It’s not a matter of biggest number, it’s a matter of consistency.

They have five operating systems, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.

So currently we have macOS 15, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 & visionOS 2. That’s absolute confusion. Do I have the latest version? Dropping support for an older version, how many years ago was that?

I don't disagree with you on principle, but I still think the implementation is fucking bonkers.

A version number should convey useful information, and the year it was released is useful information. Especially when major updates come every year.

Major updates should come when they're needed, not on a set schedule. CVEs don't wait. Yes, I know patches and security updates are a thing. I still think it's ridiculous. And I absolutely blame Apple for setting the "new thing every year" trend in motion.