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

wasty
wasty Posts: 100 Forumite
Second Anniversary 10 Posts Name Dropper
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.
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Comments

  • womble12345
    womble12345 Posts: 591 Forumite
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    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
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,434 Forumite
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    Yep smart speaker - much better sound quality and voice control.   

    Or if it has to be battery-powered, an old smartphone.
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
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    I use a discounted offer of Amazon Echo.
  • RumRat
    RumRat Posts: 4,966 Forumite
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    Definitely a smart speaker....Cheaper, better sound and more convenient than a stand alone radio. A tablet will sound terrible.....Whichever one you get.
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  • Murmansk
    Murmansk Posts: 1,099 Forumite
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    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
    thevilla Posts: 346 Forumite
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    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.
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  • Murmansk
    Murmansk Posts: 1,099 Forumite
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    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
    Neil_Jones Posts: 9,508 Forumite
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    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
    mjm3346 Posts: 47,175 Forumite
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    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
    Neil_Jones Posts: 9,508 Forumite
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    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.
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