes a feature for recording audio and video messages that a sender can record in case someone has missed their call. It is very beneficial as there is no chance of missing out on important messages, family matters, or business meetings. In addition, you get all the same video effects that make you look your best in FaceTime, like Portrait mode and Studio Light.
You can also play these messages on your Apple watch. It also allows you to use your iPhone as a camera and start a call directly from the FaceTime app on Apple TV or hand off the call from your iPhone to your TV.
Will Apple Update the iWork Suite in iOS 17?
The famous iWork Suite includes pages (word processor), numbers (spreadsheets), and keynotes (presentation). Although the new iOS 17 update adds some nice touches to existing software, no major update was disclosed for Apple’s productivity lineup. It supports famous formats like .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx but some advanced features, formatting, or layouts may not translate perfectly when opening iWork files in Microsoft Office or other third-party software. Moreover, a major drawback of the iWork office suite is that it restricts sending native iWork files to only Apple devices, making collaboration on these files more challenging. Lastly, users who are experienced with the Microsoft suite may find the learning curve for iWork Suite to be a relevant consideration.
Supercharge Your Productivity with WPS Office on iOS
Apple’s iWork Suite cannot be considered a one-stop solution for a productivity suite because it is greatly limited to the Apple ecosystem. It leads us to look for something more reliable that one can count on, and WPS Office is an outstanding alternative. WPS Office is similar to MS Office but with enhanced features and is cost-free. Below are the features that make WPS Office a better choice to increase your productivity.
Free and Feature Rich
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Lightweight with Efficient Performance
It has optimised codes that ensure faster loading times and smoother performance, making it ideal for devices with limited resources. It makes it efficient enough to make document creation and editing much quicker.
Cross-Platform Synchronisation
WPS Office provides seamless cross-platform synchronisation, allowing users to effortlessly access and edit documents across iOS devices, Android devices, Windows PCs, and macOS systems.
Extensive File Support
This productivity suite seamlessly handles documents in multiple formats like DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, DOC, XLS, and PPT, ensuring compatibility and ease of collaboration with users from different software ecosystems.
FAQs about iOS 17 update
Q1: Will iOS 17 be compatible with my current device?
The iOS 17 productivity updates may not be available for your device because there will be a cutoff for some older iPhone models, including the iPhone X from 2017.
Q2: When will the iOS 17 update be available to download?
Apple releases its newer versions of smartphones in September every year. While the iOS 17 release date is unpredictable, it will likely be released in September of 2023.
Q3: Is there a public beta for iOS 17?
iOS 17 is currently only available for developers and public beta testers to download. The developer beta has been available since June, while the public beta came out in July. Please refer to the links below for downloading the beta iOS 17.
Q4:How do I update my device to iOS 17?
Based on the iOS 17 device compatibility, you can update your device using the following steps. "Settings" > "General" > "Software Update" and follow the on-screen instructions.
Summary
The iOS 17 productivity updates are an integral part of Apple’s ecosystem. It includes major improvements in Apple stock softwares, including Notes, PDFs, Facetime, and Freeform. If you have an iPhone released in 2017 or later, you will enjoy the perks of this update. Although this update has some in-app improvements, the iWork Suite will not recieve any major optimisations.
Don’t worry because you have got a free alternative to iWork Suite in the form of WPS Office. WPS Office is a productivity suite that includes all essential office software including a potent PDF tool. Install WPS Office on your iOS device and enjoy amazing features with ultra-fast speed and free of cost.
