What will I learn about: why Steve Jobs initially resisted creating a mobile phone to avoid carrier interference, waiting until Apple could secure absolute control over the device's development?

Discover why Steve Jobs initially resisted creating a mobile phone to avoid carrier interference, waiting until Apple could secure absolute control over the device's development.

What will I learn about: Learn how Apple overcame massive hardware limitations to pioneer groundbreaking features, such as multi-touch navigation and military-grade Gorilla Glass screens?

Learn how Apple overcame massive hardware limitations to pioneer groundbreaking features, such as multi-touch navigation and military-grade Gorilla Glass screens.

What will I learn about: the extreme, obsessive lengths Apple went to keep the iPhone project secret, utilizing partitioned offices, double nondisclosure agreements, and fake schematics for suppliers?

Understand the extreme, obsessive lengths Apple went to keep the iPhone project secret, utilizing partitioned offices, double nondisclosure agreements, and fake schematics for suppliers.

What will I learn about: how internal rivalry drove the iPhone's software evolution when top executives fiercely competed over using an upgraded iPod system versus a scaled-down Mac OS?

Find out how internal rivalry drove the iPhone's software evolution when top executives fiercely competed over using an upgraded iPod system versus a scaled-down Mac OS.

What will I learn about: Explore the origins of the bitter tech dogfight between Apple and Google, and see how a friendly partnership devolved into a ruthless battle for smartphone supremacy?

Explore the origins of the bitter tech dogfight between Apple and Google, and see how a friendly partnership devolved into a ruthless battle for smartphone supremacy.

Dogfight

How Apple and Google Went to War and Started a Revolution

Fred Vogelstein

★ 4.5 / 5(22 ratings)

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Biography & Memoir Entrepreneurship Economics

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that the heads of Apple and Google were once such close allies that Google’s CEO sat on Apple’s board—until a single device turned them into bitter enemies?
💡Have you ever wondered what secret maneuvers and boardroom betrayals actually sparked the cutthroat war for dominance over your smartphone?
💡Are you curious about the high-stakes power plays that forced two tech giants to abandon their partnership and fight a 'dogfight' for the future of the mobile world?

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Key Takeaways from Dogfight

✓Discover why Steve Jobs initially resisted creating a mobile phone to avoid carrier interference, waiting until Apple could secure absolute control over the device's development.
✓Learn how Apple overcame massive hardware limitations to pioneer groundbreaking features, such as multi-touch navigation and military-grade Gorilla Glass screens.
✓Understand the extreme, obsessive lengths Apple went to keep the iPhone project secret, utilizing partitioned offices, double nondisclosure agreements, and fake schematics for suppliers.
✓Find out how internal rivalry drove the iPhone's software evolution when top executives fiercely competed over using an upgraded iPod system versus a scaled-down Mac OS.
✓Explore the origins of the bitter tech dogfight between Apple and Google, and see how a friendly partnership devolved into a ruthless battle for smartphone supremacy.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Dogfight

Mind Map

Dogfight

Early Apple Mobile Strategy+

Developing the iPhone+

The iPhone Launch+

Google's Secret Pivot+

The Betrayal and Patent Wars+

Ongoing Ecosystem Battles+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

Why was Steve Jobs initially reluctant to develop an Apple phone?

A. He believed the market was already saturated with MP3-capable phones.
B. He didn't want phone carriers to have control over the device's development and marketing.
C. He thought mobile internet speeds were too slow to support a web browser.
D. He lacked the engineering team to build a proprietary operating system.

Question 2 of 8

How did Apple solve the problem of creating a durable, scratch-resistant screen for the first iPhone?

A. By developing a new type of plexiglass in-house that could survive drop tests.
B. By using standard glass but coating it with a proprietary anti-shatter resin.
C. By partnering with Corning to produce gorilla glass, originally developed for fighter jets.
D. By purchasing the patent for a scratch-resistant screen from Motorola.

Question 3 of 8

Which of the following best describes Steve Jobs's approach to keeping the iPhone's development a secret?

