Apple has reportedly decided to stop using TLC NAND flash memory in the higher capacities of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus following user reports of unexpected crashes and devices that are stuck in a boot loop.
According to industry sources on Nov. 6, the U.S. smartphone giant has decided to discontinue its use of triple-level cell (TLC) NAND, since the company believes that the functional defects plaguing the 64GB iPhone 6 and the 128GB iPhone 6+ stem from a problem in the controller IC of the TLC NAND flash. The controller IC in question is reportedly made by SSD maker Anobit, which was sold to Apple in 2011.
TLC NAND flash memory can store 3 bits of data percell, that’s 1.5 times as much as multi-level (MLC) flash data. TLC flash is also more affordable but is slower when reading or writing data. This may be part of the reason that the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus takes nearly 10 seconds longer to boot than the 16GB model.
According to the report, Apple is planning to use MLC NAND flash in the 64GB iPhone 6 and the 128GB iPhone 6+ in the future. The company also plans to improved products using TLC NAND with the iOS 8.1.1 firmware update.
via BusinessKorea
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