The massive UK supermarket chain has released its second generation hudl tablet.
The hudl2 is larger than its predecessor and is also a faster device with a better design that is equipped with enhanced parental controls, and Tesco hopes that its latest Android tablet will have more success than the first Hudl, which was released in September of last year at a selling price of £119 (about US$190) and sold 750,000 units in one year.
The initial hudl device was well liked for being a low cost tablet that got the basics right.
The group digital officer at Tesco, Michael Comish, commented that “Cutting-edge technology doesn’t have to come with a big price tag.” Comish added that “hudl2 may be affordable, but we’ve cut no corners when it comes to performance – this is our best tablet offering yet.”
The hudl2 is slim, 8.3 inches, and is powered by a 1.83 quad core Intel GHz processor. This makes it three times faster than the previous version. It also comes with Android KitKat 4.4.2, a 1.2 megapixel (MP) front facing camera and a 5MP rear facing camera, dual band wi-fi, 16 gigabytes (GB) storage with opportunity to expand to 48 GB, and 8 hour battery life.
The tablet has been optimized for entertainment and is equipped with a parental filter that includes “The Parent Zone”, which can be customized for as many as seven users. Parents are given the power to customize each profile to match their child’s age to help filter out content that may be inappropriate. Parents can also set a time limit for children playing with the mobile device.
The new Android tablet has been improved in every way possible.
According to Comish, Tesco has “improved on the tablet in every conceivable way.” He added that “We delivered a product people wanted, at a price they could afford.”
The retail price for the new hudl2 Android tablet from Tesco will be £129 (roughly US$205). However, it will also be available on Clubcard Boost, part of Tesco’s loyalty program, which means that the device could cost as low as £65 (just over US$103). The tablet will be available in eight different colors and will go on sale starting October 9.
Tablet commerce finding traction during the holidays
Mobile shopping is nothing new, dating back to 1997 with Wireless Application Protocol sites, those that facilitate access to information over a mobile wireless network. Throughout the years, mobile shopping has evolved to become something that is wildly popular among tech-savvy consumers. This is becoming especially true for tablet users, who are beginning to represent a sizeable share of the mobile consumer base. Deloitte, a UK-based consulting firm, as well as several other market research firms, expects that tablet commerce will see a great deal of attention during this year’s holiday season.
Consumers becoming more interested in tablet commerce
Tablet commerce is a form of mobile commerce that refers specifically to the use of tablet devices, such as the iPad. Tablets are becoming more popular among consumers because of their wider range of capabilities, which trump most conventional smart phones. This is especially true in the publishing space, where magazines, newspapers, and other publications are seeing a great deal of growth through the offering of digital editions designed specifically for tablets.
Forecasts predict tablets to account for major financial activity during Christmas season
Deloitte predicts that more than $400 million in sales will be made in the United Kingdom directly through smart phones during the Christmas season. Tablet commerce is expected to perform much better, with Deloitte forecasting more than $550 million in sales coming directly from tablets. Adobe’s Digital Index 2012 Online Shopping Forecast predicts that tablets will account for nearly 8% of all sales made in the United Kingdom during the Christmas season this year, up from the 3% share they held in the same period of 2011.
UK retailers beginning to take mobile commerce more seriously
British retailers are showing more serious interest in mobile shopping for tablets as well. Retailers are beginning to develop services that are specifically designed for tablet devices, rather than smart phones. Applications for tablets are becoming much more common and could help influence more shopping activity among mobile consumers that are interested in using their mobile devices to find and pay for products than participate in traditional forms of commerce and shopping.
