Updated Mar 24, 2026
Updated Mar 24, 2026
CNET: News, Advice & Deals
Tech-savvy consumers and enthusiasts who want to stay updated on industry news and require expert, data-backed guidance for technology purchases.
What Is CNET: News, Advice & Deals?
CNET is a legacy technology news and product review platform designed to assist consumers in making informed technology purchases. The app serves as a mobile hub for editorial tech news, expert product reviews, and curated deals, positioning itself as a comprehensive resource for tech-savvy individuals.
Despite its strong brand heritage, the app is currently facing a critical decline in user satisfaction. While it maintains a high-authority stance in the tech media landscape, the mobile experience is severely hampered by technical debt, including broken authentication flows and stale content delivery.
What users think recently
Media Gallery
Key Features
In-depth, independent reviews featuring 'Good, Bad, and Bottom Line' summaries for informed purchasing.
Curated daily technology and consumer electronics deals from the CNET Cheapskate team.
Lightning-fast product search using natural language processing, AI, and machine learning.
Recent User Sentiment
What Users Love
Excellent information about most things
I used to really enjoy CNET articles in the app. Very informative and helpful.
Pain Points
Every time that I attempt to login in the app it gives an error that says “Oops. Something went wrong.”
Cannot login from the APP, but can from a browser
The app has had the same stories in the top banner for 2 years
Headline stories haven’t changed in weeks.
High confidence · 99 reviews analyzed
CNET: News, Advice & Deals Pros and Cons
Pros
- Massive, established database of independent product reviews
- Strong brand authority in the technology news sector
- Advanced AI-powered search and NLP capabilities
Cons
- Severe technical neglect including broken login APIs
- Stale content feeds that degrade the news value
- Aggressive ad-heavy design that alienates users
Market Outlook
Growth Opportunities
- Capitalize on AI to refresh stagnant content feeds
- Improve UX by reducing ad density
- Fix authentication flows to capture user data
Market Threats
- Competitors offering cleaner, ad-free experiences
- Rapid loss of brand trust due to perceived clickbait
- User migration to social-first tech influencers
The Bottom Line
CNET: News, Advice & Deals is a upsetting news app that is completely free. With a 3.9/5 rating from 8.4K reviews, it upsets most users from users. Users particularly appreciate content quality, though login and account issues remains a common concern.
Best for: Tech-savvy consumers and enthusiasts who want to stay updated on industry news and require expert, data-backed guidance for technology purchases.
App Details & Pricing
Model: free
The app operates on an ad-supported and affiliate-revenue model, focusing on driving traffic to retail partners via 'fast-track' purchase links rather than direct subscription fees.
iOS Version
4.9.8
Android Version
4.9.9
Release Date
Nov 17, 2017
iOS Price
Free
Android Price
Free
Developer
CNET Media, Inc.