The announcement also marks a change in how Apple signifies its major updates to iOS. Under the previous marketing scheme, this year’s major release would have been iOS 19 — the direct follow-up to iOS 18. But now, Apple’s big iOS updates will be numbered based on the year following their introduction

Well that’s interesting. I was certain The Verge was trying to be funny. But this tracks, now Apple has Biggest Number™.

Samsung has been doing that with their Galaxy for a while.

Yes, but Samsung went from S10 to S20 -> 21 -> 22, etc. That move made sense.

iOS 18 -> iOS26 makes absolutely no sense.

iOS 18 > 26 doesn’t make sense, but from 26 onwards it’s not a problem.