According to SamMobile, a leaked build of Samsung’s upcoming One UI 8.5 software shows the Samsung Notes Math Solver feature working on a standard Galaxy S23. The feature, which automatically solves equations written or photographed in notes, was first introduced for tablets earlier this year and later quietly added to Galaxy Z Fold phones and phones with an S Pen. By installing the Samsung Notes APK (version 4.4.37.13) from the leaked firmware onto a Galaxy S23, the outlet confirmed the Math Solver option appeared and functioned, which it does not do on the current public version (4.4.30.91) available on the Galaxy Store and Play Store. This discovery strongly suggests that with the One UI 8.5 update expected sometime next year, the Math Solver tool will become available on almost all recent Galaxy phones, significantly expanding its reach beyond just the premium, niche devices it’s on now.
Samsung plays catch-up
Here’s the thing: this is a classic, and smart, Samsung move. They often use their premium devices as a testing ground for new software features before democratizing them down the lineup a year or so later. Math Solver is a genuinely useful tool, but it’s not exactly new tech. Apps like Photomath and Microsoft Lens have been doing this for ages. So why does this matter? It’s about ecosystem lock-in. By baking this functionality directly into Samsung Notes—an app that’s pre-installed and deeply integrated into every Galaxy phone—Samsung makes its own platform just a little stickier. Why download a third-party app when the built-in one does the job?
The real competitive edge
But let’s be real. The actual competitive battleground here isn’t against other math apps. It’s against Google and Apple. Samsung is constantly looking for ways to add value on top of Android, to justify the “Galaxy” experience over a stock Pixel. Features like this, especially when tied to the S Pen’s functionality, are a key part of that strategy. It makes the Galaxy Note legacy (now folded into the S Ultra series) and the Z Fold seem more like specialized tools rather than just expensive phones. And by bringing it to more devices, they’re trying to make that “tool” feeling accessible to a much larger audience. Will it convince someone to choose a Galaxy A55 over a similarly priced phone from another brand? Maybe not on its own. But it’s another brick in the wall of features that, collectively, make Samsung’s argument.
What it means for you
Basically, if you’re a Galaxy phone user waiting for this feature, patience is likely to pay off in 2025. The rollout will probably follow Samsung’s typical major-update pattern, hitting the latest S-series and Foldables first, then trickling down to older and mid-range models. It’s a nice quality-of-life update, especially for students or anyone who occasionally needs to check their work. It also signals that Samsung sees Notes as a continued priority app, which is good news for anyone invested in that workflow. Now, if they could just make it easier to sync those notes outside of their own ecosystem… but that’s a conversation for another day.
