• The One Device

  • The Secret History of the iPhone
  • By: Brian Merchant
  • Narrated by: Tristan Morris
  • Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (605 ratings)

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The One Device  By  cover art

The One Device

By: Brian Merchant
Narrated by: Tristan Morris
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Publisher's summary

The secret history of the invention that changed everything - and became the most profitable product in the world.

Odds are that right now, an iPhone is within reach. But before Steve Jobs introduced us to "the one device", as he called it, a cell phone was merely what you used to make calls on the go.

How did the iPhone transform our world and turn Apple into the most valuable company ever? Veteran technology journalist Brian Merchant reveals the inside story you won't hear from Cupertino - based on his exclusive interviews with the engineers, inventors, and developers who guided every stage of the iPhone's creation.

This deep dive takes you from inside One Infinite Loop to 19th century France to WWII America, from the driest place on earth to a Kenyan pit of toxic e-waste, and even deep inside Shenzhen's notorious "suicide factories". It's a firsthand look at how the cutting-edge tech that makes the world work - touch screens, motion trackers, and even AI - made their way into our pockets.

The One Device is a road map for design and engineering genius, an anthropology of the modern age, and an unprecedented view into one of the most secretive companies in history. This is the untold account, 10 years in the making, of the device that changed everything.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Brian Merchant (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

" The One Device is a tour de force, with fast-paced edge and heaps of analytical insight." (Ashlee Vance, New York Times best-selling author of Elon Musk)
"A stunning book. You will never look at your iPhone the same way again." (Dan Lyons, New York Times best-selling author of Disrupted)

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What listeners say about The One Device

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TECH PORN AT ITS BEST

Any additional comments?

This book was so much fun. I loved it. It teaches the history of every element of iPhone. a glimpse into how it all came together. The soap opera that is Steve Jobs.

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8 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Slow Start, But Good Read

Am a developer, specially in the iOS field, and really enjoyed learning about how the development of the first iPhone went and how it happened.

I didn't enjoy the starting bit when it was all about the material used to make the iPhone. The reason I bought is to know more about the birth of the iPhone.

If you are interested in knowing that, then go of it. It will be a bit slow thought at the start.

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7 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting enough, however

Almost finished this one, up to the point where the author mentions (paraphrasing) that although the iPhone was mostly designed by white males, it is hard to gauge the design bias...
Enough of this PC (pun intended) nonsense injected into every conversation. Could you image if during the design phase of the iPhone they had to stop and ask, gee, I wonder if out engineering team is diverse enough? I doubt Samsung is concerned whether or not their team is too Asian or too male. Apple obviously was concerned about having the best possible people working on their projects, irrespective of gender or race, as they should have been.

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7 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting read

It left me wanting a little more info to be honest. I feel like there is a lot of the story that only Apple itself can tell but probably never will.

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5 people found this helpful

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Great book about the iPhone creation

Heard the writer on the TWiT network triangulation. Loved how he communicated and instantly bought the book. Listen to it in two days and I'm now on my second run through. Some of the stories you've heard before if you've read some of the Steve Jobs biography's, however he goes into much greater detail. This one definitely deserves five stars.

Gary
Victorville, California.

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Great

You want to know where the iPhone comes from. This book gives you what you need to know of the man hours that make the device in your pocket happen.

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4 people found this helpful

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Fascinating!

Great story. Very enjoyable and entertaining.
Would recommend this book to anyone who interested in iPhones.

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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It's okay, I guess

While the book does a good job of featuring some of the forgotten pioneers of multi-touch and other technologies incorporated in the iPhone, the book feels like one big hit job on Steve Jobs and Apple. It seems the author wants the readers to know that Apple (and Jobs, specifically) is not that special for creating the iPhone, and that other people are more worthy of the praise it gets.

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3 people found this helpful

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Thought provoking

gonna put my phone down now. After sobering revelations from listening to this book. Indepth look is a must listen for any die hard iphone fan.

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3 people found this helpful

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Mixed bag

It was a very well written and researched book. Also extremely interesting. Listener beware though. The book is generously sprinkled with profanity. Mostly the honest passing on of the words and statements of those interviewed. For me though that was a big distraction and the main reason why I probably wouldn't pass the book on.

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2 people found this helpful