[On Site] Overnight for the KRW 1.99 Million iPhone 18 Pro... Its Variable Aperture Wins Over the First Buyer

According to IT Daily, a line of customers waiting to pick up products continued in front of Apple Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 18th, and crowds gathered from the start of the domestic launch day for the iPhone 18 Pro series. Customers on site emphasized their preference for iPhones.

At 8 a.m. on the 18th, as Apple Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul, opened its doors, employees greeted the scene with applause and cheers, and the overnight customers were allowed in one by one.

Among them, the first recipient was Lee Young-ju, 32. The product Lee Young-ju, 32, received was an iPhone 18 Pro.

Lee Young-ju, 32, expressed happiness at being the first buyer. Lee also said she had challenged herself to be the first buyer when the iPhone 16 and 17 were launched, and that this first purchase was on her bucket list.

Apple officially launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in Korea that day. Sales also began for the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5, and Korea was included in the first-wave launch markets.

On the 18th, the launch day for the iPhone 18 series, customers began arriving at Apple Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul, from early morning to pick up preordered products. The store operated by admitting about 20 people at a time at the start, based on the order of the queue.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could not be bought immediately in stores that day. Sales were handled through online orders followed by in-store pickup.

The first two customers to pick up the products both mentioned the variable aperture as their reason for buying. The new variable aperture feature was cited as the background for the early customers' choices.

The first buyer in Korea was Lee Young-ju. Lee responded to an interview after picking up an iPhone 18 Pro Glacier 512GB model at Apple Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 18th.

Lee Young-ju waited in front of the store from 7 p.m. the previous evening. He has used a new iPhone every year since the iPhone 14, and his most recent device was the iPhone 17 Air.

Lee Young-ju cited performance and the camera as the reasons for choosing the new product. As a hobby, he photographs the moon and stars, and he said he hoped to try shooting the moon and stars with the variable aperture. The photo was taken by reporter Kim Byung-ju.

Lee said the camera changes were the feature he looked forward to most compared with last year, and that he was especially anticipating the variable aperture. The 48MP Fusion main camera on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max features a variable aperture, allowing users to select aperture values depending on their shooting environment. This also makes it possible to control incoming light and adjust depth of field depending on the chosen aperture value.

There were also concerns about the price. In Korea, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at KRW 1.99 million, while the Pro Max starts at KRW 2.19 million. The starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro rose by KRW 200,000 from the previous model.

Lee said the KRW 200,000 price increase made him worry about buying the phone. Still, he noted that he has a habit of needing to replace his phone every year.

Compared with the Air model he used previously, Lee said the speaker and camera on this product had improved. He also said color influenced his choice. The color Lee picked was Glacier, while the colors he did not choose were Black, Silver, and Burgundy.

Lee also said he regretted that Pro models always had colors that were dark or dull. He added that he hoped Apple would release pastel-toned colors like the regular series and also wanted more card issuers to support Apple Pay in Korea.

At Apple Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 18th, witnesses said the size of the on-site waiting line was shorter than in previous years. Lee said the line was shorter than at previous launches and had also decreased compared with last year and the year before. However, it was difficult to judge demand for the new products based on the queue alone that day.

That was because the conditions differed from previous launches. Lee said this time in-store purchases were not available and only pickup customers could enter. The store was also operating without on-site sales.

That day, the store was run with a focus on in-store pickup of products ordered online in advance. As a result, there were limits to simply comparing the size of the on-site queue with previous launches.

In this situation, video director Park Young-keun gave an interview immediately after picking up an iPhone 18 Pro. The 34-year-old Park was the second recipient that day. The product he chose was an iPhone 18 Pro Burgundy 256GB.

Park Young-keun waited in front of the store from 7:30 p.m. the previous day. He cited the variable aperture as the reason for choosing the new product. Park's previous device was the iPhone 16 Pro.

Park cited the variable aperture as the decisive reason for choosing the new product. He said he bought it because he considered the aperture revolutionary.

Park explained that in the past he solved image and video problems with software, but now he expects the device itself to produce better results. For that reason, he prioritized shooting features over storage capacity.

Park explained that 256GB was enough because he uses separate storage devices. He also said he majored in design and has used Macs since his 20s.

Park said his familiarity with Apple devices and software was a reason he continues to use the iPhone. His experience using the existing Apple ecosystem was also cited as background for continuing to choose the iPhone.

The iPhone 18 Pro comes with a variable aperture. The iPhone 18 Pro also has enhanced shooting and editing features and supports Dual Capture, which uses the front and rear cameras at the same time. In addition, Audio Mix in recorded videos can emphasize the voices of subjects within the frame.

On site, customers in the store were seen photographing subjects while directly changing the aperture value. They also checked the difference on screen as the aperture changed.

There were also scenes of people using Dual Capture to place the photographer and subject in a single frame.

The photo subjects were the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The photographer was identified as reporter Kim Byung-ju.

As product specifications, Apple was said to have equipped the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with the A20 Pro chip.

Apple also applied a vapor chamber. The vapor chamber is intended to manage heat during high-load tasks.

However, expectations for the new products were not the only sentiment. Park works as both a video director and an AI instructor.

Park pointed to AI as the most disappointing part of the new products. He said he was disappointed with AI. He also said that for heavy users, functional features matter more than usability, and that improvements to the features themselves are what draw interest.

At the store, customers were given a chance to experience artificial intelligence features related to the new iPhone. The hands-on items included photo editing functions based on Apple Intelligence.

The live demonstration introduced a feature for changing the composition of a photographed image. It also showed how to extend the background beyond the edges of the screen.

The hands-on demo also included 'Visual Intelligence' using Camera Control. 'Visual Intelligence' was introduced as a way to point the camera at an object and search for related information. A method of asking questions based on information on the screen was also demonstrated.

Products launched on the same day included the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. Those products were displayed in the store.

Interest was also mentioned in Apple's first foldable smartphone, the 'iPhone Duo.' The expected domestic launch timing for the 'iPhone Duo' is next month. The start date for domestic preorders for the iPhone Duo is October 16.

The first buyer, Lee, showed interest in the 'iPhone Duo.' However, Lee said he would rather wait for a follow-up model than buy the first generation right away. Lee said he was interested in buying the 'iPhone Duo' but planned to challenge himself for the second generation.

Source: IT DAILY · Kim Byung-ju
Original: https://www.itdaily.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=241716

References

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