Last year Tesco introduced its budget Hudl tablet and that was recently succeeded by the Hudl 2. The tablet offers decent specs for a competitive price, and one of its main competitors will be the much pricier Apple iPad mini 3. We’re comparing the key specs of the Tesco Hudl 2 vs. iPad mini 3 so that you can see if it’s really worth paying more money for the Apple tablet or not.
Usually the last section in our spec breakdowns regards the price, but this time around we want to start with that as it will play a major part in your decision between the two. The 16GB WiFi Hudl 2 is priced at £129 but if you use Tesco Clubcard points you can get it even cheaper. The cheapest WiFi 16GB iPad mini 3 is priced at £319, increasing in price according to storage model.
That’s a huge leap in price as it’s more than twice as expensive as the Hudl tablet, so you may imagine that these devices would not be considered by the same sector of the market. However, as Apple has such a brand presence and following, the temptation towards an iPad can be strong for some buyers. Let’s crack on with the specs.
Processor
The Hudl 2 has a 1.8GHz Intel Atom quad-core processor and the iPad mini 3 has the Apple A7 dual-core 64-bit processor with M7 co-processor.
Display
The Tesco tablet has an 8.3-inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 1920 x 1200 and 256 ppi. The iPad mini 3 has a 7.9-inch IPS LCD display with 2048 x 1536 resolution and 324 ppi.
RAM and Storage
The Hudl 2 has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage that’s expandable via microSD to 48GB. The Apple tablet has 1GB of RAM and comes in storage options of 16, 64 or 128GB (non-expandable).
Cameras
Both phones have 5-megapixel rear cameras and 1.2-megapixel front-facing units. However, the Hudl 2 has video capture of 720p while the iPad mini 3 has video capture of 1080p.
Battery Life
The Hudl 2 should last for around 8 hours on a single charge whereas you should get around 10 hours for the iPad mini 3.
Connectivity
Both tablets support WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS and the Hudl 2 also has a miniHDMI port. However, there’s no 3G/4G version of the Hudl 2 whereas the iPad mini 3 also comes in cellular options (more expensive).
Dimensions and Weight
The Hudl 2 measures 224mm x 128mm x 9mm thick and weighs 410g. The iPad mini 3 is 200mm x 134.7mm x 7.5mm thick and weighs 331g for the WiFi version.
Operating System
The Tesco Hudl 2 runs the Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system. That’s not the latest version of Android which is 5.0 Lollipop, but nevertheless a pretty recent version. The iPad mini 3 launched on Apple’s iOS 8 and is now on iOS 8.1.1. As it gets direct updates from Apple it will have access to the latest versions.
What we need to remember when looking at specs is that it’s not all about the numbers. For example the cameras look to be virtually equal, but the camera performance of the iPad mini 3 is definitely better than that of the Hudl 2. The iPad mini 3 also benefits from a better display and overall performance, the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and an aluminium build that has a premium feel.
However at more than double the cost of the Hudl 2 it’s fair to say that for many buyers the Tesco tablet offers much better value for money. It offers a good enough set of specs for its low price, so much lower in fact that many buyers could put the saving to good use. In the end it’s really a case of whether you want the best value tablet or the better tablet.
Will you opt for the superior iPad mini 3 at a much higher price, or go with the Tesco Hudl 2 that has enough to offer as well as price appeal? Send your comments to let us know.