With Apple looking to get more deeply into the mobile payments game, it makes all the sense in the world that the company would equip its iPads with Touch ID fingerprint scanners like the ones found in the iPhone 5s. MacRumors points us to some new evidence uncovered by French iOS developer @bp_unicorn, who has discovered references to the iPad in the latest Touch ID code in iOS 7.1.
Although this reference to the iPad has been present in past iOS updates, MacRumors says that it’s still an indication that Apple is working on getting Touch ID support ready for the iPad. And really, there’s no reason to think otherwise, especially since Amazon has had such success turning its Kindle Fire line of tablets into lucrative shopping portals for its online retail operation.
Apple revealed during its quarterly earnings report this week that it now has more than 800 million users with iTunes accounts and the vast majority of them have registered their credit cards with the online store. Many analysts have said that this is a major potential untapped resource that could help Apple generate even more revenue if it can successfully figure out how to make its smartphones and tablets into popular mobile payment devices.
