Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Dogfight summary
Fred Vogelstein
How Apple and Google Went to War and Started a Revolution
20 mins
Brief summary
Dogfight by Fred Vogelstein is a non-fiction book that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the rivalry between Apple and Google in the smartphone industry. It explores the intense competition and high stakes involved in creating the technology that shapes our lives.
Table of Contents
Dogfight
Summary of 9 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 9
Steve Jobs was reluctant to develop a phone, choosing to focus instead on the iPod and iTunes.
In 2001, the technology market was wowed with the introduction of Apple’s iPod. Yet the device had only one function: playing music.
Meanwhile, Apple executives had been dreaming for some time of creating an Apple phone, but Steve Jobs didn’t share their dreams.
He didn’t want to waste money and effort developing a phone that would only end up being meddled with by the large phone carriers, such as T-Mobile or AT&T. At the time, companies that manufactured phones depended on carriers not just for marketing but also for subsidizing a phone’s purchase price; thus carriers had a big say in the development of any phone technology.
True to character, Jobs didn’t accept this situation, as he wanted Apple to have full control over any phone it developed.
Apple instead focused its efforts on the iTunes Store, a service that offered music and videos for download. It launched in April 2003 for Mac and iPod users, as only Apple hardware had the software required to run iTunes.
Yet competition in the market was growing. Other phone manufacturers were equipping phones with music apps that allowed users to download music from Amazon or Yahoo, for example. People no longer needed a phone and a separate MP3 player – they could have both on a single device.
Instead of developing a phone that was compatible with iTunes, however, Apple partnered with technology company Motorola to launch a music phone called Rokr.
It seemed the perfect fit: Motorola would develop the hardware, negotiate with phone carrier AT&T and then pay Apple a licensing fee to run iTunes on the device.
Rokr was a flop, however. The device was chunky and could only store 100 songs. It could run iTunes but didn’t allow a user to download music from the internet directly.
Yet this setback wasn’t of huge concern to Apple. In 2004, iPod sales began to soar, and at the same time, Jobs started to think again about an Apple phone.
Want more?
Read or listen to the key ideas
from 7,500+ titles
Read or listen to the key ideas
from 7,500+ titles
Key ideas in Dogfight
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Dogfight about?
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.
Dogfight Review
Dogfight (2013) is an insightful exploration of the tech industry's fierce battle between Apple and Google. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Offers a behind-the-scenes look at the intense competition between two tech giants, revealing the high stakes and dramatic twists that shaped the industry.
- Provides a fascinating account of the strategies, personalities, and cultural clashes that drove the development of iconic products like the iPhone and Android.
- With its detailed analysis of the technology, business, and legal aspects, the book is an engrossing narrative that sheds light on the inner workings of Silicon Valley.
Best quote from Dogfight
Steve loved this stuff. He loved to set up division. But it was a big fuck you to the people who couldnt get in. – Andy Grignon, former senior Apple manager
—Fred Vogelstein
Who should read 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
Categories with Dogfight
Book summaries like Dogfight
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Dogfight FAQs
What is the main message of Dogfight?
The main message of Dogfight is about the intense competition between Apple, Google, and Microsoft in the tech industry.
How long does it take to read Dogfight?
The reading time for Dogfight varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Dogfight a good book? Is it worth reading?
Dogfight is a fascinating read that provides valuable insights into the cutthroat rivalry between Apple, Google, and Microsoft.
Who is the author of Dogfight?
The author of Dogfight is Fred Vogelstein.
What to read after Dogfight?
If you're wondering what to read next after Dogfight, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Four by Scott Galloway
- The One Device by Brian Merchant
- The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- Leadership Strategy by Powerful Business Solutions
- Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli
- Building Your Money Machine with ChatGPT by Larry Wheeler
- Amazon by Natalie Berg & Miya Knights
- What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis
- One Second Ahead by Rasmus Hougaard
- Marriage Be Hard by Kevin and Melissa Fredericks