Square Intros a Newer, Thinner Card Reader and a New Website

After using Vine to get the ball rolling on Sunday, Square showed off a brand new credit card reader yesterday — one that is much thinner than the previous version and is compatible with a wider variety of smartphones. The slimmed-down card reader, which Square says will show up in 30,o00 retail locations next year, is about half as thick as the previous version.

The Verge notes that this puts the Square Reader at about the same thickness as an iPhone 5s — which is thin to the point of absurdity.

A lot of the credit has to go to former Apple hardware whiz Jesse Dorogusker, who left Cupertino to join Square as its VP of Hardware early last year.A redesign of the Square Reader’s internals, as well as the company’s decision to go with custom-components, allowed for the device to become more thin. The company states that the new dongle has a more “satisfying” swipe, and that the swipe accuracy when running a credit card through is now higher. Thanks to a redesigned audio jack, the Square Reader is now compatible with more phones and tablets, as well.

In addition to showing off a new Square Reader, Square also rolled out a brand new website that both shows off its new reader and helps companies find the best Square setup for the type of business they’re running.

We’ll keep an eye on Square and let you know when, and where, you can pick up the company’s new reader at retail. You could also try your luck ordering one on the company’s website, though we can’t say for sure if you’d get an older version of the reader or a new one.