(To get the most out of this article, please watch the video above and then read the text below. If you have any comments or questions, please click on the comments link at the end.)
Nokia SU-8W Bluetooth Keyboard
The SU-8W is Nokia's first (and so far only) Bluetooth keyboard, and works with all of their S60 smartphones and all of their internet tablets. It should also work with all non-Nokia devices that use the HID Bluetooth profile, which is the industry standard so there are many such devices out there.
Like all Bluetooth devices the SU-8W has a range of about 10 metres or 10 yards, so you could operate your phone or tablet from quite a long way away if you want to. The keyboard uses two normal AAA batteries, and these should give you about 50 hours of use (but this depends on how good the batteries are that you buy).
There's a built-in cradle which you can see demonstrated in the video above. The cradle is adjustable and allows devices to be propped up at five different viewing angles.
The keyboard itself is almost full-size, there's a top row of numbers missing which have to be accessed by pressing the green "Fn" key and then one of the top row of letters. The folded size of the keyboard is very practical, it's about the same size and weight as an internet tablet, and could easily fit into a bag or suit pocket.
The SU-8W pairs very easily with Nokia's smartphones, and once you've paired it the keyboard will connect automatically when you switch it on. Text entry is instant with no lag or delay at all, using it with the phones is exactly like using a normal keyboard with a computer. The SU-8W has special buttons customised for the S60 interface, which simulate the phone's soft keys and menu key, and the direction pad's selection key. You can control virtually all of a Nokia smartphone's functions wirelessly using the SU-8W.
However, using the SU-8W with the tablets is much less satisfactory. The pairing process can be extremely difficult, though like the phones you only have to pair once with future connections happening automatically. After they've been paired, the text input on the tablets can be quite laggy when you're typing at high speed. However, I suspect these are problems with the tablets themselves rather than the SU-8W, as many tablet users have reported similar difficulties with other brands of Bluetooth keyboard.
When the SU-8W appeared way back in 2005 it was a slightly ridiculous idea, as most smartphones back then had tiny screens that couldn't display much text. However, things have changed since then, and a Bluetooth keyboard is more relevant than ever. There are now a very large number of smartphones with a feature called "TV Out", which lets you attach them to a television set with a simple cable. If you use a Bluetooth keyboard with a TV Out-equipped smartphone, you can in effect turn any TV set into an internet-connected computer or games console that you can operate wirelessly from anywhere within 10 metres. You can read more about this in a series of articles I did for the All About Symbian website:
All About Symbian: TV Out on the Nokia N95
Overall, the SU-8W is an excellent accessory if you intend to use a Nokia smartphone's TV Out function. It has some problems with the Nokia internet tablets, but once you've got past the pairing process it's very useful with them too, especially as they have such large screens suited to displaying text.
The Nokia Duck Says: Quack Quack Quack Quack
Photos (click to enlarge):
Technical Details:
Year of Launch: 2005
Weight: 200g
Bluetooth Profiles: HID
Power Source: Two ordinary AAA batteries.
Battery Life: Up to 50 hours of use, depending on quality of the AAA batteries.
Notable Features: Nearly full-size keyboard, but folds into a small size which is 2cm at its thickest point.
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