iPhone 16 Could Switch To QLC (Quad Level Cell) NAND Flash For Higher Storage Models, But At The Cost Of Lower Write Endurance, Other Drawbacks

wccftech.com:

The iPhone 16 family may have another selling point to encourage upgrades, particularly targeting potential customers who want more internal storage. Apple is reportedly procuring shipments of QLC NAND flash for its future devices, giving it the flexibility to introduce larger storage models later this year. The only problem is that using QLC NAND technology has several drawbacks, though manufacturers still opt for it since it allows them to save costs while offering heaps of storage in the same surface area.

A report from DigiTimes spotted by AppleInsider states that iPhone 16 models that offer 1TB of storage or more may shift to QLC NAND, transitioning from TLC technology. For those unfamiliar with QLC and TLC, let us break down the differences. QLC, or Quad Level Cell, allows four bits of data per cell of memory to be used instead of three. In addition to reducing costs, QLC NAND flash can store more data using the same number of cells, but that is about all the benefits there are to using this technology.

Assuming QLC NAND debuts in the iPhone 16 in September this year, it will be less reliable than TLC, with fewer write cycles on the flash memory chips, not to mention slower speeds. This can mean that base iPhone 16 models with less internal storage will be faster than the 1TB variants, though actual testing will reveal the differences, so it is best not to jump to conclusions at this stage, at least until the new models launch later this year.

Apple has been previously reported to adopt QLC NAND flash for the iPhone 14 lineup, allowing the company to introduce higher storage variants. However, these models have capped out at 1TB storage, with the story unchanged with the iPhone 15, hinting that QLC NAND flash is yet to debut on any iPhone. Perhaps the iPhone 16 series might be the first to ship with this technology, as that is Apple's only possible route if it wants to introduce some versions with more than 1TB of storage.

News Source: DigiTimes