The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone

The One Device traces the invention and development of the iPhone, the product that transformed Apple into the world's most valuable company. Veteran technology journalist Brian Merchant draws on exclusive interviews with the engineers, inventors, and developers involved in creating the device to reveal the inside story of its development. The book explores how the iPhone changed the way people use mobile phones, moving beyond simple call-making to become a central device in daily life. Merchant's investigation spans from Apple's headquarters to 19th century France, WWII America, and manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen, examining how technologies like touch screens, motion trackers, and AI were incorporated into the device. The narrative also addresses the global supply chain and resource extraction involved in iPhone production. Offered as both a design and engineering case study and a broader look at modern technology and society, The One Device provides an account of how one product reshaped the world.