The Tesco Hudl 2 builds on where the original Hudl Android tablet left off. It looks better, offers a larger display, improved ergonomics and comes in a range of funky colours. So it's more a simple redesign, then, but is it worth buying compared with the now ridiculously cheap Hudl and the rest of the competition?
Design
The Hudl is a much nicer device to hold. At 9.3mm thick, it is still less svelte than a Sony or Samsung offering, but the rubbery back and rounded edges make it feel grippy and solid. The speaker holes are a bit ugly, but otherwise the simple design is effective and a far cry from your usual ultra-budget offering.
It weighs 410g so there's an element of chunky monkey about it, but the size means you can use it in bed without needing some sort of elaborate winch system. The aforementioned bullet holes allow two stereo speakers to do their thing and do it fairly well. Adequate enough, certainly, for the odd stint of audio or video playback.
At the heart of the device is an 8.3-inch full HD IPS LCD display (1,920x1,200-pixel, 273 pixels per inch), which at this price is good going. It looks the part, with enough detail, colour accuracy and brightness to keep our eyes happy. It's significantly better than the 7-inch Hudl's offering and able to take on much pricier alternatives.
We rather like the eight colours available, particularly the moody purple our review device came in. At the very least it adds a touch of vibrancy to the usual silver, grey or champagne coloured devices, but you can still opt for black or white if you prefer.
One review sample we had access to had a micro USB port that came out of its socket, rendering it useless. Our tablet suffered no such issue, suggesting the quality issue was an oddity. Only long-term testing will let us know whether any corners were cut when it comes to quality.
Operating system
The Tesco Hudl 2 is recognisable as Android 4.4.2 KitKat so it will feel familiar to anyone coming from another tablet. To newcomers, it's easy to use as most of the good stuff is located on the home screen and there are three on-screen buttons for working your way around the user-interface.
Tesco's Blinkbox movie, books and music service and Tesco Direct are present and correct as well as Google +, My Tesco, an app for controlling the time and usage for children and useful stuff like Google Drive for work tasks. Access to the Google Play store means you can download games and apps until you die, basically.
We appreciate the minimal, clean operating system, if only because it makes life simple for the average user. But, if you feel like going crazy in the customisation department, you still can.
Performance
Tesco has given the Hudl 2 a quad core 1.83GHz processor, which that and 2GB of RAM makes it fast enough for most people. Technically it spends its time at 1.33GHz but can 'burst' up to 1.83GHz when needed. At this price, we can forgive the odd stutter but everything seems to zip along merrily. Multi-tasking can cause slowdown, but not an unbearable amount.
16GB of internal storage means a fair amount of space for your digital collection of apps, games and movies, but you will probably find yourself making use of the 32GB microSD card slot over time.
We found it hard to fault the Hudl 2 during testing. At £129, it is well above the pace of what we would expect. Benchmark monkeys will be disappointed, but everyone else will be thankful for Tesco investing a little into the internals.
Camera
Two cameras come on the Hudl 2. At the back is a 5-megapixel snapper, which offers okay picture quality. The odd photo will come out fine, just don't expect miracles. The lack of an on-screen button to get to your gallery is a bit odd, until you realise a swipe from the left edge of the display has the desired effect.
The time between photos is a bit slow, too, so you are better off buying the Hudl 2 for anything but its photography abilities. Still, at least you have the option and the front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera gives you the option of video calls.
Battery life
We saw about six hours of use during testing, which is enough if your Hudl 2 spends all day around the house or near a plug. But for those who need it all day on the go, it will fall short.
Verdict
Tesco has really put effort into improving the Hudl and the resulting Hudl 2 is a great budget device with a solid operating system, stylish looks, way above average display and a strong price tag. For £129, there's really little else that competes.
You could spend more to get something pricier, but Tesco has designed the Hudl 2 as a cheap tablet you have around the house that friends and family, whether young or old, can make use of ─ something it accomplishes with ease. If you happen to be a Tesco shopper or use one of its services, it's even better.
