Apple Said to Be Stopping Use of TLC NAND Flash in iPhone 6 and 6 Plus After Reported Issues - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Said to Be Stopping Use of TLC NAND Flash in iPhone 6 and 6 Plus After Reported Issues

Apple will switch from using TLC (triple-level cell) NAND flash to MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus after users have experienced crashing and boot loop issues with the higher capacity versions of both devices, reports BusinessKorea.

iphone6_6plus_laying_down
Sources have told the paper that flash memory firm Anobit, which Apple acquired in 2011, is to blame for the manufacturing defects. Apple will reportedly switch to MLC NAND flash for the 64GB iPhone 6 and the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus, and will also address crashing and boot loop issues with the release of iOS 8.1.1. Apple has used MLC NAND flash before, in previous-generation iPhones.

TLC NAND flash is a type of solid-state NAND flash memory that stores three bits of data per cell. It can store three times as much data as single-level cell (SLC) that stores one bit of data, and 1.5 times as much as multi-level cell (MLC) solid-state flash memory that stores two bits of data. On top of that, TLC flash is more affordable. However, it is also slower than SLC or MLC in reading and writing data.

Apple released its first iOS 8.1.1 beta to developers earlier this week, although the company did not specify whether the included bug fixes addressed boot loop and crashing issues on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Users who are experiencing an unusual amount of boot loops and crashes with their iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus are recommended to bring their devices back to an Apple Retail Store for a replacement.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out in Every Time Zone

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event that it will be releasing iOS 27 sometime tomorrow – Monday, September 14. iOS 27 won't be the only release on...
deep black iphone 18 pro

Apple Says iPhone 18 Pro Max Sold in U.S. Differs in One Way

Saturday September 12, 2026 3:27 pm PDT by
As noted by Nicolas Lellouche, who writes for the French tech website Numerama, Apple has updated its tech specs pages for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to clarify which models are equipped with its new C2 cellular modem and where. Apple now says the iPhone 18 Pro has a C2 modem worldwide, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the chip in every country except for the U.S. According...
iphone duo

IMAX Reacts to iPhone Duo's 1:1.4 Aspect Ratio Displays

Friday September 11, 2026 4:42 am PDT by
Production theater company IMAX has responded in a mixed way to Apple's embrace of a 1:1.4 aspect ratio on the iPhone Duo's inner and outer displays. The boxier ratio happens to be very close to the classic "full-frame" IMAX 1.43:1 aspect ratio, which comes from the geometry of the company's original 15-perforation/70mm film system. In response to an X post from someone wondering if we'll see...

Top Rated Comments

155 months ago
Nandgate?

Score: 106 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RoelJuun Avatar
155 months ago
You should test your stuff first before using it in your products and sell said products for obscene prices.
Score: 90 Votes (Like | Disagree)
az431 Avatar
155 months ago
You should test your stuff first before using it in your products and sell said products for obscene prices.

Read the entire article before making baseless comments.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Markiie Avatar
155 months ago
Take it back to the Apple Store and replace it with what? Another phone with the same kind of problems? I think a recall is in order here.......
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
155 months ago
Read the entire article before making baseless comments.
But you don't understand. Any time anything goes wrong with an Apple product, it's because Apple didn't test it. They randomly pick products and say, "Skip the testing on this one. Just sell it." So for some reason, they explicitly picked the iPhones with TLC flash to not test.

Yep, that's how one of the richest companies in the world got to where they are today.

(just in case I laid it on too thick... /s)
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
155 months ago
Nandgate?
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)