Apple forces my hand: Upgrading to iOS 26.3
This is a sequel to my earlier rant against Apple.
iOS 26.3 was released yesterday, alongside iOS 18.7.5. Alas, only the iPhone XR and iPhone XS models benefit from the latter release; since the release of iOS 18.7.3 in December 2025, my iPhone 16e has not been able to receive these updates to iOS 18.
As I've said before: it's hostility against users on Apple's part, for they're essentially holding back updates to force users like me to upgrade to bloated and buggier software. I've also said that my view is based on familiarity with Linux, particularly Debian, in which long-term support and security updates (over feature upgrades) are the norm.
I think the third point release is where I must concede ideological values for practicality. I only harm myself by staying on an increasingly vulnerable version of iOS. (Elsewhere, my first-gen iPhone SE remains up to date with iOS 15.8.6—so it's not that Apple cannot support devices like the 16e with continuous security updates, but rather they follow a policy that best serves their reporting of iOS adoption.)
Perhaps there's a silver lining: the buggy and bloated upgrade I expect to receive tonight (as I'm in the process of installing 26.3 now) will be a deterrent against using my phone; and so, my screen time will go down.