iPhone 18 Pro Launch Draws Crowds in Seoul as Foldable Interest Builds

Apple’s latest premium smartphones drew an early crowd in central Seoul on Friday, underscoring the strength of the company’s customer base in South Korea even as anticipation builds for its first foldable handset.

Apple Myeongdong opened at 8 a.m. for customers collecting the newly released iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Employees applauded buyers as they entered, and some customers had waited outside overnight. One person who arrived at 7 p.m. Thursday spent about 13 hours in line before becoming one of the first visitors admitted.

Around 150 people had gathered outside the flagship store by 7:30 a.m. Apple limited first-day purchases to customers with preorders, but the store remained busy through the morning. About 300 people arrived to collect reserved phones, while other visitors came to examine the devices. South Korea has been included among Apple’s first-wave launch markets for three consecutive years, beginning with the iPhone 16 series in 2024.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at 1.99 million won, or about $1,440, in South Korea. The Pro Max starts at 2.19 million won. Both models are offered in black, silver, glacier and burgundy. Shoppers at the store compared camera performance and colors and asked employees about the lineup’s new functions.

Camera upgrades were a major draw for some buyers. One customer who works in video production said the variable-aperture feature was the main reason for upgrading, expecting it to produce more natural results than software-generated background blur. Other customers described familiarity with Apple’s design and ecosystem as important reasons for staying with the brand.

However, conversations at the launch frequently shifted to the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable device, which is scheduled to arrive next month. The forthcoming model represents a more substantial change in form factor after years of relatively incremental updates. Some shoppers were weighing whether to buy a Pro model immediately or wait to see how Apple handles foldable hardware.

One iPhone 18 Pro buyer said the unfolded Duo appeared close in size to the Pro Max, reducing the incentive to delay an upgrade. The customer remained curious about Apple’s foldable debut but cited durability concerns and viewed the Pro as the more proven choice. That caution illustrates the commercial challenge facing any first-generation device: novelty can generate attention, but buyers may still prioritize reliability.

The launch also reflected the divided nature of South Korea’s smartphone market. A former Samsung Galaxy Z Flip user said she returned to the iPhone because of its design. Another visitor, a longtime Galaxy owner, came to purchase an iPhone for his son but said changing platforms himself would be inconvenient. The mix of brand loyalty, ecosystem habits and interest in foldable devices will shape competition as Apple expands its Korean lineup next month.