LG announces Rolly Keyboard, updated G Pad Android tablet ahead of IFA 2015 expo

• Wireless keyboard folds up along 4 rows to create a ‘stick’ for portability
• G Pad II 10.1 tablet features slim screen bezels, Snapdragon 800 processor 

THE IFA 2015 consumer electronics expo in Berlin, Germany won’t kick off till next week (4-9 Sept 2015) but new product announcements have already begun trickling out.

Today LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, a division of LG Electronics, unveiled the Rolly Keyboard (pic below), a portable keyboard that folds up along the 4 rows to create a ‘stick’ that should easily fit into a pocket, purse or briefcase.

In a statement, the South Korean mobile handset giant said this is the industry’s first solid roll-able wireless portable keyboard, and it will show this off for the first time at its booth at IFA 2015 in Berlin, Germany.

In an effort to expand its presence in the market for mobile device accessories, which the company said is experiencing fast growth, Seo Young-jae, the company’s vice president in charge of Innovative Personal Devices at LG Electronics Mobile Communications said, “LG Rolly Keyboard is one of the many premium input devices we’ll be unveiling in the coming months as we expand our accessories offerings.”

“The goal was to create a product that could add more value to LG smartphones and tablets at the same time offering a unique design proposition that hadn’t been explored before,” he added.

LG’s new portable keyboard certainly transforms quite differently from the typical hard-key keyboard such as Microsoft’s version, which folds in the middle to form a flat square form factor. 

Other foldable keyboards are low-priced soft-key flexible versions made from silicone material that can roll up like a tortilla wrap.

The Rolly Keyboard is made of what LG described as ‘impact-resistant and durable’ polycarbonate and ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic. 

It comes with a 17mm key pitch, which is very close to the 18mm key pitch found on most desktop keyboards.  As such, LG claims typing on the keyboard will offer a satisfying tactile feedback not found on silicone keyboards.

To prop up a tablet or smartphone, the keyboard comes with two arms that fold out to support these devices in an upright position.  It supports devices with 10-inch screens and below, which happily for many d include the iPad and of course, LG’s own G Pad tablets.

Unfolding the keyboard would automatically enable the pairing function to connect to two different devices at the same time using Bluetooth 3.0 wireless technology.  Users would need to press a key to toggle between both the paired devices.

Rather than using a rechargeable battery, LG opted for a single AAA battery to power the device for up to 3 months of ‘average’ use.

In an e-mail response to Digital News Asia, senior analyst with research firm Forrestor wrote, "The Rolly holds a lot of promise in the accessories world, and ticks the box for portability, design, and usability. The challenge is whether they can find a price point that satisfies most users."