One of my oldest pieces of hardware is a trusty Nokia SU-8W Bluetooth Keyboard. I have tried to revive it on an Android 1.6 & 2.0 device with not much luck. However I got it working successfully on a Gingerbread (2.3.4) Google Nexus S.

Pre-requisites

Steps

  1. Install the BlueKeyboard JP from the Android Market
  2. Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > Bluetooth Settings
  3. Scan for devices and click to pair the Nokia SU-8W
  4. Enter a passcode (I used the highly inventive 0000 combinaton) on the phone and click ‘OK’
  5. Enter the same on the SU-8W (need to use green ‘fn’ keys for numbers) and hit enter
  6. The phone should show the Nokia SU-8W as paired but not connected
  7. Go to Settings > Language & keyboard > BlueKeyboard JP Settings
  8. Select the Nokia SU-8W as the keyboard and make any other changes you might need
  9. Click the ‘Back’ symbol and tick the option box to enable the ‘BlueKeyboard JP’ keyboard
  10. In any data entry field (i.e. GMail) hold the finger on the input box and click ‘Input method’ and select BlueKeyboard JP
  11. Wait for the keyboard to connect.

 

Enjoy !

 

Leo Gaggl

ict business owner specialising in mobile learning systems. interests: sustainability, internet of things, ict for development, open innovation, agriculture

This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Zaf

    it did connected indeed, but not working seamlessly – the keyboard layout for the English Qwerty is not working and other layouts don’t match either – pressing the Fn or Alt or Alt+Grp and special chars, don’t display the proper char, but a different one – so it became quickly useless for at least my Xperia Ray with Android 2.3.4
    I bought the keyboard for my good old Nokia E71 and was pairing/working seamless – maybe I will sell the keyboard on EBay ;)

  2. leogaggl

    @Zaf: it’s not 100% but works fairly reasonably on a Nexus S. there are some combinations that are not there but it’s workable for me. But you are certainly right – it’s not like it used to be with a Nokia. Bluetooth support was very nice on good old Symbian. If only they did not totally loose the plot …… [I still miss Nokia’s hardware and cameras]

  3. Rishi

    Hello,
    I have an E71. I want to use it as a bluetooth keyboard to type into my android phone (H7000). Any idea how i can do that? Surely i need some symbian app that would ‘transmit’ the bluetooth keyboard profile.

  4. leogaggl

    I am not aware of any app that emulates a bluetooth keyboard from phone to phone. Specially not cross-platform from Symbian to Android. I doubt that there would be much of a need for it. You’d be better off getting a cheap BT keyboard.

  5. Niels

    Hey,

    Thanks for this!
    My Galaxy S Advance I9070, Android 2.3.6, is now connected to Nokia SU-8W.

    Thanks!

  6. michael

    It work fine with android 4.1.2 jelly bean…..you should try it….

  7. Jan Čapek

    I also still have this old piece of hw. It is working even with sony z1c on android 5. But now i am trying to connect it with samsung galaxy S7 with android 7 and no luck. Phone is unable to see keyboard in bluetooth settings. :( That is really strange and kind of sad….

  8. Jan Čapek

    I am taking it back. I just wasn’t able to put keyboard to proper pairing setup, maybe the power button is starting to be bit tired after those years.. So this post is written on SU-8W and Samsung S7. :) Ugh, I forgot that even that the keyboard is really good it require some practise to write on it quickly… But I am faster even while I write this… ;)

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