Please recommend a cheap tablet to listen to internet radio news.

wasty

It seems to me that the cheapest way to listen to internet radio is to buy a cheap tablet, as they are cheaper than a proper radio, but I don’t know if they all have a web browser installed.  Consequently can anyone please recommend a cheap tablet with a web browser installed.  Out of the blue I saw this  AMAZON Fire HD 8 Tablet for £60 but I don’t know if it’s any good or if it’s got a web browser installed:-

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/tablets-and-ereaders/tablets/amazon-fire-hd-8-tablet-2020-32-gb-black-10209194-pdt.html?

I have an iPad, but it gets hot after listening to an internet radio station for about an hour, and at £300+ I don’t want it to overheat, so I was looking to buy a tablet specifically just to listen to the radio in or around the house or garage etc, it would be nice if it sounded reasonably good when listening to music too, so that I could listen to American C&W stations.

womble12345

I would have thought a smart speaker would be a better bet for you. I just say to my google home mini (costs about £25 when on offer) 'OK google play me heart radio' and it plays so I dont see why that wouldnt work for the stations you want to listen to.

Cornucopia

Yep smart speaker - much better sound quality and voice control.   

Or if it has to be battery-powered, an old smartphone.

JJ_Egan

I use a discounted offer of Amazon Echo.

RumRat

Definitely a smart speaker....Cheaper, better sound and more convenient than a stand alone radio. A tablet will sound terrible.....Whichever one you get.

Murmansk

If you get a number of Google/Nest Minis in different rooms you can link them all in a group and play whatever radio station you want via them all at once. I have 4 in my flat and it works well - a lot cheaper than a proper Sonos setup.

thevilla

Agree with the comments re Google smart speaker but you'll need a smartphone to set one up: Unless someone knows otherwise?  You can use someone else's phone with your own google login but it gets complicated if you share a login.

Murmansk

thevilla said:

Agree with the comments re Google smart speaker but you'll need a smartphone to set one up: Unless someone knows otherwise?  You can use someone else's phone with your own google login but it gets complicated if you share a login.

Hmm, that's true of course, maybe the next best thing is a tablet and a Soundcore Mini or other Bluetooth speaker. Most cheap tablets will have relatively poor speakers. But hang on, can't you run the Google speakers using the Google Home app installed on the tablet rather than on a mobile phone????

Neil_Jones

Murmansk said:

thevilla said:

Agree with the comments re Google smart speaker but you'll need a smartphone to set one up: Unless someone knows otherwise?  You can use someone else's phone with your own google login but it gets complicated if you share a login.

Hmm, that's true of course, maybe the next best thing is a tablet and a Soundcore Mini or other Bluetooth speaker. Most cheap tablets will have relatively poor speakers. But hang on, can't you run the Google speakers using the Google Home app installed on the tablet rather than on a mobile phone????

Should be able to, key factor is the controlling device (phone/tablet/hamster) is on the same wireless network as the speaker.  As well as a tablet that runs a supported version of Android for Google Home.  Play Store suggests Android 6 is the lowest version of Android supported by Home.

mjm3346

Several years ago I got an Amazon Echo because it was cheaper than getting an internet radio (didn't have prime at that stage and it worked fine), the old style dot can generally be had for less than £40 - if you have any auto-ripped music on Amazon since 1998 I think you should be able to play that for free as well.

Neil_Jones

mjm3346 said:

Several years ago I got an Amazon Echo because it was cheaper than getting an internet radio (didn't have prime at that stage and it worked fine), the old style dot can generally be had for less than £40 - if you have any auto-ripped music on Amazon since 1998 I think you should be able to play that for free as well.

AFAIK Amazon MP3 from the Autorip are DRM free as well.  So they should play on anything.