Tesco planning to launch a smartphone
Tesco have announced plans to launch a new mobile phone – which they apparently claim will be high spec and even comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S5. If they can live up to that claim, there will certainly be an unexpected item in the bagging area.
According to the BBC, the device will (unsurprisingly) run Android and have a bunch of Tesco’s services – presumably including their Blinkbox on demand video service and grocery shopping apps – baked in.
Perhaps most interestingly, CEO Philip Clarke claims it will be “aggressively priced” – a bit like how their tablet, the Hudl, is more powerful than you’d expect for a £120 device.
It’ll be interesting to see how the phone goes down, given Tesco’s terribly unfashionable image… but could a cheaper price point tempt people away from the likes of Samsung and HTC? From a corporate perspective it makes sense too, as the phone will tie-in with the firm’s Tesco Mobile service and the no-frills marketing that accompanies it.
Apparently the new phone will be followed by an updated Hudl – the Hudl 2 – in September. We’ll let you know when we know more.
