iPhone 6 Plus 128GB lemon OIS camera failure and TLC NAND failure.

[CZroe]

Gah! I noticed on day 1 that my iPhone 6 Plus camera with optical image stabilization couldn't handle the vibrations on my car mount (image appeared to be "swimming" as the moving camera was tossed around from vibrations) where my previous Galaxy Note 3 handled it perfectly fine. Today, I tried to take a picture of my computer screen at work and noticed that everything was streaked and blurry and the computer screen seemed to pulse when I pointed it. I rebooted and the problem didn't go away. When I stepped outside and it focused farther away I saw it: The same swimming effect it had when I tested it on my car mount months ago. The OIS was going nuts.

This is the exact problem:
http://bgr.com/2014/11/18/iphone-6-plus-ois-camera-issue/

Sure enough, you could hear the OIS camera module clicking like crazy when you put the camera up to your ear. If you give the phone a good whack on the side it sometimes stops but the focus is still wrong. It starts right back up again when you re-launch the camera. After a few whacks it no longer swims like it did but the clicking continues and the image remains streaked and out of focus.

No amount of resetting or wiping will fix it.

This phone is a launch unit in perfect condition but that also means it has the 128GB TLC memory that has been known to fail. I loaded it up with about 90GB (mostly music) and about 6 weeks later I got stuck in the boot loop. I was using the flashlight to replace a headlight in my car in the auto parts store parking lot. I attempted to lock the phone and drop it in my pocket with the flashlight still on but it didn't respond and the screen would not turn off. Trying not to get hand oils on the replacement bulb (will cause failure), I had to drop it in my pocket that way anyway.

When I pulled it out of my pockets several minute later, the screen was still on, control center was still up, the Flashlight button was still lit, and the phone was still completely unresponsive to any touch or buttons. The only response I could get was forcing it off by holding the sleep/lock/power and Home buttons, which prompted it to boot to the Apple logo and get stuck in a boot loop. Great. I had planned to jailbreak that night because Apple had just released a new iOS version but I ended up loading iOS8.2 Beta 2 instead, which got me up and running. I've been to hesitant to put all my music and apps on it again, since the TLC boot look issue seems to mostly affect those with 128GB phones that are using more than half their capacity, so it's like my expensive 128GB phone was gimped to well under 64GB.

*sigh*

I knew I should have just stayed with my 32GB + 128GB Galaxy Note 3. One good thing is that I will likely get an MLC NAND replacement. Guess I'll need to check:
http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-check-if-iphone-6-6-plus-has-mlc-or-tlc-nand-flash-memory-video/

Edit: Replacement was TLC

 

[RagingBITCH]

A buddy had the same issue with his 6+. Took it to the Apple Store and they replaced it pretty much no questions asked. His new one has had zero issues since. That'll solve your issue. (Camera, not the boot issue) Boot issue is normally an easy fix at the AS as well.

 

[CZroe]

Well, I made the appointment and a couple hours later the problem just went away. Huh.

 

[JEDIYoda]

no pictures? I call shens to your supposed problem...

 

[CZroe]

no pictures? I call shens to your supposed problem...

I've got plenty (video too) but I had to dump them off as part of troubleshooting and I am still dealing with it. No way to upload from here at the Apple Store. The video in the BGR link above shows exactly what my phone was doing.

If you mean the boot loop, well, it's hard to get a screenshot of a boot loop and it was well documented online anyway.

 

[CZroe]

Oh! The reason I am stuck waiting at the Apple Store is that they had no record of my appointment. My brother made an appointment for his AppleTV while we were on the way and they had no record of his either! We checked out confirmation emails and his said it was for the 5th and mine said the 10th, which makes absolutely NO sense.

I was guided by their website and nowhere did it say that there were no appointments left for today. Even if there were a notice and it did make it clear and I was just too stupid to notice (dude durr), my brother's shouldn't be tomorrow with mine being six days from now for the same time! WTF?! Did people cancel tomorrow after I made my reservation hours earlier?

Mine was made from a PC browser while his was made from the iOS app.

 

[CZroe]

Here's a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uAur3DBPo8&feature=youtu.be

It looks very different from what it does when it tries to focus up close.

 

[Rakehellion]

So get a warranty replacement. What's the problem?

 

[CZroe]

So get a warranty replacement. What's the problem?

