iPad with Calculator is cool but the real AI tablet hero is Math Notes – and I can’t wait to try it
I wish I had Math Notes in school
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
For as long as theiPadshave been around – about 14 years –Applehas never included a Calculator app out of the box. With countless third-party options available, it might have been that Apple didn’t see a need or, as Craig Federghi – Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering – put itin an interview with MKBHD, they wanted to wait until they could deliver something great.
I agree that the iPad wasn’t really missing out without that mathematical tool built in, butWWDC 2024’s keynotechanged all that.Apple unveiled a Calculator app for the iPad, which received thunderous cheers and applause on-site, and the tech giant got a second round after it did a bit of a double reveal.
It looks like the traditional Calculator app from the iPhone and can be used in horizontal or vertical orientation. Suppose you have a13-inch AirorPro; you can live out the dream of having a massive calculator. But if you tap the Calculator button, you’ll find an option for Math Notes, and it might just be one of the most impressive feats I’ve seen demoed.
You can write out a simple equation or something much more advanced with theApple Pencil, and the iPad will solve it in a matter of seconds and present the answer in a way that mimics your handwriting. The iPad can essentially do and solve math now, and as someone who struggled in that area, IwishI had this in school and college.
Math Notes changes the game
While it’s not technically under theApple Intelligenceumbrella, some rigorous computing is going on in the background, as a team at Apple essentially needed to teach the iPad and iPadOS Math at both elementary and more advanced levels.
In a demo, I saw Math Notes in action and it works nearly instantaneously. You write an equation, add an equal sign at the end and the iPad handles the calculation. It’s that simple and is poised to be immensely useful for anyone – students, workers, and potentially engineers – who needs a succinct way to perform general calculations.
It’s a great spotlight feature of Apple’s approach to AI or something adjacent to Apple Intelligence and how the technology giant approaches a space with plenty of other options. The Calculator experience doesn’t stray too far from the original function of the tool and the application of machine learning to help you produce and solve equations is useful instead of showy.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Machine learning helps Math Notes understand what you’re writing and learn the tendencies of your strokes. This allows the answer to come through swiftly and look like it’s your own handy work.
I’m eager to spend more time with it and push it to the limits. From the keynote, we know it’s suitable for addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division – but it can also automatically tally up a list of numbers if you draw a line at the bottom or if you write out a complex equation, you can change it after a result has been tallied. Meaning you can add a division at the bottom and see it update in real time; it appears infinitely customizable and understands all the inputs.
While it might be seen as an easy way to get to the answer, it could also be used in education, considering it can understand visuals and other inputs and generate graphs to help you understand more of the function.
Math Notes does live within the Calculator on iPad, but it can also be accessed from Notes. The only thing here is that it won’t automatically provide the answer, but you will get an option. This way, if you’re writing down notes in a meeting, the added smarts of the iPad’s math genius are a stroke away.
The Calculator with Math Notes will arrive on a bevy of iPads
Since it’s not under the umbrella of forthcoming Apple Intelligence features, Math Notes also expands the devices that can handle the more advanced Calculator experience. It’s well beyond justM-Series powered iPadsand includes 12.9-inch iPad Pro 3rd gen or newer, 11-inch iPad Pro 1st gen or newer, iPad Air 3rd gen or newer, iPad Mini 5th gen or newer, and iPad 7th gen or newer. It’ll even work on the iPhone withiOS 18, though you’ll need to scribble out equations with your finger.
So whether you need some help with calculus, algebra, or basic equations – or maybe you want to try and stump a computer – it seems like Apple’s given us a reason to be excited about a Calculator for the iPad. I, for one, can’t wait for Math Notes to drop withiPadOS 18.
You Might Also Like
Jacob Krol is the US Managing Editor, News for TechRadar. He’s been writing about technology since he was 14 when he started his own tech blog. Since then Jacob has worked for a plethora of publications including CNN Underscored, TheStreet, Parade, Men’s Journal, Mashable, CNET, and CNBC among others.
He specializes in covering companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and going hands-on with mobile devices, smart home gadgets, TVs, and wearables. In his spare time, you can find Jacob listening to Bruce Springsteen, building a Lego set, or binge-watching the latest from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars.
I tried the iPad mini 7 and it’s the perfect (and cheapest) device for Apple Intelligence
Quick! The latest iPad Air is down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon
This super-cheap HP Victus 15 gaming laptop just dropped to its lowest price yet
