iPadOS 18 may finally bring the one Apple app it never had

Did you hear the big iPad news today? No, not that news! Sources have told MacRumors that iPadOS 18 will include the longest-awaited feature of the iPad: a Calculator app. It’s expected to be part of the iPadOS 18 unveiling at WWDC on June 10.

Apple’s plans with the Calculator app have been making the rounds lately. AppleInsider reported last week that the company plans a major overhaul for the Calculator in macOS 15 with an iOS-inspired redesign, a new history tape feature, support for the new Math Notes feature in the Notes app, and more. The new iPadOS 18 Calculator is probably the same as the one rumored for macOS 15, so we assume it will have similar features. Since M-series Macs can run iPad apps, it makes sense that Apple is merely developing a new Calculator for iPadOS 18 and bringing it over to macOS 15.

The new iPad Calculator will be available for all iPads on the iPadOS 18 compatibility list. While that list is not yet available, a MacRumors report from February stated that iPads that are on the iPadOS 17 compatibility list will also work with iPadOS 18 except for iPads that have an A10 or A10X Fusion chip. Those iPads were released between 2017 and 2019.

The Calculator was not part of the iPad’s original release in 2011, so for the past 14 years, users have had to rely on third-party calculators such as PCalc ($9.99), Calzy ($4.99), or Calcbot 2 (free with in-app purchases). It seems unlikely that the new iPad Calculator will be on par with the feature set of these third-party apps, but for users who need to perform relatively basic math functions, it’ll be a handy tool to have (finally).

Apple will hold its “Let Loose” event on May 7 where it is expected to unveil new iPad Air and Pro models, and likely a new Apple Pencil. You can catch up on the iPad Air and iPad Pro rumors before the event, but calculator fans will need to wait another month for the WWDC keynote.