UK supermarket chain Tesco enters the tablet fray with the Hudl, a Kindle Fire-esque 7-inch device featuring a quad-core 1.5GHz CPU and stock Android 4.2.2 inside a slightly chunky Tesco-branded frame.
Further specifications include a 234ppi 1440x900 display, 16GB internal storage (expandable via microSD) and a battery promising up to 9 hours of use.
In other words the Hudl is yet another low-cost (£119.99) tablet offering, if one Tesco posits as a portal to its various online services-- built-in is a dedicated launcher button for the summoning of blinkbox, Clubcard TV, banking and (obviously) online shopping apps.
Also available are a number of optional Hudl-branded accessories, including headphones and a rubber protective case.
But why would a supermarket make a tablet? Enders Analysis tells The Wall Street Journal "the broader point is how they build online customers relationships as more and more of the retail market goes to e-commerce. Anything they can do to create a stickier relationship creates value for them."
The Hudl will be available by end September 2013 from Tesco outlets in 4 diferent colours.
