Monthly Archives: November 2013

HUDL Review of Reviews – Answering the Haters

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.

HUDL Tablet Review

Tesco Hudl tablet review.  This review covers what I loved and hated about my new HUDL Android Tablet from Tesco.  I’ll also compare the HUDL to my iPad, iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S4.

How I got My Hudl from Tesco UK

I travel regularly on business into the UK and needed a quick Android tablet in an emergency.  I pulled out the company Credit Card and ran to the nearest supermarket.  Luckily for me, that supermarket was Tesco!  I walked out £119 ($170) lighter and with my new favorite HUDL android tablet.  This thing rocks!

For comparison I will be comparing the hudl to a Samsung Galaxy S4 (unrooted), iPad 3 retina and ipod touch.

HUDL – What I Liked

As you can see already from the above section, I love my new HUDL!  This thing is amazing.  If Apple made an Android tablet but at the same time tried to keep costs down so everyone could purchased, then I believe they would make the HUDL.  Here’s some of the best features:

The price is perfect.  The HUDL is not expensive like the Google Android Nexus 7 ($250).  The price of around $170 is just right.  The Hudl is cheap enough to be a throw away Android device, meaning security can be ignored and you can download all the junkiest anti-privacy apps you can imagine just to test them and not worry about permissions.

The Hudl can play radio in the background.  Yes, all Android devices can do this, but it’s just so easy to play radio on the Hudl!  I started by using the Blink music app that comes prebundled, but Blink music stopped working when I returned to the US.  I downloaded Tunein radio from the Google app store and it’s 100% better than Blink Music.

Long battery life.  The Tesco rep I spoke to when buying claimed the HUDL has 9 hours of battery life.  In charging tests I have done, it does last almost exactly 9 hours of mixed use (internet, movie, apps).  The battery charge is something to leave overnight, like with an ipad.