Tesco hints Hudl tablet is first of many

Supermarket giant unveils first tablet which will sell for £119 when it goes on sale next week

Tesco has unveiled its first-ever tablet offering today, and has hinted that the new device will be the first of many.

As it was widely expected to, Tesco announced its inaugural tablet Hudl, which is set to retail for £119 when it hits the shelves next week on 30 September. Tesco Clubcard holders will be able to take advantage of a special offer which will see the tablet sold for less than £100.

The 7in device includes a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and dual-band WiFi. It comes with 16GB of storage built in, but has capacity to extend that to 48GB through an external memory card. The tablet comes in four colours – red, purple, blue and black – and runs on Android's Jellybean operating system which means users will have access to more than one million applications.

Ofcom claims three quarters of UK households do not have a tablet, and Tesco said its own research showed that many people find the tech too expensive.

The supermarket giant's chief executive Philip Clarke said Hudl was designed to bring the digital revolution to the masses.

"Being online is an increasingly essential part of family life and whilst tablets are on the rise, usage is still quite limited," he said. "We feel the time is right for Tesco to help widen tablet ownership and bring the fun, convenience and excitement of tablets to even more customers across the UK. The digital revolution should be for the many, not for the few."

Clarke hinted that Hudl could be the first of many devices launched by the retailer, describing the launch as the "first stage of our tablet offering".

Tesco claims it is pitching the tablet at the family market and has ensured appropriate child-friendly settings have been put in place.