Apple Appears To Have Changed Its Mind About iPad Not Needing A Calculator

Photo 267749345 © Creatoroflove | Dreamstime.com

For years, iPad users have relied on third-party apps or Spotlight search for their on-the-go calculations. But that may be changing, and soon, users could be counting themselves lucky! Apple is supposedly developing a dedicated Calculator app for the tablet, slated for release with iPadOS 18 sometime this year.

This news—broken by MacRumors, citing sources familiar with the subject—comes alongside rumors of a revamped Calculator app for macOS 15, codenamed ‘Project GreyParrot’. The Mac update is expected to bring a new history tape, improved unit conversion, and a design refresh that mirrors the iPhone’s Calculator app.

The inclusion of a Calculator app for the iPad fills a long-standing gap in Apple’s mobile ecosystem. While the iPad boasts a powerful processor and large screen, perfect for scientific or complex calculations, the lack of a native app has frustrated users who rely on these functions.

The Cupertino tech giant seems to have a change of mind about why the iPad never needed a built-in calculator. Perhaps it’s finally pandering to users and granting them a nice-to-have app. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s cracked the code on how to make a version that maximizes the device’s larger real estate.

In a 2020 interview with tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), Craig Federighi, senior vice president of Software Engineering at Apple, addressed the lack of a Calculator app on the iPad. He explained that a simple calculator wasn’t enough for Apple.

“To do it, we would want to do something really distinctively great in that space, and I think it’s obviously easy to create a calculator app, but creating one that feels like, ‘Wow, this is the greatest iPad calculator app’... We want to do it when we can do it really, really well, and we honestly have just haven’t gotten around to doing it great,” Federighi told Brownlee then.

However, the Apple executive left the door open for a future app, adding that “that day may come.” Well, it seems that day has finally arrived. One can only hope this Calculator app meets the company’s high standards for a truly “great” iPad experience.

[via 9to5Mac and MacRumors, cover photo 267749345 © Creatoroflove | Dreamstime.com]