On September 18, Apple officially launched its new iPhone 18 Pro series in South Korea. Customers began lining up outside the Apple Myeongdong store before it opened, eager to pick up their pre-ordered devices. However, the crowd was noticeably smaller compared to previous years, likely due to the shift to in-store pickups for pre-orders and anticipation for the upcoming iPhone Duo.
This year, customers could not purchase devices on launch day; only pre-order pickups were allowed. The demand for the iPhone Duo, set to launch on October 23, may have also contributed to the reduced turnout.
Despite the smaller crowd, some customers camped out overnight to be among the first to receive the new devices. Lee Young-joo, 32, was the first to get her hands on the iPhone 18 Pro after waiting for about 13 hours since 7 PM the previous day. She has attempted to be the first buyer for the past three years and was thrilled to finally succeed.
"I tried to be the first buyer for the iPhone 16 and 17 but failed," Lee said. "It was on my bucket list, and I’m so happy to finally achieve it after three years." She chose the Glacier model of the iPhone 18 Pro, opting for the traditional bar-style design over the new Duo model due to concerns about its price.
The iPhone 18 Pro series maintains the basic design of its predecessor while improving camera capabilities, performance, and battery life. Notably, it features a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with a variable aperture for the first time. The new A20 Pro chip and a vapor chamber have also been added, with the Pro Max supporting up to 43 hours of video playback.
However, the price has increased, with the domestic starting price for the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro set at 1.99 million won and the Pro Max at 2.19 million won, reflecting a rise of about 200,000 won from the previous models. The highest capacity 2TB models are priced at 3.79 million won and 3.99 million won, respectively.
Despite the price hike and minimal design changes, buyers cited camera performance and the Apple ecosystem as key reasons for their purchases. For professionals in video and design, the variable aperture was a significant factor in their decision to upgrade. Park Sung-kwon, a 34-year-old director, was the second buyer, waiting for about 12.5 hours since 7:30 PM the previous day. He purchased the Burgundy model of the iPhone 18 Pro with 256GB of storage.
"I really like the Burgundy color that Rosé from Blackpink chose," Park said. "I waited outside and got bitten by mosquitoes, but now I just want to go to my office and start using the new device for video shoots."
Park's primary reason for buying the iPhone 18 Pro was the variable aperture. "I didn’t buy it for gaming or other features; I bought it solely for the variable aperture," he explained. "For a video director, adjusting depth of field through software versus mechanically is a completely different realm."
Having used Apple products since he was 20, Park noted the ease of use and emotional appeal of Apple devices compared to competitors. He is also considering purchasing the iPhone Duo for work, believing it will be beneficial due to its improvements over existing foldable phones.
Foreign customers also visited the store on launch day. A woman from Nepal, who has lived in South Korea for five years while pursuing a PhD and working in marketing, picked up two iPhone 18 Pro Max devices. She bought the 512GB model for work and the 256GB model as a gift for her family in Nepal.
She cited the faster release schedule in South Korea as a reason for her purchase. "New products are released later in Nepal, so I can buy them much sooner here," she said, adding that she applied for pre-order as soon as it opened. South Korea is among the first countries, along with the U.S., Japan, China, the U.K., and France, to launch the iPhone 18 series.
Despite the price increase, she believes the product is worth it. "It’s true that the price has gone up compared to the previous model, but Apple products maintain their resale value well after a year of use," she said. She switched to iPhone from Samsung Galaxy due to concerns about privacy and security.
On the same day, Apple also began selling the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 in South Korea. The standard iPhone 18 model was excluded from this fall's lineup. Apple plans to release the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, on October 23, with a starting price of 3.29 million won.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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