First looks: The LG Rolly is a Bluetooth keyboard that rolls up
First looks: The LG Rolly is a Bluetooth keyboard that rolls up
Let’s be clear: Portable Bluetooth keyboards are never fun, but they can (sometimes) be easier than mashing digital keys around. Unless you’re willing to pack a full-size desktop Bluetooth keyboard, taking a compact keyboard with you is always an exercise in balancing size and comfort.
LG’s new Rolly keyboard is a full-on exercise in minimizing carrying size. The keyboard cleverly rolls up into a rectangular wand, thus the name ‘Rolly.’ The built-in magnets keep it tightly wrapped up, and its compact size makes the Rolly easy to carry.
Once unfurled, the Rolly automatically turns itself on, and powers down if it doesn’t detect any paired device after a while. There’s no power button, but once you wrap it up, the Rolly switches off automatically. Making it discoverable is as simple as pressing ‘Fn’ and ‘B,’ which has the word ‘Pair’ on it, and then pairing it on your device.
The Rolly works with mobile devices, and it also works as a Bluetooth keyboard for desktops. Using the Rolly involves retraining some muscle memory; several keys share multiple functions and require some finger-fu. For example, the QWERTYUIOP keys all double as number keys with the press of the ‘Fn’ (Function) key, and also as symbol keys, with the press of the ‘Fn’ and ‘Shift’ keys together.
A couple of arms pop out from the back. They’re just far apart enough that they can’t hold my iPhone 6 in portrait orientation. But they can hold it in landscape orientation, and the gaps are big enough that I can squeeze my iPhone in with its case still on. I don’t know that you’ll want to use the Rolly with your smartphone though, because you’ll really be hunching your shoulders down to look at a tiny screen at a low angle. The Rolly works better with a tablet, in this case my iPad mini, either in portrait or landscape mode.
The Rolly is powered by a single AAA battery, LG says one battery should last for about three months of use.
You’ll be able to check the Rolly out for yourself before too long, as LG says the Rolly will be coming here “soon,” as in maybe SITEX soon. SITEX is happening this week, by the way, and you can already check out some deals previews here.