Tesco expected to launch bargain-basement tablet next week

Supermarket giant believed to be launching model next week in time for Christmas rush

Supermarket heavyweight Tesco is expected to unveil its first foray into the IT hardware space next week in the form of a tablet PC.

The device, which is rumoured to be called Hudl, is expected to be priced around £100 and, as such, will compete with cheaper models such as Amazon's Kindle Fire offering.

Tesco sent out media invitations for an event on 23 September which read "we've got something to show you", using the Twitter hashtag #LetsHudl.

PC Pro claims to have received leaked details of the tablet. The 7in Hudl is expected to run on Andoid OS, be powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and come with 16GB of built-in storage, according to the documents. A microSD port is also rumoured to be included for users to be able to boost the tablet's storage capacity.

The tablet market has boomed in recent quarters, with recent IDC figures claiming that the devices will outsell PCs in the final quarter of this year.

The supermarket chain has branched out into a variety of sectors other than its traditional grocery range over the years, including its own mobile network, clothing range, insurance products and banking services.