Gaming

The 6 best calculator apps for Android

The Samsung Galaxy S, Droid X, MyTouch 3G Slide, Evo 4, the list goes on and on. Many of the most popular smartphones on the market are powered by Google’s Android operating system. With each new device released for Android, the buzz about the system grows.

A quick search for “calculator” in the Android Market returned over a thousand results, far more than most people would like to rank for. You will find dozens of tip calculators, BMI calculators, mortgage calculators, love calculators and more that are probably not what you are looking for. Fortunately for you, we’ve done the hard work of searching through all of those apps and found these 6 worthy of your consideration.

# 1 – HandyCalc Calculator by mmin

HandyCalc Calculator is our pick for the best calculator available on Android today. This application gives you many of the basic functions of a TI-84, including all the capabilities of a scientific calculator, graphing, and the ability to solve systems of equations. Answers can be returned in fractional and radical form, or they can be converted to decimals. There are also simple copy and paste capabilities, something that should be available in more applications. The app even comes with a demo document and a link to a video tutorial. There’s a lot to like here, and even if it’s not perfect, it’s closer to everything we’ve seen.

Pros: Free scientific and graphical capabilities, solves systems of equations, returns both exact answers for fractions / radicals and decimal approximations.

Cons: missing features from a typical chart like high / low, intercepts, etc .; Swiping between keyboards presses buttons and feels awkward; two different “same” buttons (performing different functions) can be a bit confusing.

Free

# 2 – Kreactive Technologies Scientific Calculator

Scientific Calculator had the best user interface of all the calculator apps we reviewed. The buttons are attractive, with a nice overhead lighting effect and a good size, making them easy to press. A double arrow or quick scroll button gives you easy access to scientific functions. The calculator features some basic graphing capabilities. This calculator comes very close to 2-line functionality. You can enter a complete calculation before pressing Enter. Then you can go back to previous calculations by long pressing the input area. There are more powerful apps on this list, but user interface is important in an Android app, and Scientific Calculator has a great one.

Pros: Free and attractive user interface, some functions of a 2-line calculator, some graphing functions

Cons: Limited graphics features; Reviews in the market indicate that some users are confused by the missing +/- button, although we find this easy to fix.

Free

# 3 – Calculation Tools by Andy Mc

A fantastic calculator app for calculus students is Calculus Tools. As the name implies, this app focuses almost exclusively on calculus, so it is not for everyone. The application can find integrals and derivatives up to the fourth degree, both algebraically and with defined limits. It also has the ability to help you solve problems related to arc length, surface area, and the Taylor series. The results can also be represented graphically. The app also contains a fairly extensive list of formulas that calculus students must memorize. The only real downsides to this app are that its scientific calculator mode is still in beta and quite limited, and that all input must be done with your default keyboard.

Advantages: free, solves calculation functions symbolically or numerically, ability to graph functions, excellent “cheat sheet” of calculation formulas.

Cons: Scientific calculator functions are still in beta, they should use the default keyboard instead of a custom math UI

Cost: FREE version or $ 2.50 donation

UPDATE: Added a math keyboard in an update to the Calculation Tools

# 4 – Mihai Preda’s Arity Calculator

Arity Calculator has a very different user interface and capabilities from the other apps on this list. If you are looking for a good 3D grader, this is the place. You have the option of plotting in 2D or 3D, and simply hitting Enter will take you to a clear message, but it will save your equation where it can be easily tapped if you need it later. We would find it difficult to recommend this calculator to a beginner, but its sharp 3D features will definitely appeal to many users. Arity is also a open source app.

Pros: Free, open source, fast 3D capabilities, graphics screenshots

Cons: Almost all commands (like sin, cos, tan) must be typed; although you can navigate the charts and zoom in and out, there is no way to track, find intersections, etc.

Free

# 5 – RealCalc Scientific Calc by Brain Overspill

If you are looking for something comparable to a TI-30 (one line), RealCalc Scientific Calc meets your needs. It’s free, fast, and offers all the functions of a standard scientific calculator. It also has an excellent help menu for new users. The UI isn’t exactly the sexiest, but we’re sure some will appreciate how authentically it looks like a retro calculator. Although we would have preferred to see an authentic two-line display, the developer has provided an older response function, which can be configured to retrieve numerous previous results.

Pros: Free, fast, easy to use, offers the functionality of a standard scientific calculator, the reverse polish notation option will appeal to some

Cons: one line calculator interface, no graphing options, straight out retro user interface from 1985 won’t be for everyone

Free

# 6 – Calc + by EricJohnson

Like many Android apps, Calc + is available in both free and paid versions. The free version offers you the functions you expect in a scientific calculator. The paid version offers the additional functionality of haptic feedback (vibration) and unit conversions. In a smart UI decision, the developer allows users to switch between a simple calculator and scientific mode by rotating from portrait to landscape mode. The design is minimalist but attractive. The biggest drawback to Calc + is that you cannot change from its default mode from radians to degrees.

Pros: Free version available, simple and attractive user interface

Cons: one-line interface, trigonometric calculations in radians only

Cost: FREE or $ .99

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