Tesco’s Hudl could end up relegated to the playroom
Priced at just £119 (and available for less if you participate in a loyalty scheme) Tesco's Hudl is certainly one of the cheaper tablets on the market. Despite offering an impressive spec for that price tag, analysts fear that it could end up as a device for children.
Tesco's plans for Hudl revolve around it driving custom to their other services – Blinkbox content offerings and traditional grocery retail.
But Benedict Evans of Enders Analysis warns that it could end up in the playroom, or "just being used to watch iPlayer or YouTube". Neither of those options will help Tesco's strategic objectives.
Evans questions the value of a budget tablet that does a lot less than an iPad, and which customers wouldn't shell out a little more to get an iPad mini.
In order to succeed, Evans says that Tesco has to launch a tablet that gets "Tesco's services into people homes".
Thankfully, Tesco CEO Philip Clarke seems to recognise the importance of the device. He says that Hudl is now "a key part of Tesco's future," with customers consuming differently, "all driven by tech".