Best Graphing Calculator Reviews 2018

As mentioned earlier, graphing calculators are highly specialized and sophisticated gadgets, so expect them to cost a little bit more than regular desk calculators, which are used for simple operations. To give you numbers, most graphing calculators will cost you somewhere between $80 for an entry-level model, and $800 for a highly advanced one with touchscreen and stylus. Other factors that influence the price include the preinstalled apps, size, type of screen, and so on.

You might say that you want to settle for a relatively cheap graphing calculator, but that’s usually a bad idea. If you are looking for a graphing calculator, it is very likely that you are going to use it for important business projects, so why use a tool that might not be up to the task? Graphing calculators priced way below $80 are usually made of poor-quality materials, have few functions, and use and incorporate small batteries, so stay away from them.

Now that you know what sort of budget to prepare, let's go ahead and find out more interesting characteristics related to graphing calculators.

• Display - Some calculators come with monochrome display; others have a full-color one. Likewise, some calculators have a small display, while others boast a five-inch LCD screen or maybe larger.
• Battery - This is also an important aspect, and you can choose from models powered by regular AAA batteries, or more advanced ones that incorporate rechargeable batteries.
• Apps Installed - In most cases, the manufacturer states what apps are installed, so an engineer can know exactly how and what to use the calculator for.
• Accessories - In the package, you might find a stylus, a protective case and other useful accessories.

Before buying such a sophisticated gadget, you should familiarize yourself with the features and capabilities of graphing calculators and assess your needs. For example, if you regularly run 3D functions, you might want to choose a tool that has a large, colorful display, which will make your work easier. Similarly, if you prefer using AAA batteries instead of recharging your device, go for a relatively older model that still uses regular batteries.

One of the best things about graphing calculators is that they are shaped almost identical to today's smartphones. Some of them even act as smartphones and come with a large touchscreen display and a stylus for accessing the calculator's main functions. Obviously, expect a graphing calculator to have many buttons (even those which use touchscreen displays), because this facilitates the typing process.

If you choose a calculator that uses rechargeable lithium batteries (similar to the ones found in smartphones), these usually have a lifespan of one or two weeks. This is because graphing calculators don’t have Facebook preinstalled alongside a suite of popular games which might consume power. When it comes to size, some graphing calculators are a bit larger than regular smartphones, and that is because the manufacturers need to incorporate multiple buttons for making the typing process easier.

Another excellent advantage of high-quality graphing calculators is that they can communicate directly with the computer via an USB cable and/or accept memory cards, so you can transfer your work between the calculator and laptop in a matter of minutes!

We can hardly present all the software features and capabilities of a graphing calculator, but we will do our best to scratch the surface, just to give you an idea of what you can do with such a tool. Modern graphing calculators can handle rectangular functions, polar and parametric expressions, and thousands of complex equations, as well as find polynomial roots, allow algebraic data entry, run 3D functions and graphs, etc. Some of them have more than 2,000 built-in functions, so you will have tons of fun with such a gadget! Before wrapping it up, some calculators don’t only come with accessories, but are also backed by warranty periods of up to one year in most cases, so keep an eye on that!