The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone

Imagine a world where the seeds of the smartphone were planted long before the sleek devices we carry today existed. The journey begins with the IBM Simon, a hefty, brick-sized marvel from the early 1990s that dared to combine communication and computing in a single handheld device. Though it weighed heavily in your hand and could barely last hours on a charge, it introduced a revolutionary concept: a touchscreen interface paired with applications like a calendar, email, and games. This was not just a phone; it was a glimpse into the future.

Yet, despite its groundbreaking features, the Simon was a commercial failure, selling only 50,000 units. Why? The technology of the time was barely mature enough to support it. Batteries drained quickly, networks were slow and unreliable, and the device was expensive and bulky. The vision was ahead of its time, but the world wasn’t quite ready.

Long before the Simon, the idea of connected devices was already woven into the fabric of imagination. In the late 19th century, cartoons and novels depicted families communicating across continents via moving images and sound, an early echo of today’s FaceTime and video calls. These cultural artifacts reveal a persistent human desire: to bridge distances and stay connected.

At the heart of this technological evolution lies the telephone, invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. Initially dismissed as a scientific curiosity, it took decades before the telephone became an indispensable part of daily life. This story reminds us that even the most transformative inventions must overcome skepticism and slow adoption.

From these early roots, the smartphone’s lineage is clear: a blend of visionary ideas, incremental technological advances, and cultural aspirations. Understanding this foundation helps us appreciate the complex tapestry of innovation that culminated in the device we now hold dear.

As we move forward, we’ll explore the hidden materials and human stories behind the iPhone’s creation, revealing the global journey from mine to market.