According to latest stats, nearly 13 million tablets were sold this holiday season and this could probably due to recent rise of affordable Android model with decent performance level. Other than the usual Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy Ativ Tab/Note lineups; low-cost models are flying off the shelves in popular supermarkets, including Aldi, Asda and Tesco.
Devices like Asda’s Medion Lifetab and Tesco Hudl has sent bargain hunters in the UK into frenzy. And when we read their price tags, it is easy to know why. These supermarket-issued devices won’t break the back and quite capable for daily tasks.
Lifetab and Hudl are surprisingly well built. The former offers a rubberised case while the latter is wrapped in a classy brushed aluminium chassis. With its 1.5GHz ARM Cortex A9 quad-core processor; the Tesco Hudl offers a fairly slick experience and can actually support some of the more complex apps and games. The Lifetab comes with a slower 1.4GHz dual-core chip; so it is intended for more casual uses.
One real strength of these budget, 7-inch tablets are their reasonable price tags. The Tesco Hudl is available for £119 or only £70 with Clubcard points. The Medion Lifetab E7310 could be found on Asda’s shelves priced at only £97. As comparison, the cheapest Apple iPad Mini is available for £249.