© Tesco
Design
The Hudl is a much nicer device to hold. At 9.3mm thick, it is still less svelte than a Sony or Samsung offering, but the rubbery back and rounded edges make it feel grippy and solid. The speaker holes are a bit ugly, but otherwise the simple design is effective and a far cry from your usual ultra-budget offering.
It weighs 410g so there's an element of chunky monkey about it, but the size means you can use it in bed without needing some sort of elaborate winch system. The aforementioned bullet holes allow two stereo speakers to do their thing and do it fairly well. Adequate enough, certainly, for the odd stint of audio or video playback.
At the heart of the device is an 8.3-inch full HD IPS LCD display (1,920x1,200-pixel, 273 pixels per inch), which at this price is good going. It looks the part, with enough detail, colour accuracy and brightness to keep our eyes happy. It's significantly better than the 7-inch Hudl's offering and able to take on much pricier alternatives.
We rather like the eight colours available, particularly the moody purple our review device came in. At the very least it adds a touch of vibrancy to the usual silver, grey or champagne coloured devices, but you can still opt for black or white if you prefer.
One review sample we had access to had a micro USB port that came out of its socket, rendering it useless. Our tablet suffered no such issue, suggesting the quality issue was an oddity. Only long-term testing will let us know whether any corners were cut when it comes to quality.
© Tesco
Operating system
The Tesco Hudl 2 is recognisable as Android 4.4.2 KitKat so it will feel familiar to anyone coming from another tablet. To newcomers, it's easy to use as most of the good stuff is located on the home screen and there are three on-screen buttons for working your way around the user-interface.
Tesco's Blinkbox movie, books and music service and Tesco Direct are present and correct as well as Google +, My Tesco, an app for controlling the time and usage for children and useful stuff like Google Drive for work tasks. Access to the Google Play store means you can download games and apps until you die, basically.
We appreciate the minimal, clean operating system, if only because it makes life simple for the average user. But, if you feel like going crazy in the customisation department, you still can.
Performance
Tesco has given the Hudl 2 a quad core 1.83GHz processor, which that and 2GB of RAM makes it fast enough for most people. Technically it spends its time at 1.33GHz but can 'burst' up to 1.83GHz when needed. At this price, we can forgive the odd stutter but everything seems to zip along merrily. Multi-tasking can cause slowdown, but not an unbearable amount.
16GB of internal storage means a fair amount of space for your digital collection of apps, games and movies, but you will probably find yourself making use of the 32GB microSD card slot over time.
© Facebook / Tesco
We found it hard to fault the Hudl 2 during testing. At £129, it is well above the pace of what we would expect. Benchmark monkeys will be disappointed, but everyone else will be thankful for Tesco investing a little into the internals.
Camera
Two cameras come on the Hudl 2. At the back is a 5-megapixel snapper, which offers okay picture quality. The odd photo will come out fine, just don't expect miracles. The lack of an on-screen button to get to your gallery is a bit odd, until you realise a swipe from the left edge of the display has the desired effect.
The time between photos is a bit slow, too, so you are better off buying the Hudl 2 for anything but its photography abilities. Still, at least you have the option and the front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera gives you the option of video calls.
Battery life
We saw about six hours of use during testing, which is enough if your Hudl 2 spends all day around the house or near a plug. But for those who need it all day on the go, it will fall short.
© Tesco
Verdict
Tesco has really put effort into improving the Hudl and the resulting Hudl 2 is a great budget device with a solid operating system, stylish looks, way above average display and a strong price tag. For £129, there's really little else that competes.
You could spend more to get something pricier, but Tesco has designed the Hudl 2 as a cheap tablet you have around the house that friends and family, whether young or old, can make use of ─ something it accomplishes with ease. If you happen to be a Tesco shopper or use one of its services, it's even better.