Elbows at the ready: Shoppers dash to pick up Aldi's tablet which went on sale today for £79
- - Aldi's Lifetab has been created with electronics firm Medion
- - It has just 8GB of storage – half that of Tesco’s tablet
- - Tablets proved hugely popular since the launch of the iPad three years ago
By PAUL BENTLEY and TARA BRADY
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Crowds of shoppers pushed and shoved their way into Aldi supermarkets to get their hands on the store's own tablet which went on sale today.
At one branch in Old Kent Road, South London, hundreds of people clambered to get hold of the tablet when they discovered there were only 12 gadgets left in the store.
The launch has opened up a festive price war with other high street brands by launching the tablet which costs just £79.
Rush: Hundreds of people pushed to get through the doors of Aldi in Tottenham which today launched its Christmas alternative to the
iPad - a £70 tablet called the Lifetab
Customers couldn't wait to get their hands on Aldi's latest gadget - its own version of the iPad which is just a snip of the price at £79
Success: Tes was the first person to buy the Aldi Lifetab gadget at the Old Kent Road store in south London
Tesco has already enjoyed huge success with its low-priced Hudl tablet, which launched in September.
But at £119 it is now far more expensive than the Lifetab.
Experts said that while the quality of budget options might not compare with Apple’s original tablet computer, the affordability factor would lead to a rush of new sales.
Tony Cripps, of technology analysts Ovum, said: ‘It is a real threat to anyone in the tablet market.’
Bargain: Shoppers at Aldi on Tottenham High Road, north London, waiting to pick up their new tablet for £79
Shoppers inside Aldi in Tottenham High Road frantically buying the stores own version of the iPad
Ben Cole with his daughter Felicia, seven, (left) and other excited shoppers (right) were lucky enough to purchase one of the tablets in the Tottenham store despite one box being delivered
Popular purchase: Shoppers at Aldi in Tottenham High Road waiting for the launch of its new budget tablet
Experts said that while the quality of budget options might not compare with Apple¿s original tablet computer, the affordability factor would lead to a rush of new sales
Aldi's Lifetab E7316, created with electronics firm Medion, may be cheaper but it has just 8GB of storage - half that of Tesco's tablet
When it launched Tesco’s Hudl was the cheapest tablet on the market and sold incredibly well, with supermarkets shifting 35,000 models in the first 48 hours, and it has sold out twice since.
Last week nearly every colour model, other than purple, is shown as ‘currently unavailable’ on Tesco’s website, and a number of accessories aren’t available either.
This has raised fears customers may not be able to get hold of the cut-price gadget in time for Christmas.
Yet, the company has dismissed claims that the shortfall is due to supply problems.
The Hudl is manufactured by French company Archos.
It has 16GB of built-in memory - the same as the iPad mini and Google’s £80 more expensive Nexus 7 - and can access the internet and stream music and movies as well as on-demand TV services from Tesco-owned Blinkbox.
It has front and rear-facing cameras, allowing users to talk face to face via Skype, too.
The device also features a ‘Tesco launcher’ button to access online grocery shopping and the supermarket chain’s other businesses including clothing, banking and mobile phone services.
Aldi’s Lifetab E7316, created with electronics firm Medion, may be cheaper but it has just 8GB of storage – half that of Tesco’s tablet – and offers just four hours of battery life compared to 9.5 hours on the Hudl.
But it does come with a three year warranty.
Argos also tried to grab a share of the market, launching its £100 MyTablet in October.
It has now almost sold out.
Both the Lifetab and the Hudl will now also compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, on offer at £159, as well as the retail giant’s new 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX, which was reduced from £199 to £169 for Cyber Monday.
Apple’s second-generation iPad mini was launched last month, and costs £319, but has a slightly larger 7.9-inch screen.
Tablets have proved hugely popular since the launch of the iPad three years ago and some forecasters have predicted they will overtake sales of traditional computers by the end of this year.
Three quarters of households still do not have one however.
Three quarters of households still do not have one however.
Tony Baines, of Aldi, said: ‘We have positioned our Christmas offering this year to cater for every member of the immediate family with a fantastic gift at a manageable price, without compromising on quality.’
The number of parents reading books to their children at bedtime is in rapid decline, according to a survey.
Some 70 per cent of 2,000 parents questioned now use tablets, computers or iPhone apps instead.
But parents said technology was helping to revive the tradition, and more than half felt that it made bedtime reading more stimulating.
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