A Chinese man holds his son as they look at iPhones on display at an Apple store on January 7, 2019 in Beijing, China.

Apple is in the final stages of certifying premium smartphone displays from Chinese tech firm BOE Technology Group for the iPhone, according to a report from the Nikkei.

The Nikkei, citing sources, said that Apple was "aggressively testing" BOE's flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, adding the company would decide by the end of the year whether to take the company on as a supplier of the panels.

The move is aimed at cutting costs and reducing Apple's reliance on Samsung, the Nikkei reported.

The U.S. tech giant is expected to unveil its new flagship phones in September, and speculation has grown over what Apple will bring to the table with the latest models. Last year, the company brought out three new models, the XS, XS Max and XR.