Apple Working On Fingerprint Recognition In Collaboration With Microlatch [Report]

David Murray, former head of the Commonwealth Bank and a lead investor in Australian firm Microlatch, has said that Apple has signed a deal to work with Microlatch on fingerprint recognition technology for integration with mobile payments via near field communications (NFC), according to a report by MacRumors.

A couple of months back, Apple acquired fingerprint sensor maker AuthenTec for $356 million, an acquisition that led to predictions that AuthenTec will be the perfect fit for Apple as a mobile wallet payment system. However, this new report by The Australian suggests that Apple is now seeking other expertise to assist with its mobile payments effort.

Mr Murray said the company had an agreement with the notoriously secretive Apple to develop fingerprint technology for use in near-field communications applications. 

Microlatch has patented fingerprint identification technology that meets banking security standards without the need for central processing or storage; a process Mr Murray described as “self-registering”.

Right now, Apple’s partnership with Microlatch cannot be confirmed thought it’s clear that Apple is serious about introducing fingerprint recognition and mobile payment technology in the near future. While many have been predicting Apple to include NFC in iPhone since 2011, the company has decided not to include it in the iPhone 4S and even in the redesigned iPhone 5.

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