Aldi takes on Apple in price war over tablets

BUDGET supermarket Aldi is to restock its cut-price tablet computer that sold out last year, intensifying the price war being waged in a budget market that challenges Apple’s dominance.

Aldi: re-entering tablet market. Picture: Michael Gillen

Aldi declared that it was bringing back the Medion LifeTab E7318 by popular demand, and that once the stock that goes on sale on 27 March is gone there would be no more available.

The device sold out within days of it first being launched in December.

This year’s release has been improved, with storage space doubled to 16GB, matching Tesco’s Hudl device.

However, the LifeTab significantly undercuts its competitors, with a £79.99 price tag that is £40 cheaper than the Hudl and almost £170 cheaper than Apple’s most basic iPad Mini.

Manufacturers have rushed to produce cheaper alternatives to Apple’s groundbreaking tablet, with Aldi’s LifeTab following Hudl into the market in 2013.

Argos has also brought out its own budget device, the MyTablet.

Cheaper devices have carved out a new market, which are normally associated with market-leading products such as Apple’s iPad and the Samsung 
Galaxy Tab.

The trend began with the Amazon Kindle Fire, launched in Europe in 2012 as an extension of the company’s Kindle eReader, which has led to digital book sales overtaking those of print in the UK.

With a 7in screen, the LifeTab is in direct competition with products from big-name brands such as Amazon and Google, as well as the Hudl, which was well received by industry reviewers upon its launch.

According to market research firm IDC, last year tablets accounted for almost 42 per cent of computer shipments in 2013, and it expects them to overtake combined desktop and laptop sales by 2015.