Gallery: How Apple's Lightning-Plug Guru Reinvented Square's Card Reader

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    01

    The new Square Reader teardown. Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

    The new Square Reader is 45 percent thinner than the previous version--a slimming that took careful consideration of the device's components. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
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    02

    The new Square Reader with Visa card. Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

    The effort was led by Square's VP of Hardware, Jesse Dorogusker, formerly the head of accessories at Apple. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
  • Image may contain Electronics Phone Mobile Phone and Cell Phone
    03

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    The old Square Reader (left) vs. the new Square Reader. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
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    04

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    The brains of the operation is a new custom chip. Here it is compared to the Reader itself. It's tiny. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
  • Square also developed a new custom read headthe piece that swipes data from the card itself. The two rectangles here...
    05

    Assemble via SMT (surface mount technology). Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

    Square also developed a new custom read head--the piece that swipes data from the card itself. The two rectangles here draw from two different data bands hidden in the card's magnetic stripe. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
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    06

    Bare Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPC). Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

    A close look at the flexible circuit board. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
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    07

    The new Square Reader, plugged into iPad. Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

    The new Reader has a tapered lip on both sides, making it easier for customers to situate their card. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
  • The guts sitting in the plastic enclosure. Photo Josh ValcarcelWIRED
    08

    Hand assemble. Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

    The guts sitting in the plastic enclosure. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
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    09

    Audio Plug. Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

    The new chip allowed for a low power operation. It let Square ditch the coin cell battery of the previous version and draw all power from the smartphone via the audio jack. *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
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