Apple released the first iPad in 2010, but it wasn’t until this week at WWDC 2024 that the iPad finally got the Calculator app. (Math somehow fell through the cracks in one iPadOS update after another over the past 14 years.) Of course, there are plenty of third-party calculator apps on the App Store, but I’ve always thought it’s odd that this basic app was missing from the iPad.
That finally changed on Monday. There were rumors Apple would add the Calculator app to iPadOS this year, but I was hoping it would include some advanced features like graphing capabilities. What we got instead impressed me even more: An all-new app called Math Notes.
Not only does Math Notes arguably appear to be the most innovative feature in iPadOS 18, but it could also reveal how Apple can redefine what makes the iPad a must-have device.
While the sum of incremental updates to iPadOS 18 is a bit underwhelming, Math Notes stands out as something wholly new: It looks engaging, responsive, and even — a rarity for math among liberal arts graduates — fun.
Not only does Math Notes arguably appear to be the most innovative feature in iPadOS 18, but it could also reveal how Apple can redefine what makes the iPad a must-have device.
Math Notes is the ultimate homework tool for students
When Apple revealed the Math Notes feature in the iPad Calculator app at WWDC on Monday, I thought, "This is a game-changer for students."
Math Notes allows you to write math problems with the Apple Pencil and calculate solutions in the Notes app. When you write an equals sign, Math Notes will automatically run the numbers and add your answer. It will even recreate your handwriting so the solution matches the rest of your work.
That's not all. Math Notes can also recognize variables, which means it can solve complex math problems for which you would typically need a scientific or graphing calculator. I was hoping the iPad Calculator app would be a graphing calculator. It isn't quite as powerful as my old TI-84 Plus, but Math Notes includes some basic graphing capabilities.
When you write out certain equations in Math Notes, like a basic parabolic function, you can tap the equals sign, and a little pop-up option will appear saying, "Insert Graph." If you select it, Math Notes will generate a graph of the function you wrote.
These features are helpful for all kinds of tasks, but studying is where Math Notes will probably shine brightest. It could be an excellent tool for helping students visualize math problems and check their work. The iPad is already popular among students, so it's great to see Apple leaning into that with a perfect tool for studying.
Math Notes isn't just good for students, though. It's also suitable for the iPad because it could hint at a path forward for this struggling product category.
How Math Notes leverages the iPad’s unique strengths
Math Notes isn't the first iPad app to include advanced math features like generating graphs or solving equations. WolframAlpha has been offering tools like that for years. However, WolframAlpha is much more complicated than Math Notes and doesn't allow you to write math problems by hand. In contrast, Math Notes is simple to use, integrated seamlessly into iPadOS, and designed specifically for the Apple Pencil.
That's what makes this feature innovative and unique. Unlike so many other iPad apps, Apple apparently created Math Notes for the iPad first and foremost. It utilizes the unique capabilities and strengths of the Apple Pencil, which is increasingly becoming the iPad's stand-out feature.
When the iPad initially launched, it was mainly a large-screen companion to the iPhone. In the past 14 years, iPhone screens have gotten much larger, making the iPad's value proposition less appealing. At the same time, the MacBook line-up has gotten lighter and slimmer but remained more powerful than the iPad.
These factors are leaving the iPad in an awkward spot, and it's showing in sales data, too. iPad sales were down in Apple's Q2 2024 earnings report, the most recent one ahead of WWDC. Apple must redefine what makes the iPad unique and what it has that the iPhone and MacBook don't. The most obvious solution is the Apple Pencil.
Apple must redefine what makes the iPad unique and what it has that the iPhone and MacBook don't. The most obvious solution is the Apple Pencil.
Apps like Math Notes create unique value for the iPad centered around the Pencil. You'll be able to use Math Notes on the iPhone and Mac, but you can only use the full Apple Pencil version on the iPad. Apple Pencil-focused features like this create compelling reasons to use an iPad without taking anything away from the iPhone and Mac. That could be the key to the future of the iPad and iPadOS.
Is this a peek at the future of the iPad?
The iPad has had an interesting couple of years. 2023 was the first year in the iPad's history when Apple released no new iPads. Apple did a 180 in 2024 by launching four new iPads and a redesigned Apple Pencil and giving the iPad Pro the M4 chip before the Mac. Despite all those hardware upgrades, iPadOS remains somewhat clunky and half-baked, holding the iPad back from becoming a true laptop replacement.
The Math Notes app got me thinking, though—maybe the iPad's future isn't as a laptop replacement. Maybe its potential lies in the Apple Pencil.
There are countless things you can do on a phone or laptop that are more natural with a pencil, like drawing or solving math problems. The iPad is uniquely positioned to quite literally tap into all those possibilities. Math Notes is a perfect example of how designing apps and features for the Apple Pencil can create value for the iPad. If Apple can bring more apps like this to the platform, the iPad could become a must-have device rather than a pricey companion to the iPhone and Mac.
Math Notes is a great feature on its own, but what it represents really counts: the Apple Pencil is the key to the iPad's future.