A. He only allowed top executives to work on the project in a remote, off-site facility.
B. He patented every single component under dummy corporations to hide Apple's involvement.
C. He outsourced the software development to overseas teams who didn't know what hardware they were coding for.
D. He compartmentalized teams, required multiple NDAs, and even gave component suppliers fake schematics.

Question 4 of 8

What was the core technical disagreement between Apple executives Tony Fadell and Scott Forstall regarding the development of the iPhone?

A. Whether to use an upgraded iPod operating system or a compressed version of Mac's OS X.
B. Whether the phone should have a physical keyboard or a virtual multi-touch keyboard.
C. Whether to partner with AT&T or release the phone as an unlocked device.
D. Whether the phone should focus primarily on music or on internet browsing.

Question 5 of 8

Why did Google abandon its initial Android smartphone prototype, known as the 'Sooner'?

A. Steve Jobs successfully sued Google to halt its production.
B. The Open Handset Alliance refused to support its proprietary software.
C. It was completely overshadowed by the groundbreaking design and multi-touch screen of the 2007 iPhone.
D. The hardware manufacturer, HTC, went bankrupt during the development phase.

Question 6 of 8

What was the reality behind the scenes of Steve Jobs's seemingly flawless 2007 iPhone launch presentation?

A. The phones were highly unstable, forcing Jobs to secretly switch between multiple devices when they crashed.
B. The software was actually running on a hidden Mac computer rather than the phone itself.
C. The presentation was entirely pre-recorded to avoid live technical failures.
D. The multi-touch screen was operated by an engineer backstage using a remote connection.

Question 7 of 8

When Apple launched its epic legal battle against Android's multi-touch features, why did Jobs primarily sue phone manufacturers like HTC and Samsung instead of Google directly?

A. Google had a cross-licensing agreement with Apple that prevented direct lawsuits.
B. The Federal Communications Commission prohibited suing software providers over hardware patents.
C. Jobs still considered Google's executives to be his friends and wanted to spare them.
D. Google didn't actually manufacture the phones and gave the Android software away for free.

Question 8 of 8

Why did Apple's initial rejection of the Google Voice app create a public relations problem for the company?

A. It revealed that Apple was secretly sharing user contact databases with third parties.
B. It caused a major glitch in the iOS system that crashed millions of iPhones.
C. It made Apple look like a control freak withholding a popular, useful app from its users.
D. It proved that Apple's own voice-calling technology was vastly inferior to Google's.

Dogfight — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Steve Jobs was hesitant to create a phone, preferring to focus on the iPod and iTunes.
32 — Apple set out to build a phone with groundbreaking features people had never seen before.
43 — Steve Jobs took extreme measures to keep the iPhone’s development completely secret.
54 — Apple stars Tony Fadell and Scott Forstall battled for control of the iPhone project.
65 — While working with Apple on the iPhone, Google was secretly developing its own smartphone project.
76 — Pre-launch issues left iPhone engineers anxious, but Apple still hit its deadline.
87 — Jobs felt betrayed when Google revealed the scope of Android and its competitive ambitions.
98 — As new Android phones added multi-touch features, Apple began an epic legal fight.
109 — Apple’s legal battles with Google hurt its image, but the company kept pushing to compete.
1110 — Final summary

Dogfight Summary & Overview

Dogfight (2013) recounts the tale of how a once amicable business partnership between tech giants Apple and Google turned into a bitter rivalry as the companies fought for control of the mobile internet device market.

Who Should Listen to Dogfight?

Business students and technology aficionados
Prospective smartphone buyers trying to decide between Apple and Google
People curious about the rivalry between Apple and Google

About the Author: Fred Vogelstein

Fred Vogelstein is a journalist and former staff writer for Fortune and The Wall Street Journal. He is also a contributing editor at Wired magazine. Dogfight is his first book.

Dogfight

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Dogfight — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Dogfight

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Dogfight — Full Chapter Overview

Dogfight Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Dogfight?

About the Author: Fred Vogelstein

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