The One Device audiobook cover - The Secret History of the iPhone

The One Device

The Secret History of the iPhone

Brian Merchant

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Technology & the Future

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The One Device
Origins & True Inventors+
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Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
Who initiated the early development of the iPhone's multi-touch and user interface technology?
  • A. Steve Jobs, who personally handpicked a team of designers to build a smartphone.
  • B. Engineers at IBM who sold their touchscreen prototype to Apple.
  • C. A small group of Apple employees experimenting secretly without Steve Jobs's knowledge.
  • D. Horace Dediu, a technology-industry expert hired by Apple.
Question 2 of 8
What was the primary reason the first smartphone, IBM's Simon Personal Communicator, failed to achieve widespread popularity?
  • A. The device's hard drive couldn't support all the apps without making the phone impractically large.
  • B. The public was not yet interested in mobile applications like GPS and stock tickers.
  • C. It lacked a touchscreen interface, making it overly complicated to use.
  • D. Apple sued IBM for patent infringement, halting the device's production.
Question 3 of 8
How did John Goodenough improve early lithium-ion battery design to make it viable for modern electronics?
  • A. He replaced the zinc and carbon components entirely with pure lithium.
  • B. He developed a method to connect the battery to a wall outlet to reverse the flow of electrons safely.
  • C. He opened a massive lithium-ion battery plant to mass-produce the batteries under safe conditions.
  • D. He substituted titanium with cobalt oxide, which stopped the batteries from overheating and catching fire.
Question 4 of 8
Which of the following is true regarding Apple's initial attitude toward the iPhone camera?
  • A. They considered it the single most essential feature to compete with Nokia's high-resolution cameras.
  • B. They did not consider the camera to be an essential feature of the original iPhone.
  • C. They dedicated a massive 800-person division to perfect the camera before the very first launch.
  • D. They delayed the original iPhone release specifically to invent the front-facing "selfie" camera.
Question 5 of 8
What early technological breakthrough served as a direct inspiration for the development of Siri?
  • A. A natural-language search engine created by John McCarthy in 1956.
  • B. A speech-interface system called Hearsay II developed by Dabbala Rajagopal Reddy.
  • C. An artificial intelligence hardware module built into the Simon Personal Communicator.
  • D. A predictive text algorithm designed by researchers at MIT Media Lab.
Question 6 of 8
Why is Cerro Rico in Bolivia, a major source of tin for iPhone components, known as "The Mountain That Eats Men"?
  • A. It is an active volcano that frequently erupts, destroying nearby mining encampments.
  • B. Local cartels heavily guard the mountain, leading to frequent violent clashes with miners.
  • C. Millions of miners have died there over the centuries due to starvation, freezing temperatures, and cave-ins.
  • D. The mountain is so remote that supply chains regularly fail, leaving miners stranded without food.
Question 7 of 8
How did Foxconn and Steve Jobs respond to the tragic wave of worker suicides at the Shenzhen plant in 2010?
  • A. Foxconn installed suicide nets around the buildings, and Jobs dismissed the issue by comparing the suicide rate to that of average universities.
  • B. Foxconn raised wages significantly, and Jobs publicly apologized for the harsh working conditions.
  • C. Foxconn completely automated the factory to remove human workers, and Jobs shifted production to South America.
  • D. Foxconn closed the Longhua plant entirely, and Jobs personally audited all remaining Chinese manufacturing facilities.
Question 8 of 8
According to the book, what is a dual purpose of the intense security measures (like facial recognition and barbed wire) at Apple supplier factories like Pegatron?
  • A. To protect against rival companies stealing raw materials and to ensure workers do not unionize.
  • B. To prevent workers from stealing finished iPhones and to keep local authorities from inspecting the plants.
  • C. To track the exact number of hours worked for fair compensation and to prevent unauthorized breaks.
  • D. To protect intellectual property and to insulate the company from bad press regarding working conditions.

The One Device — Full Chapter Overview

The One Device Summary & Overview

The One Device (2017) lays out the history of what may be the most important piece of technology on the market: the Apple iPhone. From an interview with an IBM engineer to the frightening depths of a Bolivian mine, Merchant takes us everywhere and explains how the iPhone was born and what it means for the world.

Who Should Listen to The One Device?

  • Tech geeks and gadget nerds
  • Lovers of technological history
  • iPhone users

About the Author: Brian Merchant

Brian Merchant is a journalist of science and technology. His writing has appeared in the Guardian, Slate, Fortune magazine and the Los Angeles Times, among many other publications. He’s also an editor for Motherboard – the science and technology department of VICE.

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