[bangonkeyboard]

> Apple now continues to support older operating systems with security updates, allowing users to remain on iOS 18 without immediate pressure to update or forfeit critical patches. This makes it much easier for users to remain on older software.

This is an incredible untruth to end this article on. MacRumors' own reporting (https://www.macrumors.com/2025/12/19/ios-18-forced-ios-26-up...) showed Apple denying the existing iOS 18.7.3 security update to iPhones, and then shutting down the beta channel workaround the same day that MR drew attention to it, leaving iOS 26.2 as the only option.