I did. I'm just reporting that it happened so people can make buying decisions. Every iPhone I have ever owned now has had issues that required swapping within warranty (3G, 3GS, 4, and 6 Plus). I'm lucky nothing like this happened with my Galaxy Note 3 before or I would have been screwed: Samsung would send you to T-Mobile for N900T warranty; T-Mobile would not service it if you bought it from a reseller like Negri Electronics (where I preordered it). The Galaxy Note II I sold last month never had any problems in two years.

So: Consider whether or not you will be able to take advantage of warranty services like I can. I am strongly considering Apple Care due to my experience. If I share my experience, others may not have to go through the same trial and error. Not sure why you want to discourage me from relaying and documenting a real experience that ruined my day off before it ruins someone else's.

 

[Printer Bandit]

did you try holding the phone differently?

 

[CZroe]

did you try holding the phone differently?

Yes. My signal improved so I know I was holding it wrong. The camera problem, on the other hand, was unaffected.

 

[Rakehellion]

I did. I'm just reporting that it happened so people can make buying decisions.

Apple has pretty solid reliability ratings. I'll take that over anecdotal evidence.

I've never had problems with any of my phones.

 

[Kaido]

iPhone 6 Plus 128GB lemon OIS camera failure and TLC NAND failure.

Bummer! I specifically went with the 64GB instead of the 128GB because of the horror stories I'd been reading about the NAND failure issue.

 

[CZroe]

Apple has pretty solid reliability ratings. I'll take that over anecdotal evidence.

I've never had problems with any of my phones.

How about you take that WITH anecdotal evidence?

If no one ever reported their "anecdotal" reliability ratings, then how accurate would those reliability ratings be? It's a confluence of data you seem to be intent on suppressing one report at a time. Remember when Microsoft refused to admit that reliability statistics on the XBOX 360 were worse than industry norms? Yeah. It took massive public ANECDOTES to force their hand.

Now, I didn't mention this because it was about my personal device, but you seem to think that means it is the limit to my experience and, thus, you attempted to dismiss my experience. While it doesn't make me authoritative on the matter, I actually repair iPhones and iPads on the side. I buy replacement parts for them in bulk and repair several a week for people I work with and additional people via the word-of-mouth. I never tried to make a business out of it but I spend every day off working on people's iPhones, iPods, and iPads, performing hundreds of repairs over the last three years. Though this thread was about my experience with ONE particular personal device and mentions my history with the reliability of their past devices, I'd like to think that this gives me a bit more than anecdotal experience with their products. Regardless, you are much too quick to dismiss it.

For three years people thought I was weird for being the "iDevice repair expert guy" and not even using an iPhone personally. When I finally go back, I remember why. I also witnessed my brother swapping out every iPhone he's had in the intervening years (5 and 5S).

Did I mention that Apple replaced my UNLOCKED iPhone 6 Plus with a CARRIER-LOCKED iPhone 6 Plus? My experience was BS and I am going to relate it whether you like it or not.

 

[CZroe]

Bummer! I specifically went with the 64GB instead of the 128GB because of the horror stories I'd been reading about the NAND failure issue.

Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to read the horror stories since I purchased at launch. Now, it looks like my refurb replacement from last night is the slow and failure-prone TLC NAND too.

 

[Rakehellion]

Remember when Microsoft refused to admit that reliability statistics on the XBOX 360 were worse than industry norms? Yeah. It took massive public ANECDOTES to force their hand.

Are you suggesting that will happen to Apple?

While it doesn't make me authoritative on the matter, I actually repair iPhones and iPads on the side.

It really doesn't. Are you seeing more repeat customers with iPhones than Android? And it doesn't help unless the anecdotes are compiled in some sort of organized list.

Did I mention that Apple replaced my UNLOCKED iPhone 6 Plus with a CARRIER-LOCKED iPhone 6 Plus? My experience was BS and I am going to relate it whether you like it or not.

Boo hoo. People make mistakes. Get it replaced again.

 

[Phanuel]

My iPhone 6 64gb gave up last week. Endless reboot cycle and then safe sync mode from which it was unable to recover or factory reset from.

Lady at the store helping me told me I had to turn my phone off at least once a week otherwise I'm causing damage to the highly technical engineering in the phone. I laughed so loud once I left the store at that.

 

[CZroe]

Are you suggesting that will happen to Apple?

No. Does it need to for people to make buying decisions?

