Samsung Calculator Update Puts Scientific Functions Within Your Thumb’s Reach
Sign in to your Android Police account
Summary
- Samsung’s Calculator app in One UI 8 is being updated to make it more convenient for one-handed use.
- The update also includes a minor animation change, with the history section now opening from the left side.
- While these features are part of the One UI 8 beta, users on One UI 7 can install an APK to get them immediately.
Samsung Galaxy phones have plenty of hidden features that usually don’t get the attention they deserve. While those are indeed very useful, the South Korean tech firm doesn’t always do a great job of delivering basic features that you’ll find on rival platforms. The company’s Calculator app is one such example, as it isn’t at all friendly to your thumb if you use it for advanced mathematical calculations.
You may prefer another Calculator app over Samsung’s, but the company is working on a solution to that particular problem. The South Korean tech giant is now keen on introducing better one-handed support in scientific mode to its Calculator app in the One UI 8 update.
Related
Samsung Calculator for One UI 8 gets more thumb-friendly in scientific mode
Basic math calculations are super simple and are as convenient as you’d want, but things can take a turn for the worse when you try to switch to scientific mode, especially if you want to use the app with one hand. That’s because the moment you switch to scientific mode, the app automatically switches to landscape mode, which kind of forces you to use two hands.
As spotted by famed Samsung leaker @tarunvats33, Samsung has updated the Calculator app to add support for scientific mode in portrait mode on One UI 8 beta. As demoed by the leaker, the number pad areas shrink to make room for the advanced math operators to appear when you switch to the scientific mode.
Currently, it doesn’t look like there is a separate button to launch the scientific mode directly into landscape mode in the updated Calculator app. If that’s indeed the case, you can change the orientation of your phone to landscape mode if you want to use the Calculator like that.
Moreover, Samsung has also made a small change to the animation of the Calculator app. Based on what we can spot in the demo, the history section of the Calculator app now opens from the left instead of appearing from the bottom. What hasn’t changed is the “Clear history” option, as it still appears in the same position as now.
You don’t have to wait for One UI 8 to use it
While Samsung Calculator has been updated only on One UI 8 beta, you can install the APK on your Samsung Galaxy phone if it’s running One UI 7, as confirmed by another reliable Samsung tipster, @theonecid. You can download the APK from here and install it on One UI 7 devices to use scientific mode in portrait viewing and the new animation.
You can safely install the APK on your phone because it’s signed by Samsung. However, for those who don’t want to do it that way and want to test it directly on One UI beta, you don’t have to wait very long. Samsung is expected to release the first One UI beta at any moment now. If you install the beta update, make sure your Samsung Calculator app is updated to version 12.5.00.17 to use the features.
