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The Tesco Hudl 2 is now getting on in age, but with a new lower asking price of just £99 it's still a real bargain and if you have Clubcard vouchers the boost could make it irresistibly cheap. For Tesco shoppers and Blinkbox users the vouchers in the box with the Hudl 2 are another added incentive.
However, and this is something worth thinking about, the lack of update to Android Lollipop hints of a device that's not going to get lots of support in the near future.
We liked
The 8.3-inch HD display is excellent. The 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution is enough to ensure that reading is pleasurable and the Hudl 2 is a really nice size for kicking back with a movie or a blast of gaming.
It's great to see stereo speakers and they really enhance movie watching and gaming. If they were front-facing I'd be even happier, but they're still a definite plus point.
The introductory Tesco apps are good and I can see them being genuinely helpful for tablet newbies, but the parental controls are the star of the pre-installed show. They're simple, effective, and well-thought out.
The Hudl 2 is amazing value for money and Tesco's additional voucher incentives really make it a steal.
We disliked
The battery life is undoubtedly the Tesco Hudl 2's Achilles heel. Graphically intensive games and streaming HD movies drain that battery far too quickly. It's going to be a definite sore point for some people.
That slight laggy feel at times is a concern, but ditch the My Tesco launcher and you should find it's much less noticeable.
Hopefully the incident when it failed to turn on is a one-off freak occurrence. There's always an element of pot luck with electronics and bugs. It hasn't happened again, but I had to mention it, and it's the sort of thing that could really distress a tablet novice.
Storage is not adequate at just 9GB free out of the box, so you'll have to invest in a microSD card. You'll pay around £10-£15 for a 32GB card, but that will give you a decent storage limit of over 40GB.
Verdict
If you're shopping for a family tablet that you can share with the kids, this is it. If you want to gift a tablet to someone who has never tried one before, this is it. If you want a cheap tablet for casual use around the house, this is it. While the upgraded software, or lack thereof, is a worry, for many it won't be an issue - but remember this is only a 'throw around the house' tablet, not something that's your main device.
The Tesco Hudl 2 is not the best tablet on the market. It's not the fastest or the prettiest. It doesn't have cutting edge specs. What it does offer is a solid all-round experience at an unbeatable price.
Pound for pound you will not be able to find anything better, at least until Google refreshes the Nexus line. If you want the best value stock Android tablet on the market, this is it.
First reviewed: October 2014
