Apple could be bringing back the iPhone X after the updates have failed to sell in high enough numbers, according to a new report.

The iPhone X was killed off when the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR arrived in September this year. It is no longer available to buy through Apple stores and has been entirely replaced.

But Apple is looking to resume production after those new phones didn't sell in the numbers expected, according to the Wall Street Journal. Numerous reports have suggested that the new and expensive new models have underperformed and the decision follows that, the report suggested.

Making the iPhone X is thought to be cheaper than the iPhone XS, despite sharing largely the same design, because the phone is now more than a year old. That could allow Apple to put the phone back on sale at a lower price.

The new handsets released in September were available at an increased price compared with previous years: the new iPhone XR, pitched as the more affordable model, begins at the same price the top-end phones had been marketed at until the iPhone X came along.

Instead of buying those new phones, customers have been opting for the iPhone 8, according to numerous reports. Price-conscious customers are realising they could buy last year's handset instead for a much lower cost – despite it not featuring the brand new iPhone design – and that is thought to be having an impact on sales of the more expensive models.

It is not clear when the iPhone X will be re-introduced to the line-up, or even if it will make it back onto sale. The iPhone X features an almost identical design to the iPhone XS, but misses out on new features such as an improved camera and upgraded processor.