Tesco Hudl 2

The Hudl 2 was announced at a launch event on 3 October 2014 with the tagline "We want to show you the bigger picture", accompanied by the hashtag "#Letshudl".[2]

There was a wide range of accessories available for the Hudl 2.[4] Tesco offers:

• stylised cases
• a variety of styli
• a pair of children’s headphones
• earbud headphones
• screen protectors
• car charging kits

The tablet runs on Google’s Android operating system, giving it some advanced features such as voice search. It has access to Google’s collection of apps including Chrome and Google Maps. It also has some of the same software as the first hudl such as BlinkBox, allowing the user to purchase or rent films. The Hudl 2 comes with new e-reader software for viewing e-books. As it is Tesco’s product, there is an emphasis on encouraging the users to continue or start shopping in Tesco by having services such as Tesco Direct and Tesco Bank in folders available from the homescreen. The 'My Tesco' launcher is present as it was for the first hudl, allowing the users to access shopping interests such as their Clubcard account or to find their nearest Tesco store.

With its low price of £129, most expected the hudl2 to be similar to its predecessor, an accessory to laptops. Instead reviewers were impressed by the specifications of the tablet for its price point. Chris Finnamore of ExpertReviews rated it 5/5, calling it a "vast improvement"[6] over the Hudl 1. CNET wrote "it has more than enough to satisfy most families and its wealth of parental control information will help you arm your kids with the knowledge they need to stay safe online".[7] The parental control options were lauded by other reviewers as well; AndroidCentral describes how "owners are asked if they wish to configure the hudl2 to block sensitive content, restrict the amount of time a child can use the product, and more".[8] A shared point of praise among reviews was that of the hudl2’s strong push towards family and less savvy customer usage. The Independent were particularly impressed with the Get Started app. They said "Get Started offers comprehensive and clear tips on how to use the tablet for everything from shopping to gaming, as well as showing some basic security measures and ways to share the Hudl safely amongst family members".[9]

Despite the many successes of the hudl2, reviewers were displeased with some of the more fundamental specifications. The five megapixel camera was described as "shoddy" by The Independent, and many reviewers were unimpressed with the battery life. As with many tablets, the hudl2 comes with several preinstalled apps of varying usefulness which cannot be removed but can be disabled. The "My Tesco" launcher is preinstalled as the default launcher, though has been described as "sluggish" by TechRadar.[10]

On 23 October 2015, Tesco announced that it would no longer be stocking the Hudl 2 although it would continue offering technical support to existing owners. While it did not explain the reason behind the decision, the company had been pursuing a strategy to focus on its core bricks-and-mortar grocery business which had already seen it sell off or close its video streaming and e-book operations.[1] The announcement came one week after Tesco had announced that it had no plans for a Hudl 3 and "nothing planned at the moment" in the sector.[11] According to Marketing Magazine, a number of key people who had worked on the Hudl project, including its lead Android engineer and product managers, were no longer with Tesco.[11][12]

• Official website