Though the press has been happy to talk up giants such as Disney and Sony as potential buyout targets for Apple, its next move may well have a more logistical ring to it.

That's if Google doesn't get there first, of course.

TechCrunch reports both parties are currently in talks to buyout payments specialist Boku, which launched its in-app payments system for Android back in June.

Talking the talk

The website alleges Boku president and CEO Mark Britto and co-founder Ron Hirso have held 'multiple talks' with Apple's iPhone executives in the last three weeks, while the firm has also engaged in high level meetings with Google's director of engineering Michael Morrissey.

If interest is upheld on both sides, a bidding war could well be on the cards.

The two parties previously locked horns – if speculation is to be believed – over the purchase of AdMob, which eventually ended up in Google's hands for $750 million.

Any move for Boku - which TechCrunch claims may well have caught both Apple and Google's attention due to its close relationship with carriers on both sides of the Atlantic - is likely to come in somewhat below that fee, with a figure in the range of $250 million to $450 million currently being touted.

Boku, which was valued at $100 million back in January, competes in the in-payments market on Android with PayPal, Mastercard, Zong and RubyCoins, amongst others.

[source: TechCrunch]