Rising number of T-Mobile iPhones hit with 'blue screen of death' reboots

In recent days a growing number of iPhone owners on T-Mobile U.S. have been impacted by seemingly random crashes and reboots, without any clear indication as to why or how to solve the problem, according to reports and comments on social media.

Typically the problem manifests with an iPhone briefly flashing a blue screen before resetting, according to anecdotes shared with AppleInsider, as well as posts on sites such as Twitter and MacRumors. This can happen as frequently as every 10 to 30 minutes, even if a phone isn't actively in use.

Some users have reported that disabling Wi-Fi Calling can fix the so-called "blue screen of death," while others have scored success with a hard reset, and at least some T-Mobile support staff are recommending the latter option. An AppleInsider contact had no luck with disabling Wi-Fi Calling and ultimately had to get a replacement phone.

So far neither Apple nor T-Mobile staff have come up with a definitive explanation. One theory has involved memory problems, but if so it's still unknown why only T-Mobile subscribers would be affected. One possibility is that the issue involves LTE, as some Engadget readers have managed to temporarily fix their phones by disabling VoLTE (voice over LTE), or simply shutting off LTE entirely.

Affected iPhone models include at least the 5s, 6, and 6 Plus. The issue is also impacting multiple versions of iOS 8 through iOS 8.3.