Apple is reportedly not planning to move to the full-screen in-display fingerprint reader currently being used by other dominant smartphone vendors.
The company dispensed with its Touch ID fingerprint sensors that featured in earlier iPhone iterations up to the iPhone 8, with the launch of the iPhone X last year.
It opted instead for Face ID, its facial recognition technology, partly because current sensors have more limited support for OLED screens, which Apple now uses in its iPhones.
Additionally, the facial technology has been highly effective, analysts say, making another form of identification redundant.
Apple is expected to announce a launch date for the iPhone XS model, a larger Plus version, and possibly a cheaper LCD model, some time in the next two weeks.
The company has also maintained its position as the top global smartwatch vendor, selling 4.7 million Apple Watches and capturing 17 per cent of the total market, analyst IDC said in a report.
Fitbit, Huawei, and Garmin remain a long way behind the market leader, due largely to higher demand for smartwatches with a wide range of features, IDC said.
