HUDL1 HT7B16S3 7 inch Android Tablet: Customisation
Introduction
This article is intended to provide some background on Tesco's HUDL1 Android tablet for both prospective and existing users. The HUDL has a chequered history, and provides a good example of how not to introduce and support a popular product. The article also provides details of a custom setup available which bypasses permanently the setup blockage experienced by all users after factory resetting with tablets running the stock Android 4.2.2 firmware.
The HUDL1 HT7S3 7 inch Android tablet was launched by Tesco in 2013 as its first (and as it turned out, its only) foray into the tablet market. It was designed primarily to capture market share in its sales areas by encouraging customers to order online via Tesco custom apps in conjunction with its clubcard scheme. The tablet proved very popular, with reports of more than 500,000 devices sold between launch and its withdrawal from sale in 2014. An upgraded 8.3 inch version (HUDL2) was launched in 2014 to replace the 7 inch model.
However, by 2015 the popularity of online shopping was increasing rapidly and the tablet market was also becoming more competitive, causing Tesco’s interest in developing the HUDL any further to wane. Although an upgrade to Android 5.1 was issued for the HUDL2, its introduction was poorly publicised and patchy, and many machines failed to get the upgrade from the stock Android 4.4 version they were shipped with. HUDL2 production was discontinued in 2015, and although Tesco maintained server support for a while thereafter, this ‘legacy’ support was unilaterally withdrawn in early 2019 without consultation.
This action provoked an outcry from HUDL users who had been caught out by this move, culminating in unfavourable comment in the National Press. Tesco hastily restored their servers, but then withdrew support again finally in June 2020 after a change in CEO and in their IT policy. Tesco have confirmed that they will not be offering any further support to the HUDLs, their principal supporting argument being ‘…the version of Android 4 used is no longer supported by Google…’. I will leave the reader to decide on the validity of this as an argument for withdrawing support from a product with recorded sales of well over half a million…
The end result was that all HUDL1s, and any HUDL2s not upgraded to Android 5.1, fail setup after a factory reset, due to the mandatory requirement within the operating system for the tablet to access Tesco's servers as part of the setup procedure.
This has caught out many users wishing to sell on their HUDLs, which are otherwise perfectly functional. They perform a factory reset prior to selling to remove any personal data, and assume all will be well without further checks, not realising that FR will effectively prevent their tablets from being set up again. Unfortunately, all proves not to be well when their buyer can't set up, and many sellers are faced with an unpleasant surprise when the buyer quite reasonably requests a full refund with return postage costs....
This rather sad story is yet another example of big tech and the retailers attempting to force customers to upgrade to newer, more expensive devices by withdrawing online support to older software/firmware versions, even though the existing devices work perfectly well and continue to meet the customer's own personal requirements. Apart from being sharp practice, it demonstrates a blatant disregard for the current environmental concerns on the part of manufacturers and associated retailers. In the current climate, this behaviour is starting to attract the interest of governments and regulators, and not before time. Vested interests beware….
Various strategies have been adopted for resuscitating ‘stuck’ HUDLS. Only one provides a permanent solution – reflashing the operating system with a customised version of the stock Android 4.2.2 OS which is independent of Tesco’s servers. Although a validated custom ROM is available, and the installation procedure is well documented (see https://github.com/remay/tmf-hudl), installation requires a degree of skill and at least a basic knowledge of the Android OS. This is not necessarily something every owner faced with the problem will want to tackle, and there is always a risk that a novice will inadvertently ‘brick’ their tablet if the reflashing procedure isn’t carefully followed.
Unfortunately this option is not available for the HUDL2, since no available custom ROMs appear to have been developed, due primarily to the bootloader of the device being locked by the manufacturer at Tesco's request. Given the number of functional HUDL1s likely to be still in circulation, and the ‘dead end’ status of the HUDL2, there is arguably a need for a low-cost refurbishment option for the HUDL1, with cost overheads in keeping with the relatively low residual market value these tablets still hold. There is a temporary fix for the HUDL2, which I've detailed in the document 'Tesco HUDL2_Post Factory Reset Workround.pdf. You can download a .pdf version of this from the downloads page - see the box below this article for info. Unfortunately, this is now the only option available for the HUDL2 - see my HUDL2 page for details.
A further recent development, and yet another example of big Tech's obsession with planned obsolescence, is Google's withdrawal of support for Android versions earlier than v5.0. This has resulted in all HUDL1s, and any HUDL2s not upgraded to v5.1, being unable to access ANY apps via Play Store. Any new apps you wish to load now have to be installed via their .apks directly, and key Google apps such as Play Services, must be updated manually. You can download my publication 'Managing your Android Apps' from the downloads page for details of how to do this.
As a reliable and robust tablet, the HUDL1 remains a popular low-budget choice, despite Google and Tesco's combined efforts, and still has a considerable following, as demonstrated by the unexpectedly strong response to Tesco’s server withdrawal in 2019. It has been described as as the ‘Morris Minor’ of the tablet world, and as a result of its established following, the HUDL1 is expected to retain its attractiveness despite Android ‘version creep’ which has continued to narrow the selection of available apps compatible with v4.2.2 over recent years. The HUDL2, although also still popular, has the disadvantage that it can’t be resuscitated in the same way, so is limited to temporary fixes which may soon become unworkable. Android 5.1-upgraded HUDL2s aren’t afflicted by the ‘Tesco curse’ and are also likely to resist version creep for longer.
To help minimise the UK’s burgeoning e-waste pile, I regularly resuscitate ‘stuck’ HUDL1s via installation of a custom ROM to ensure permanent removal of the setup blockage, with the additional bonus of some useful free content. You can see what's on offer by downloading 'HUDL1 - The Unofficial Guide' from my downloads page. I normally provide a .pdf copy of this with every refurbished tablet, and is intended to provide details of the additional features that are available with HUDL1s after upgrading is complete.
I am also considering offering an inexpensive refurbishment service on an experimental basis – if you have a 'stuck' HUDL and would like it brought back to life for you, and/or would like it upgraded to include the features described below, please contact me via the Contact page.
If your HUDL's charging port is broken or damaged, or requires a new battery, I'm also able to offer a replacement service at minimal cost.
Update 4.2.24: For those of you who are keen on offline mapping and use the excellent Osmand app, please note that the versions still compatible with Android 4 OS versions no longer present free map downloads via the app. You can circumvent this as follows:
1) Change the map file location to a visible one (Default is system partition) e.g. storage/emulated/0/Android/data/net.osmand/files/osmand.
2) Download one or more local maps from OsmAnd Local Indexes List , unzip the file and place it this directory Osmand should now 'see' the new map. You can add other maps and update existing ones using the same procedure.
If you haven't tried Osmand, version 3.3.6 is still available via sites such as APKPure and is compatible with A4.2.2.
Revised: VJCW 3.12.23