The CNET Android app is one of an increasing number of applications getting parity with its iOS counterpart.
With version 2.0, the app now has much of the same interface and performance found in the iPhone app, which makes it far more enjoyable to use. The previous version was rather rudimentary and had a significant amount of wasted space.
With the new CNET Android app, featured articles get large play at the top of the screen, with five main options to swipe through. Scroll through article posts, and of course share them with the excellent Android sharing tool.
A few of the interface elements are leftovers from iOS, such as the back button at the top of the screen (these are unnecessary given the standard back buttons on Android). I also found some of the videos did not play (see screenshot). Yet in large I no longer feel a vast amount of envy when switching over to an iPhone and perusing CNET with the iOS native app.
Unfortunately, the new app is only for phones – it can not be downloaded to a Nexus 7, such as other applications. Enabling this should be the next priority given the large audience of CNET readers who follow Android news and do so on Nexus devices.
CNET is one of the best sites for staying on top of overall tech news (when you’re not reading TheAppPlanet), so if you don’t have the app I highly recommend downloading it.
Download CNET from Google Play (Free)
On Target:
- Vastly improved interface
- Very responsive
Off the Mark:
- Not compatible with Nexus 7
- Some interface elements are leftovers from iPhone
