Apple to up productivity in update

Apple’s upcoming mobile operating system takes a slew of popular features that used to be accessible only in mobile apps and bakes them directly into the iPad and iPhone, making iOS 11 the most exciting overhaul in years.

The new system, available to developers via a beta testing download, turns the iPad into a productivity device that could rival some of the beefiest laptops, with long-awaited features such as split-screen multitasking and the ability to drag and drop files into emails.

I don’t suggest you run and download the beta developer version, because it’s extremely buggy, but a publicly available beta will debut this summer. That’s just a few months before the new operating system goes live in the fall, and it’s worth the wait. If you do download the developer beta or the public beta, be sure the data on your device is backed up, because this version is for testing purposes and not ready for prime time.

But, iOS 11 has so many game-changing features that it’s hard to pick a favorite. I’ve never cared much for Siri, but I think that’s going to change because the virtual assistant is now your own personal language translator. Let’s say you’re at City Hall Plaza and a German tourist asks how to get to the Freedom Trail. Now, you can say, “Siri, say, “Start off at Boston Common, following Cambridge Street to Park Street, and make a right after the T station’ in German.” And she’ll spit out the translation in a perfect native tongue. You can ask her to say multipart sentences in multiple languages, like an Apple version of the “Star Trek” universal translator. For business travelers or anyone who wants to learn a new language, this feature alone might be the reason to switch to Apple.

The virtual assistant also gets an audio makeover. She sounds more natural (or he if you choose the male voice), with inflection and a variety of accents. Response time in general seems faster.

For business users, iOS 11 is making it easier to deal with contracts and forms. Need to take a picture of a document? The Notes app now automatically senses it’s a document, scans it, crops the edges, removes tilt and glare and prompts a signature with the Apple Pencil. A process that used to involve three separate apps is now condensed into one seamless function.

As someone whose 70-slide PowerPoint presentation was recently eaten by an iPad Pro, iOS 11 will have to earn my trust before I start treating it like a laptop. But the new multitasking functions combined with a new easy way to take notes on the lock screen has already gone a long way toward repairing my relationship with this device.

As someone who gives presentations frequently, I’m particularly excited that I can now record my screen as I take various actions with a simple tap in the newly designed control center. Before, this was accomplished with an app or by connecting an iPhone to a device using QuickTime. It’s easy to take a screenshot, quickly mark it up and send it. There must be an iOS developer with a serious penchant for device tutorials.

Maybe that same developer has a spouse with an Android phone. Because as anyone with a non-Apple smartphone will tell you, the iPhone is just too bright at night. Thankfully, Apple finally caught on and iOS 11 offers a dark screen mode so that you don’t become a personal spotlight each evening.

Apple is trying to do right by its customers on another level. The iPhone now senses when you’re driving and kicks on a “do not disturb mode.” People trying to reach you can automatically be notified that you’re driving. I never thought safety would be a reason to stick with Apple, but the company is full of surprises lately.