Seoul’s iPhone 18 Pro Launch Put the Familiar Flagship Against the Foldable Future

Before Apple Myeongdong opened for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch on September 18, customers were already waiting outside. The scene captured two kinds of interest: buyers ready to collect a new Pro model and visitors curious about Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the Duo, due the following month. A store crowd, though, is a snapshot of early adopters—not a measure of Korean smartphone buyers as a whole. 2021

An early crowd, but not walk-in sales

Around 150 people had gathered by 7:30 a.m. Staff welcomed customers with applause when the store opened at 8 a.m., and some buyers had waited overnight. Roughly 300 customers arrived during the morning to collect reserved devices; visitors who came to see the phones added to the crowd. Apple limited first-day purchases to customers with preorders, so the lines should not be read as hundreds of unplanned purchases. 3920

South Korea was among the first-wave markets for the September 18 release. The available launch reports establish that status for 2026, but not the claim that it was Korea’s third consecutive first-wave year since 2024. 16

The Pro’s immediate appeal

The 256GB iPhone 18 Pro started at 1.99 million won in Korea, and the Pro Max at 2.19 million won. Both came in black, silver, glacier and burgundy. Their main cameras paired a 48-megapixel sensor with variable aperture, which adjusts the opening that lets light into the camera. 1821

That was a practical reason to upgrade for at least one customer working in video production. He told The Korea Herald he was interested in variable aperture because he expected more natural results than software-based background blur. It is his expectation, not proof that the camera will deliver that result in every situation. 35

Why the Duo complicated the decision

The iPhone Duo offered a different proposition: Apple’s first folding iPhone, with a 7.6-inch inner display. Its Korean release was scheduled for October 23, at a starting price of 3.29 million won—well above either Pro model. Reporting from Myeongdong described shoppers weighing whether to buy a Pro now or wait for the Duo. 491721

The larger unfolding screen made the Duo a distinct option, while the Pro offered a familiar design and the new variable-aperture camera; a launch report said that camera feature was absent from the Duo. Those differences explain the choice facing shoppers, but the available accounts do not establish that Myeongdong visitors had reached a shared verdict on foldable durability or long-term performance. 181920

The launch also cannot settle broader questions about switching from Samsung. The cited accounts do not substantiate a general trend of Galaxy Z Flip owners returning to iPhone, longtime Galaxy owners refusing to switch, or customers upgrading every year. What the day clearly showed was strong interest among the people who turned up—and a premium-phone decision that would continue when the Duo arrived. 920