Save over 40% when you secure your tickets today to TNW Conference 💥 Prices will increase on November 22 →

This article was published on May 6, 2014

UK retailer Tesco will launch its own Android-based smartphone this year


UK retailer Tesco will launch its own Android-based smartphone this year

British supermarket giant Tesco says it is planning to launch its own smartphone before the end of this year, as it looks to build on the success it has seen with the Hudl tablet, which has sold over 550,000 units.

Chief executive Philip Clarke told the BBC Radio 5 that a “Tesco phone” would launch before the end of the year. The company is also planning to introduce the Hudl 2, a follow-up to its original £119 tablet, in September.

IMG_1932

The BBC reports that, like Hudl, Tesco’s upcoming smartphone will be based on Android, with a specification that is “comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S5,” although Clarke didn’t provide details about the handset or its price in the interview. (Update: A Tesco spokesperson has since confirmed to Reuters that the device will be based on Android.)

He did, however, explain that it will come loaded with a range of Tesco services, including Blinkbox video streaming, a music/movie/books e-store and general Tesco shopping services. The retailer is launching an online banking division this summer, which will feature on its devices, and it is preparing smartphone apps that will let shoppers scan and pay for items themselves rather than going through a check-out till.

Related: Hudl: With Tesco’s tablet, you get a lot of bang for your buck

Image via AFP/Getty Images

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with