Texas Instruments TI-36X Pro
D0 No Radio — No radio at all. It cannot phone home.
The unplug test
It does arithmetic. There is no port, no radio, no cable, and no firmware to update. A solar cell assists the battery, so for most of its life it does not even need that replaced. This is a device whose behaviour on the day you buy it is the behaviour it will have forever.
Why this tier: Manufacturer specifications list no connectivity, ports, wireless or data transfer of any kind, and the calculator is approved for the SAT, ACT and AP exams — approvals that exclude any device with communication capability.
Specifications
| Account required | none |
|---|---|
| Works offline | fully |
| Forced firmware updates | no |
| Radios | none |
| FCC ID | not checked |
| Local control | none |
| Phones home | none |
| Parts available | limited |
| Availability | in stock |
| Price band | $20-35 (seen 2026-09-02) |
| Vendor risk | 0 / 3 |
Where to buy
Sources
Class A is primary (manual, FCC filing, teardown). Class B is corroborated community reporting. Class C is never sufficient alone.
- A https://education.ti.com/en/products/calculators/scientific-calculators/ti-36x-pro
Manufacturer specifications list no USB port, wireless capability or data transfer option. Battery powered with solar assistance. Stated as approved for SAT, ACT and AP exams — approvals that categorically exclude devices with communication capability. — accessed 2026-09-02 - A https://education.ti.com/html/eguides/scientifics/PDFs/EN/TI-36X-PRO-Guidebook_EN.pdf
Manufacturer guidebook documents operation entirely through the keypad, with no pairing, linking, or computer-connection procedure anywhere in the manual. — accessed 2026-09-02
History
- 2026-09-02 — First published at D0.
Last verified 2026-09-02 — 4 days ago.