My Daughter Waited Three Years for This iPhone

 My daughter is what Koreans jokingly call an "Apple orchard owner." She's a die-hard fan who won't use anything but an iPhone. 🍎

 Three years of waiting, finally in her hand.

It's not just the iPhone. She has an iPad, a MacBook, AirPods, and AirPods Max. She even prefers genuine Apple chargers and accessories whenever she can. She's fully settled into the Apple ecosystem.

Her iPhone 15 Pro's battery had been getting worse, and honestly, her eyes lit up when the 17 Pro came out last year. But then she said, "Mom, I'll hold on a little longer and switch when the 18 comes out."

She usually upgrades every two years, so hearing her say she'd make it to three made me quietly proud. Part of me also wondered if she'd really hold out that long.

And finally, the iPhone 18 Pro arrived. I pre-ordered it at a local store near me and shipped it to her in Seoul. It reached her on Saturday.

"Mom, this color is insane"

That night, she got home late from her part-time job and must have unboxed it then. I was already asleep, but my phone kept pinging with KakaoTalk messages.

When I woke up, there was a whole stream of texts: "Mom, this color is insane." "The screen is insane." 😂 I had to laugh. She must have been so excited that she couldn't help texting her sleeping mom.

The camera I'm most curious about. Can't wait to see her photos.

She chose black

She went with black, but according to her, it's not just black. It's a "deep black," a "black you could fall into."

She actually went back and forth between burgundy, silver, and one more color. But since she'd be using a case anyway, she chose the black that looked best with it.

Me? I'm a white iPhone person. My iPhone 17 Air is white too. I'm from the generation that fell in love with the white iPhone 4 back in the Steve Jobs era. 😄 So at first I said, "White's pretty too, you know." But after seeing photos of her phone, I have to admit this deep black has its charm. I guess your taste can still grow as you get older.

Her favorite thing, surprisingly: the battery

What really amazes her these days is the battery. Her part-time job is outdoor site cleanup, so she's out all day with almost no chance to charge.

But she's been bragging every day that her iPhone 18 Pro still has plenty of battery even after a long day. With the 15 Pro, she'd start worrying about her battery by afternoon. Now that stress is pretty much gone, she says.

According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro lasts up to 24 hours of typical use on a single charge. Apple also says it can reach 50% in around 15 minutes when used with a 60W-capable adapter or higher, which turns out to be a genuinely practical change for a daughter working outdoors all day.

Not just black, but a "black you could fall into," according to her.

She loves the bigger screen too

It's a bit bigger than her 15 Pro. She's never been particularly sensitive to phone weight, so the slightly larger size hasn't bothered her. If anything, she says the bigger screen feels easier on her eyes.

"The screen is insane." Her words, not mine.

Looking forward to the camera

The camera is probably the feature I'm most curious to see in real life. The 48MP Fusion main camera now has a variable aperture for the first time on an iPhone, with four settings that can adjust how much of a scene stays in focus.

The new A20 Pro chip is faster and more power-efficient, but honestly, she doesn't care much about any of that.

"Mom, as long as the photos look good and the battery lasts, that's all I need."

Isn't that how most real users feel? 😂

Unboxed late at night, right after her part-time shift.

Three years of waiting

After waiting three years, she finally has her iPhone 18 Pro. I'm looking forward to seeing how much she gets out of it.

And I'm already a little curious how many years she'll wait next time. 😄

---

Are you team black or team white when it comes to iPhones? Tell me in the comments! 💬