Apple iPad mini 6 users have been reporting "wobbly jelly scrolling" on their tablets. While this is barely noticeable for normal users, it can be somewhat distracting when using your device in portrait mode. So what exactly is "jelly scrolling" on the iPad mini 6 and what causes it?
What Is Jelly Scrolling?
Jelly scrolling is a phenomenon that is common with LCDs where one side of the display appears to lag slightly behind the other in motion. This appears as if one side of the screen scrolls at a different rate than the other, making it look like the screen is wobbling. Thus, the term "jelly scrolling."
What Causes Jelly Scrolling?
Jelly scrolling is normal LCD behavior, coming as a result of the way these types of displays refresh. LCDs refresh line by line, so it's normal for the lines at the top of the display to refresh at a different rate than the lines at the bottom. This tiny delay between the line refresh rate can cause uneven scrolling issues, like the ones observed on the iPad mini 6.
Why Is Jelly Scrolling Affecting the iPad mini 6?
The iPad mini 6 uses an LCD, similar to its bigger brother, the iPad Air 4. However, there have been more reports of the jelly screen effect on the iPad mini 6 as compared to any other iPad. Most of these reports are related to using the device in portrait mode, whereas some users have noticed it in landscape mode as well.
The issue is subtle, but most noticeable when scrolling relatively slowly up and down a webpage or document—the left side of the screen follows the right side by just a fraction of a second, which may make paragraphs of text appear wobbly to the attentive eye.
Personally, I found the jelly scrolling to be much less noticeable on my iPad Air 4 compared to my iPad mini 6. Other users also agree, with the general opinion being that the effect is much more noticeable on the iPad mini 6 than any other iPads. This may be caused by two reasons:
The Display Controller
The way a display is implemented into a device can either intensify or reduce the effect of jelly scrolling or screen wobbling. If the display controller of the display is located at the top of the screen, it usually eliminates jelly scrolling nearly entirely. However, in the case of the iPad mini 6, the display controller is mounted along the panel's horizontal axis. This intensifies the jelly effect when using the device, especially in portrait mode.
The Screen Refresh Rate
A higher screen refresh rate may also help reduce the jelly scrolling effect. For example, the 11-inch iPad Pro has its display controller located in the same position, but its ProMotion display refreshes at 120Hz, compared to the mini 6's 60Hz refresh rate, which makes the jelly scrolling a lot harder to spot.
Will Apple Fix the Issue?
For those hoping that Apple will fix the issue, you're out of luck. In a response sent to Ars Technica, Apple says this is "normal" behavior as with any LCD and the company won't be fixing the issue under warranty. Thus, you're unfortunately stuck with the device and the wobbly screen effect while scrolling.
What Are Your Options?
The jelly scrolling effect is not very noticeable in normal usage. But it can be annoying and distracting for some users, to the extent that they can't use their device without noticing it. If this is the case with you, we'd recommend either trading in your iPad mini and swapping for another iPad or, provided you are still within the 14-day window, returning it for a refund.
The jelly scrolling is much less noticeable on other iPad models, and might not even be visible to you. The trade-off will be that you'll need to deal with a bigger screen and a heavier device.
Should You Still Buy the iPad mini?
This is a very small issue that is barely noticeable to many users. In general, the iPad mini 6 is an excellent all-rounder device for those looking for a powerful machine in a smaller size. Don't let this issue put you off buying one.