Everything PDS runs on is off the shelf.
No proprietary hardware, no lease, no lock-in. A consumer Android tablet, a clamp mount, and the vehicle’s own power are a complete, compliant passenger display — this page lists exactly what to buy.
Models and prices checked July 2026 · indicative UK prices
Current version: pds-dashboard.com/hardware
What a tablet needs to run PDS.
Operating system
Android 8.0+ with Google Play services
Any mainstream Android tablet qualifies. Google Play services is required — route updates arrive by Google push messaging, and PDS checks for it at setup. Some industrial and imported tablets ship without it; check before buying.
Screen
11–13″ recommended
Passenger text renders at the regulated physical size — at least 22 mm tall — so a larger screen shows more at once. Smaller screens still comply: the display adapts its layout rather than shrinking the text.
GPS
Built-in GPS
Stop detection and announcements are driven by the tablet’s own GPS. Cellular models always include it; a few Wi-Fi-only models omit it — check the specification sheet.
Audio out
Bluetooth or 3.5 mm
Announcements play through a Bluetooth speaker, a wired connection, or the tablet itself on smaller vehicles. PDS warns the driver if a Bluetooth speaker disconnects mid-journey.
Connectivity
Cellular recommended
Journeys run fully offline — routes and audio are stored on the tablet beforehand. A SIM means tablets pick up route changes anywhere; Wi-Fi-only tablets sync whenever they’re back on depot Wi-Fi.
Three that we’d buy today.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+
11″ · from ~£199
A current mainstream 11-inch tablet with a 5G option. Meets every PDS requirement at the lowest sensible price — the right starting point for most operators.
Lenovo Tab P12
12.7″ · from ~£260
The tablet family PDS is developed and hardware-tested on. The larger screen carries more passenger information at the regulated text size, and it reads well down a bus saloon.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 5G
8″ · ~£509
Drop-rated and glove-friendly, but rugged tablets are built for field work, so they run small — 8 inches is a modest passenger display. For most vehicles, a consumer tablet in a case on a secure mount is the better buy.
Named models are a point-in-time snapshot — any tablet meeting the spec above works just as well.
Every bus already has somewhere to put it.
Grab poles run the length of every bus saloon, and pole-clamp tablet mounts are a solved problem. Clamp the tablet at standing eye level, facing down the saloon, and it’s visible from most seats.
Universal clamp mount
~£20–£40
Widely available clamp and pole mounts hold 6–14″ tablets on any grab pole. Quick to fit and easy to move between vehicles — right for trying PDS out.
RAM Mounts Tough-Claw + tablet holder
~£90–£120
The vehicle-mounting standard: a tool-free clamp for rails from 16 mm to 57 mm with a sprung tablet holder, stainless hardware, and vibration in mind. Fit it and forget it.
For vehicles left unattended, lockable tablet enclosures fit the same mounts.
The vehicle already generates the power.
Use the vehicle’s power
Buses and coaches run 12 V or 24 V electrics, and most modern coaches already have USB sockets fitted. A dual-USB 12/24 V adapter (~£10–£20) plugs into an accessory socket, or any auto electrician can hardwire one next to the mount.
Battery alone is for trials
GPS and a bright screen draw hard on a battery. A tablet will happily run single journeys on its own cell, but for daily service treat vehicle power as part of the install.
Any decent speaker announces clearly.
Announcements are pre-rendered spoken audio, so there’s nothing exotic to reproduce. Pair a Bluetooth speaker mounted mid-saloon — PDS warns the driver if it disconnects — or use the vehicle’s PA where one is fitted. On smaller vehicles the tablet’s own speaker is enough.
JBL Flip 7
~£130
Loud and clear enough to fill a full-size saloon, with all-day battery if it isn’t wired to power.
Anker Soundcore class
~£30
A compact budget speaker is ample for minibuses and midibuses — announcements are clear spoken audio, not music.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
~£90
Carries a dedicated spoken-word mode that keeps announcements crisp at volume.
A vehicle equipped from about £240.
About £270 with a dedicated speaker. Indicative UK prices, July 2026. One-off — the hardware is yours.
Hardware is the easy part.
Sign up, build a route, and pair a tablet — the display and every announcement come from PDS.