Apple expects iPhone shipments to return to growth in 2020

Apple Inc expects iPhone sales to return to growth next year as the introduction of a line of 5G devices supercharges demand, a person familiar with the company’s production plans said. Apple aims to ship more than 200 million handsets in 2020 after introducing more than four new iPhone models, possibly including 4G and 5G models and a low-cost successor to the budget iPhone SE device, the person said. That’s up from analysts’ estimates of about 170 million to 190 million for 2019, snapping at least a year of stagnant sales.

The lineup, however, isn’t finalized and Apple’s plans may change, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential plans. Smartphone makers from Samsung Electronics Co to Huawei Technologies Co have already put 5G-capable devices on the market, betting that the emergence of the newest generation of wireless technology will drive innovation from automated factories to smart homes, exciting consumers and underpinning their businesses in coming years.