Apple inks deal with Australian-based Microlatch, to work on fingerprint recognition technology

Apple have just signed off on a deal with Australian-based Microlatch, where they'll work on fingerprint recognition technology. Ex-Commonwealth Bank head, and now major Microlatch investor, David Murray, claims that the help Apple are after, is related to mobile payments using near-field communications (NFC) technology.

Microlatch has patented fingerprint technology that is said to meet banking security standards, all without the need for central processing - something Murray calls a "self-registering" system. The iPhone 5 may not have NFC technology, but with this latest deal it looks like Apple are one step closer to an NFC filled future.

We already have Passbook in iOS 6, with this possibly the start of Apple's NFC journey. Apple's iPhone 5S might sport NFC tech, but would they be too late to the game? Or will they do it in a way that really beats their competitors' NFC-based smartphones?