In brief
The iPhone 6 Plus could face a recall if TLC NAND flash memory is confirmed as the cause of the reported hardware issue. Reports describe repeated restarts on the 128GB model after more than 700 apps are installed, with an upgrade to iOS 8.1 failing to resolve the problem.
iPhone 6 Plus continues to attract controversy. Its large 5.5-inch screen has helped it capture a share of the large-screen smartphone market and win over users. However, persistent quality issues have caused users considerable frustration. Following the recent reports of bending, another hardware issue has emerged, this time involving flash memory, which could even lead to an iPhone 6 Plus recall.
Earlier reports indicated that when more than 700 apps are installed on the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus, the system repeatedly restarts, and even upgrading to iOS 8.1 does not resolve the problem. This issue may be related to the iPhone 6 Plus switching to cheaper triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash memory.
Previous iPhones mostly used the more stable but also more expensive multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory, while TLC NAND flash had been used in some iPads.
However, Apple switched to TLC NAND flash in iPhones for the first time this year to reduce costs, primarily in the high-capacity 128GB iPhone 6 Plus. TLC is cheaper and offers two to three times more capacity than single-level cell (SLC) and multi-level cell (MLC) memory. However, TLC has slower read and write speeds, and analysts have suggested that the problem may lie in the TLC NAND flash controller IC.
If the problem is ultimately confirmed to lie in the TLC NAND flash memory, Apple may need to recall all iPhone 6 Plus units already sold, which would represent another major blow to the company.