So you never got gatekept by Apple from accessing a feature unless you had a specific version of the OS? Heck, even macbooks get killed every year by not allowing them to build for newer iOS versions.
The whole point of Apple, one could say, IS to make sure to forcibly make you update to access a new feature. That way either you can update or you've got to buy a brand-new device.
I'm curious what you believe the alternative is - "new features magically appear in released versions of an operating system without the software being updated"?
You're being disingenuous. There is more to an operating system than a kernel; new features in Linux software frequently require supporting software or libraries to be updated.
The whole point of Apple, one could say, IS to make sure to forcibly make you update to access a new feature. That way either you can update or you've got to buy a brand-new device.