Nokia's SU-8W Bluetooth Keyboard :: Arhiva: Mobilna telefonija ~ Operateri ~ Servisiranje ~ Smartphone

Review of Nokia's SU-8W Bluetooth Keyboard

Nokia's compact SU-8W Bluetooth keyboard is the smallest device in our three keyboard shootout, measuring up at 132mm x 87mm x 20mm (5.2" x 3.43" x .79") when closed, and expanding to a full 261mm (10.28") when opened up. The SU-8W weighs 199g (7oz) with batteries and has by far the simplest design in our test, with virtually no moving parts except for the hinge in the center of the device. The only exception to that, and one that is to be expected, is the very adjustable pull-out phone stand that is located off-centered on the left hand of the device - it can be configured to securely hold your device at a wide range of angles without slipping. I should mention that the SU-8W does not lock into the open position, meaning that it will not work while sitting on anything but a desk where the keyboard's hinge is fully supported.

The SU-8W's keys are 15mm (.59") square in shape, which makes them noticably smaller than those found on ThinkOutside's Stowaway or a typical desktop keyboard. This means that you will need to adjust a bit in order to be able to type without looking at the your hands. While going through that adjustment period you might also be distracted by the number markings on the top of the 4 rows of keys that signify the dual-purposed nature of those keys: since there are no dedicated number keys, the numbers are accessed by using the small green Fn key on the bottom left hand corner of the keyboard. I personally found the green number markings to be distracting, and preferred the more subdued color scheme used by the other two units in our test. In any case, once you have adapted to the slightly cramped quarters and can take your eyes away from your fingers, this shouldn't be an issue.

Like the Freedom Keyboard from Freedom Input, the SU-8W has an actual power switch that is used to turn on the keyboard, which is powered by a pair of AAA batteries that Nokia claims should be good for 50 hours of use. The device will also be turned off when it is closed, begging the question as to why it doesn't turn on when opened. In any event, 3 LEDs on the right hand side of the keyboard will relay status information on power, Bluetooth connections, and Fn key use.

When used with Nokia's latest driver and a 6682 Series 60 Second Edition device, the SU-8W will reconnect automatically after it goes into idle mode simply by presing the keyboard's power button. It should be noted that the SU-8W is only compatible with devices that natively support the Bluetooth HID (Human Interface Device) profile, Nokia Series 90 devices (7710), and the newer Nokia Series 60 Second or Third Edition devices. This means that while it will likely work with your PC's Bluetooth system, older Series 60 devices like the NGage QD and the Nokia 6600 are not compatible. Users of those phones will need to look to one of the other two keyboards in our review.

While the SU-8W lacks some of the user programability of keys that the other two devices offer, it does have the best direct support for Series 60 devices when it comes to emulating the handset's buttons. For instance, next to the arrow keys you will find dedicated left and right softkeys on either side of the select button - no Fn keys or anything required. On the right hand side of the keyboard you will also find the Series 60 menu key and a button dedicated to launching the messaging application. When in the messaging app's editor, the small Alt Gr button on the Su-8W will bring up the symbols list, which is probably easier to use than pressing both the Fn and shift keys at the same time while pressing one of the top row number keys. Pressing Control-Alt-Delete, while not rebooting the phone, does bring up the same "switch off" and profile menu that you would get by briefly pressing the power button on the phone.

All of this made the SU-8W a perfect match for our Nokia 6682 handset, even down to the light gray color. By far, the SU-8W was the most convenient keyboard of the three to use while navigating around the 6682. The off-centered phone stand and slightly small keys do require a bit of a learning curve before they can be used normally, though, and the fact that the keyboard won't work with many of Nokia's older S60 devices is also an issue.

So if you are using a compatible Series 60 Second or Third Edition device, I give the SU-8W a "Highly Recommended" rating. If, however, you are using an otherwise Bluetooth HID compatible device, the SU-8W warrants only a "Recommended" rating, and I would suggest instead that you consider the ThinkOutside Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard.