At this point you have probably read my main Tesco HUDL review. Now it’s time to cover some of the criticism you will see from other reviewers who have not really purchased the device for themselves. They’re corporate, get the HUDL for free and never use it day-to-day, because of this they find little problems that don’t really matter. Below I will cover these little HUDL problems to tell you which you really should be worried about.
Is the HUDL too heavy? Some reviewers say the Hudl is too heavy for an Android tablet device. I agree you cannot hold a HUDL for 2 straight hours to watch a movie. But through this weight it also feels weighty and robust. I think the Hudl is around 100 grams too heavy but it depends on your expected use. Good for building upper body strength in a weak child.
If you want the Hudl to place on a table or countertop then the weight is not an issue. So think carefully about your expected use cases and purchase from that point.
Is the HUDL screen bad quality? The Hudl has a 1400 x 900 screen at 243ppi. Because of soft buttons for back, home and recent it is effectively a 720p screen. I watched a movie at 720p on the Hudl and it looked good. The screen attracts a lot of fingerprints, just like any modern tablet but is clear and nice. The huddle has an IPS display.
The 243 Hudl PPI might seem like a low screen resolution compared to a retina display. My Samsung Galaxy S4 has 441PPI and honestly, I hate it. Such a high PPI just makes the text tiny so every time I load a webpage on the Samsung S4 I spend 2 seconds zooming in. High PPI also means it is impossible to accurately hit a link without zooming in first. The Hudl needs no zooming in. It’s these tiny things that make a product nice to use.
One reviewer said the Hudl screen is not bright enough? To change the Hudl screen brightness, swipe down in the top right corner. You will then see a symbol of the sun, tap this. There are 4-5 basic brightness settings on the Hudl and the brightest Hudl brightness is bright enough for a sunny day. If I had not used an Android device before I would not know how to change the brightness too.
Another reviewer said the screen is “spongy and plastic” when tapping. I disagree with this. I can’t tell the difference between the Hudl screen cover and the iPad 3 retina gorilla glass I have right here on my desk. The Hudl attracts less condensation on the screen and may be plastic, but you won’t feel it.
Leave a comment if you have any questions about the Hudl and I will try to answer them.
UPDATE January – I no longer stand by this review. I believe the Google Nexus is now the best Android tablet to buy.
Leave a comment with random thoughts you have about the Hudl too. Hit me.