This App Overhauls the Calculator For Mobile Devices

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By Seth Fiegerman2013-12-17 02:56:55 UTC

Calculators fall somewhere between socks and toothbrushes on the excitement scale, but one new app aims to make them fun again.

Tydlig, a recently released app for iPhone and iPad, rethinks the calculator-app experience for mobile devices. Unlike most calculator apps — including the default app on Apple devices — which focus on the number pad and offer a select few functions, Tydlig offers graphing features, and opens up more of the screen's real estate for custom math functions.

See also: The Next Generation of iPhone Productivity Apps is Here

You can have multiple equations open at once, and link them together so that changes in one are reflected in the other. You can also tap and drag numbers around on the screen. You can even share your calculations with others, which might be useful at work or in school.

"Why do most iOS calculators look like someone taped an old plastic calculator to the screen?" the company writes on its website. "How come calculator apps still have buttons like MC/MR/M+/M- when there is enough room on modern devices to store all numbers you could ever think of?"

We've heard similar lines in recent months from the founders of several email startups, who argued that it was time to rethink the email experience for the mobile era. Calculator apps may be far less sexy than email apps, but there's little doubt that the calculator experience could use a refresh for smartphones and tablets.

The big downside for Tydlig is its price: The app costs $4.99. However, if you use the calculator on your phone a lot for work or personal use, it may be worth trying out.

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Image: Tydlig

Topics: apps, Apps and Software, Business, iPad, iPhone, Startups