It really doesn't. Are you seeing more repeat customers with iPhones than Android? And it doesn't help unless the anecdotes are compiled in some sort of organized list.

Bull. The XBOX 360 failures were never organized and studied. The anecdotes reached critical mass and Microsoft STILL refused to acknowledge it for months. It's not the acknowledgement that I care about. It's relaying the experience. Everyone should. Do you troll Amazon reviews for not being authoritative impressions based on large numbers with organized results? No? Then why are you OK with people using them to make purchasing decisions?

Boo hoo. People make mistakes. Get it replaced again.

It wasn't a mistake. They simply had no way to deal with it because they are forced to replace an AT&T phone with an AT&T phone. It's a problem with the system that people need to be aware of and apparently even you are still oblivious. At least now you won't find yourself in that situation without warning.

Now, replacing again will result in the same thing. What I need to do is put in another unlock request with AT&T. This means one less potential unlock request for other uses and I am not happy with the solution.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Did I mention that Apple replaced my UNLOCKED iPhone 6 Plus with a CARRIER-LOCKED iPhone 6 Plus? My experience was BS and I am going to relate it whether you like it or not.

It`s your right to keep on complaining! But nobody is going to listen........so go figure!!

 

[CZroe]

My iPhone 6 64gb gave up last week. Endless reboot cycle and then safe sync mode from which it was unable to recover or factory reset from.

Lady at the store helping me told me I had to turn my phone off at least once a week otherwise I'm causing damage to the highly technical engineering in the phone. I laughed so loud once I left the store at that.

Apple Store? Carrier store?

 

[JEDIYoda]

I would bet that the % of "lemons" is almost untraceable.....yet it does happen!

 

[Rakehellion]

No. Does it need to for people to make buying decisions?

Yes, because people need to make informed decisions. Acting on a rumor is not an informed decision.

Bull. The XBOX 360 failures were never organized and studied.

They were definitely organized and studied.

It wasn't a mistake. They simply had no way to deal with it because they are forced to replace an AT&T phone with an AT&T phone. It's a problem with the system that people need to be aware of and apparently even you are still oblivious. At least now you won't find yourself in that situation without warning.

So it's a problem with AT&T, not Apple. But you still blame Apple.

This means one less potential unlock request for other uses and I am not happy with the solution.

That isn't how unlock requests work. You don't run out of unlocks. In fact, the entire system is automated.

 

[Rakehellion]

It`s your right to keep on complaining! But nobody is going to listen........so go figure!!

And he's whining about a problem that's already been solved.

 

[CZroe]

Yes, because people need to make informed decisions. Acting on a rumor is not an informed decision.

Bull. Based on the "rumors" of the iPad mini, Ichinisan got maximum value for his iPod touch 4G and avoided the mistake of buying an iPod touch 5G. He canceled the preorder and got an iPad for $30 more.

You have yet to explain how you can contradict the very concept of Amazon user reviews and such without addressing it. Why aren't you trolling there? If I knew that some users who preordered a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N900T (T-Mobile version) from NegriElectronics had this issue and knowing that I would have no recourse through Samsung or T-Mobile, I would have bought NegriCare coverage. That's how this kind of thing helps.

They were definitely organized and studied.

After the fact, yeah, but not before. Not when the public knew there was a problem and Microsoft had yet to admit it. Not publicly, at least. Microsoft knew but they massaged the statistics they'd talk about publicly to, in effect, lie. When a game journalists is on his fourth exchanged XBOX 360 and almost everyone is complaining of the same problem, you don't Microsoft to admit it to justifiably let it influence your buying decisions.

Now, you can draw conclusions from a confluence of individual reports. You aren't going to shut people up by suppressing each review. It's futile. Give it up.

So it's a problem with AT&T, not Apple. But you still blame Apple.

How do you figure? AT&T didn't replace my unlocked phone with a locked phone.

That isn't how unlock requests work. You don't run out of unlocks. In fact, the entire system is automated.

Bull. They throttle you and allow something like two unlock requests per line per six months. I buy phones out-right and unlock often. Last I checked I only had one request available.

Are we done? Can you go troll Amazon reviews about personal reliability experiences being irrelevant now? Can you demand double-blind peer-reviewed studies from each of them instead? I'd appreciate it.

 

[CZroe]

And he's whining about a problem that's already been solved.

I'm not. I'm complaining about you, which hasn't been resolved to my satisfaction yet, troll.