Android Faithful Android's Loose Garden
Mar 25, 2026
A spring tech roundup full of leaks, policy drama, and a rare rugged phone sighting. Deep dives on a new sideloading flow and a controversial 24-hour wait. Camera and AI features on the latest flagship get spotlighted. Rumors swirl about Amazon building a phone and OnePlus’s uncertain future.
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Spotting A Rugged Ulefone At A Pinball Festival
- Ron saw a rugged Ulefone in the wild at the Texas Pinball Festival and photographed it because he'd never seen one before.
- The small rugged device included an LED back light, FLIR camera, NFC, and ran his Scorbit app successfully.
Sideloading Rules Arrive In August Likely With Android 17
- The sideloading rules roll out in August and likely tie to Android 17, but Google hasn't confirmed exact versions.
- The waiting period applies only to unverified installs and aims to protect less tech-savvy users while allowing power-user paths.
Hold Android Phones Longer To Get More Value
- Hold devices longer: Android users tend to keep phones for several years, helped by extended update promises from Samsung and Google.
- Jason and Florence cite Galaxy S22 Ultra owners waiting nearly four years before trading in.