Let's be clear, Apple never promised to bring the mac model into iOS 11. However, every single Apple news blog sizzled with expectation when Apple presented the Files app in their upcoming operating system. As betas became available, there were no signs of revamped file management in iOS 11, but everyone (including me) was still hoping for more features in the final release. Well, iOS 11 is out, and it didn't happen. So let's talk about what is wrong with iOS file management as it is.
The biggest issue is that there is zero user control. Users are at the mercy of app developers. You can't create your own folder in the Files app. Your favourite apps may chose to integrate their folders but don't count on it. Even if it happens, it will take a while. Regardless, it's not good enough. What if I want a folder related to a single project, and this folder needs to contain files of various types? For example, epub, fb2, intel hex, and jpg. There is no single application that could handle it all at once. And why should you even need it if you have individual specialized apps for each of the file types? All you need is a way to keep those files together, and open them in your preferred apps. But that's not how it works in iOS 11. Even if you find a "file manager" app that will let you keep all the project files together and integrate its folder with Apple's Files app, all these files will be associated with the app they are stored in. You may be able to open them in other apps through the contextual menu, but it's not straightforward. Moreover, the app you want to open might not even accept the file without first copying it into its own folder.
I believe Apple is trying to make a step in the right direction, but at this pace it will take at least two more iOS iterations before we end up with a truly functional file management system. And perhaps the pace doesn't even depend on Apple. After all they can't just change everything, and expect app devs to rush in with revamped apps. So I think iOS 11 is just a trial balloon to give developers a taste of what's to come. iOS 12 will probably have more features related to file management, but I wouldn't expect the full implementation until at least iOS 13.
The biggest issue is that there is zero user control. Users are at the mercy of app developers. You can't create your own folder in the Files app. Your favourite apps may chose to integrate their folders but don't count on it. Even if it happens, it will take a while. Regardless, it's not good enough. What if I want a folder related to a single project, and this folder needs to contain files of various types? For example, epub, fb2, intel hex, and jpg. There is no single application that could handle it all at once. And why should you even need it if you have individual specialized apps for each of the file types? All you need is a way to keep those files together, and open them in your preferred apps. But that's not how it works in iOS 11. Even if you find a "file manager" app that will let you keep all the project files together and integrate its folder with Apple's Files app, all these files will be associated with the app they are stored in. You may be able to open them in other apps through the contextual menu, but it's not straightforward. Moreover, the app you want to open might not even accept the file without first copying it into its own folder.
I believe Apple is trying to make a step in the right direction, but at this pace it will take at least two more iOS iterations before we end up with a truly functional file management system. And perhaps the pace doesn't even depend on Apple. After all they can't just change everything, and expect app devs to rush in with revamped apps. So I think iOS 11 is just a trial balloon to give developers a taste of what's to come. iOS 12 will probably have more features related to file management, but I wouldn't expect the full implementation until at least iOS 13.
