r/iPhone18

I have to gift my wife her first iphone and not sure if 18 or 18 pro is the right one. This will be her first apple device and her last android phone she used for over 5 years, so obviously with iPhone also this is going to be the case. What do you advise? Another thought is 17 or 17 pro makes sense to purchase now without waiting till 18 is launched or wait and buy the latest one makes more sense. Please advise.