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McDonald's places a large order of Samsung tablets in the UK

A new kind of Happy Meal.

Paul Thomas/Bloomberg via Getty Images

If you make a trip to a McDonald's in the coming months, expect to see a few tablets. As part of an agreement with device management company SOTI, the fast food chain plans to install Samsung Galaxy Tabs in the "majority" of its UK restaurants, giving you the chance to play games, check Facebook or browse the web while you eat.

The rollout comes after a successful trial last year. It falls under McDonald's' "Experience of the Future" initiative, which is designed to increase footfall in its restaurants as the company looks to overturn falling sales. Technology is the driving force behind a couple of new launches, particularly the introduction of table service in the UK (with the help of table-mounted tablets) and the unveiling of self-order kiosks in selected stores to reduce waiting times. In Sweden, it even bundled VR goggles inside Happy Meals.

Neither company has confirmed which tablet from Samsung's broad Galaxy Tab range will be installed in the restaurants, but regardless of their size and features, they're going to light up like a beacon to families with younger children. That's good news for McDonald's, but maybe not for parents who are hoping to wean their kids off technology for a few hours.