“Jelly scrolling” isn’t something we see pop up all the time. But, when it does, it’s usually a small blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things. That will more than likely be the case with the iPad mini 6’s situation, too, but at least Apple isn’t outright ignoring the situation.
The iPad mini (sixth generation) launched on September 24, which means units went out there into the wild. The “jelly scrolling” issue didn’t crop up immediately, and reports of the “issue” aren’t all as common. That’s because not everyone will even experience the issue because they can’t see it happening. And for those who do see it, it’s something that will just become normal with daily usage.
In any event, the iPad mini 6 does have a “jelly scrolling” display issue. But, as Apple has told Ars Technica, this is “normal LCD behavior.” That’s because this display technology is meant to refresh line by line. So there may be a bit of a delay when the top and bottom of the screen is refreshed. Which can cause the issue to crop up for those who notice.
Jelly scrolling itself is when the screen tears, with a mismatch in refresh rates. So it leads to one side of the screen not moving with the rest of the screen. You can see it in the video published by The Verge‘s Dieter Bohn just below:
Here is is slow-mo video of scrolling on the iPad Min i slowed down EVEN MORE in a frame-by-frame step through. Notice how the right moves up faster than the left.
In normal usage you barely see it, but every now and then it become noticeable. In landscape it goes away entirely pic.twitter.com/iq9LGJzsDI
— Dieter Bohn (@backlon) September 22, 2021
There are some who have said that the jelly scrolling issue in the iPad mini 6 is much worse than it is in other iPad models with an LCD display. But, ultimately, it will come down to each user’s experience. Some people won’t ever notice it. The effect is subtle.
Apple’s comment on the matter is a bit of a double-edged sword. While Apple is commenting on the “issue” as it is, it also means that the fact they are saying it’s “normal behavior” means the company probably isn’t going to go out of its way to offer up any kind of fix. And it probably won’t be covered under a warranty.
If you have an iPad mini 6, have you experienced the jelly scrolling? And, if so, will you be returning your device because of it?