Why it matters: Apple for years has influenced the direction of the smartphone industry. As we settle into 2019, eyes are once again turning to the Cupertino tech giant to get a feel for where it plans to take the iPhone this fall.

Apple is planning to launch three new iPhone models later this year according to sources familiar with the matter as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

One of the new handsets will be a successor to the struggling iPhone XR, the entry-level device Apple introduced in 2018 with an LCD screen. The high-end 2019 iPhone will reportedly feature three rear-facing cameras, we're told, while the other phones will have two rear shooters.

Sony last month said it was ramping up production of next-gen 3D sensors for mobile cameras after having received interest from manufacturing partners.


In an ideal world, Apple probably wouldn't launch an entry-level device in 2019 but because the LCD iPhone has been in the product pipeline for so long, abandoning it at this stage would make even less sense, the sources suggested.

Come 2020, Apple could drop the LCD model and shift its entire iPhone line to OLED displays, some of the people said.

Apple, like other handset makers, has been grappling with the reality that consumers aren't upgrading their phones as often as they once did. Eliminating its entry-level offering and focusing solely on more expensive phones could help generate more revenue.