Google brings stock Calculator app to the Play Store, adds Android Wear support

By Julian Chokkattu March 30, 2016

Google Calculator — Image used with permission by copyright holder

To further decouple its apps from Android, Google has just published its Calculator app to the Play Store.

The app is the same exact one you would find on stock Android, but it’s not the first built-in app Google has brought over for people to download onto non-stock devices. Last year, Google moved the stock Clock, Phone, Contacts, and Google Camera app to the Play Store. Unfortunately, the Phone and Contacts app is only compatible with Nexus, Android One, and Google Play Edition devices running Android Marshmallow and higher.

That’s not the case for the rest of them, though, but the new Calculator app still requires Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The app itself is more or less the same as the stock version, except Google has added Android Wear support. Now you can relive the memories of owning a calculator watch, by solving mathematical equations on the go.

Google’s recent move to decouple these apps from the operating system is a boon for those on other devices with skinned-Android versions, but want a stock Android experience. For example, if you preferred the look of Google’s Calculator app as opposed to the one bundled on the Samsung Galaxy S7, now you have the option to download it. It’s also easier for Google to offer updates to these apps through the Play Store, unlike how it had to rely on system updates before.

But the search giant’s actions are likely results of increasing scrutiny of how it bundles and promotes its services and apps on almost all Android devices. When you get an Android device, you’ll likely see many Google apps pre-installed like Google Maps, Chrome, and more. Manufacturers have increasingly been looking to replace most of these apps for their own variants, and have complained that Google’s practices are anti-competitive.

Either way, breaking free more of the pre-installed apps from the Android operating system is a good thing. Though it’s unfortunate that some of them are only compatible on devices with Marshmallow or higher, considering that Android 6.0 is only on 2.3 percent of devices.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Julian Chokkattu

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…

Mobile

Google Chrome is getting the Android tablet update you’ve been waiting for

Google Chrome app on s8 screen.

Google today announced the release of its redesign for the Chrome app on Android tablets. After long being neglected on the big screen, especially in comparison to Apple's or Samsung's browsers, Google says it'll be rebuilding the browser to help you get work done faster with a tablet or other large-screened device.

These updates can be broken down into design and functionality improvements, and we'll be kicking things off with the redesign. The first change adds a new side-by-side design when using Chrome paired with another app. This comes with an auto-scroll back feature so you can swipe between tabs, hiding the close buttons when your tabs are too small to prevent mis-taps — plus the inclusion of a restore feature.

Mobile

Wear OS 3 is finally coming to these older smartwatches this month

Fossil Skagen Falster Gen 6 on the wrist.

Wear OS 3 has been supported by Samsung smartwatches for over a year at this point, but now it's finally coming to Fossil devices in just a few days. While the launch of the Google Pixel Watch today has put Wear OS 3 back in the spotlight, Fossil smartwatches are the first to be upgraded from the previous Wear OS 2 version.

While it's certainly exciting that Wear OS 3 is coming to more devices, it's important to note that it won't be headed to all of Fossil's lineup. As reported by Android Central, the upcoming Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition will be launching with Wear OS 3; the Fossil Gen 6, the Michael Kors Gen 6, and the Skagen Falster Gen 6 will all be receiving the OS update together when the Wellness Edition launches. Luckily, fans won't have to wait long as the update rolls out on October 17.

Mobile

The Google Pixel Watch isn’t great, but it could still save Wear OS

Google Pixel Watch on a wrist.

Last week, the Pixel Watch launched. As Google's first premium smartwatch, it fills up the void that has existed for eight long-drawn years. During this time, Android users have felt the absence of a powerful smartwatch that offers an unadulterated Android experience, competing against the Apple Watch. Google arrives late to the party, at a time when brands already imagine successors to smartphones, and Apple and Samsung have strongholds in the market.

The Pixel Watch stands against the odds, and the first impressions lend no mercy. Things could have been much different had Google set a timely foot in the segment. So, a few basic questions crop up: Is it too late for the Pixel Watch to get the success that Google claims it to be worthy of? Can Google salvage that? Is this the end of Wear OS?