iPad mini Jelly Scrolling not fixed

[IJBrekke]

Will report back after the 7 arrives today. But, as a Mini 5 owner, I think the biggest bummer here is that every Mini before the 6 did not have this problem in portrait mode, making either of the newest models a downgrade for my primary usage. Jelly is clearly visible on the 5 in landscape, but I rarely scroll in that orientation, so it was never a problem. I continue to be baffled that Apple would allow any Mini (which excels in portrait as a giant iPhone, essentially) to be like this.

So, I’m just gonna use the 7 as I normally would and see if it bothers me. The 6 was an absolute no-go right away due to the screen tilting back and forth with every little movement. I would happily just stick to the 5 if it wasn’t slowing down so much, or if I could upgrade the internals.

 

[ozapple]

If the jelly is still there to any degree whatsoever, it’s a no buy from me.

If apple don’t care about completely fixing the main complaint about the 6, then i have no interest in handing them my hard earned $$.

 

[ofarlig]

If the jelly is still there to any degree whatsoever, it’s a no buy from me.

If apple don’t care about completely fixing the main complaint about the 6, then i have no interest in handing them my hard earned $$.

It’s not something that is fixable with current display technology so you cannot expect it to be gone. But it can for sure be made to be much less noticable in everyday use than the Mini 6 has it.

 

[klasma]

When do y’all reasonably expect mini8 will arrive? 2 years from now?

Three years, 2027.

 

[dominiongamma]

If the jelly is still there to any degree whatsoever, it’s a no buy from me.

If apple don’t care about completely fixing the main complaint about the 6, then i have no interest in handing them my hard earned $$.

Apple is hoping that people will forget the jelly scroll issue

 

[turbineseaplane]

It’s not something that is fixable with current display technology so you cannot expect it to be gone. But it can for sure be made to be much less noticable in everyday use than the Mini 6 has it.

To be clear, it’s not fixable because Apple refused to put better components in

“Current display technology” absolutely can solve for this

 

[IJBrekke]

To be clear, it’s not fixable because Apple refused to put better components in

“Current display technology” absolutely can solve for this

And I would add: No one cared or even noticed when the jelly effect was in landscape. To not switch this back to Minis 1-5 after a three year wait is…well, kinda shocking. Just go back to hiding the problem in the orientation that doesn’t require regular scrolling. It seemed like an absolute layup for Apple.

 

[ofarlig]

To be clear, it’s not fixable because Apple refused to put better components in

“Current display technology” absolutely can solve for this

What would those components be? Because I haven’t seen any available for tablets that would fix this.

 

[klasma]

“Current display technology” absolutely can solve for this

That’s incorrect as far as LCD goes, due to the way they drive the pixels. However, the narrower the display is perpendicular to the refresh direction, and the lesser the refresh rate (60 Hz), the more prominent the effect becomes. The pixel transition speed is also a factor.

The mini 6, in addition to the refresh orientation and its narrowness, also had some kind of ghosting going on, exacerbating the effect.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

What would those components be? Because I haven’t seen any available for tablets that would fix this.

I have a 6 (for years now) and love it and use it every day. I readily see the "jelly" but just ignore it for the rest of the benefits.

But you'll find very little "jelly" complaints about all of the other iPad models as well as the rest of the lineup that use this kind of screen.

When one mentions "jelly" or "jelly scroll" the first collective thought is iPad mini 6. It is not usually followed by "to which Apple device are you referring?"

So, clearly, there are better and worse panels/tech to address the "jelly" because Apple is apparently using minimal jelly screens in the rest of the lines and other iPads in this line. Presumably, using the SAME panels/tech Apple chooses for other iPads would be a big leap forward in addressing this jelly in 6 and now apparently 7 too.

The one dominant gripe about iPad Mini 6 is...

And this answer very likely jumped right into anyones head. The emerging gripe about 7 is this idea of did Apple really see this 6 gripe for THREE years and not address it with a better panel/tech or at least rotation (which would only shift the jelly to landscape mode) or something else? And if so, that's disappointing because we Apple buyers expect the best from Apple. They charge more for this size tablet than anyone else BY FAR. We expect greatness and vent frustration when Apple makes choices that don't seem to address dominant issues... that they obviously could have addressed... because the rest of their offerings generally do not seem to have much of a "jelly" problem.

 

[JPack]

What would those components be? Because I haven’t seen any available for tablets that would fix this.

A pair of display controllers, one for each orientation.

 

[ofarlig]

I have a 6 (for years now) and love it and use it every day. I readily see the "jelly" but just ignore it for the rest of the benefit.

But you'll find very little "jelly" complaints about all of the other iPad models as well as the rest of the lineup that use this kind of screen.

When one mentions "jelly" or "jelly scroll" the first collective thought is iPad mini 6. It is not usually followed by "to which Apple device are you referring?"

So, clearly, there are better and worse panels/tech to address the "jelly" because Apple is apparently using minimal jelly screens in the rest of the lines and other iPads in this line. Presumably, using the SAME panels/tech Apple chooses for other iPads would be a big leap forward in addressing this jelly in 6 and now apparently 7 too.

The one dominant gripe about iPad Mini 6 is...

And this answer very likely jumped right into anyones head. The emerging gripe about 7 is this idea of did Apple really see this 6 gripe for THREE years and not address it with a better panel or rotation or something else. And if so, that's disappointing because we Apple buyers expect the best from Apple. They charge more for this size tablet than anyone else BY FAR. We expect greatness and vent frustration when Apple makes choices that don't seem to address dominant issues... that they obviously could have addressed... because the rest of their offerings generally do not seem to have much of a "jelly" problem.

It is present on all of Apples phones and tablets because it isn’t something you can ”fix”, all you can do is make it less noticeable. It is very noticeable in the other non 120 Hz iPads as well.

They have adressed it with a better solution since the 7 is a lot better than 6 and makes it a lot less noticeable when using the device. I would have preferred them rotating it again so it is only present in landscape, there might be a good reason for it though but who knows.

A pair of display controllers, one for each orientation.

Yeah I guess that could fix it actually, not sure if that is possible to do while switching orientations though.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

3 year cycle for the Mini now?

iPad Mini 6 = Sept 2021.
iPad Mini 7 = Oct 2024.
iPad Mini 8 = Sept - Oct 2027 or dropped (as folding iPad/iPhone might be released).

I would always bet on approx. 2-4 years between models. Like select Macs, etc, this seems to be a product that Apples "gets around to updating when they can." Personally, I look forward to my next Mini purchase being 9 or 10 in about 2029-30 or so. My own hop was from 2 to 6 after about 8 years with 2... so I'm assuming the next hop will also be after about 8 years, so 2029+.

 

[turbineseaplane]

If anyone is looking for a good long term trial, I see that Walmart has these available for immediate shipping and their holiday return window is already open .. and goes until Jan 31st 2025!!

Wow

(saw it while shopping for a refurb Mini 5 )

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

It is present on all of Apples phones and tablets because it isn’t something you can ”fix”, all you can do is make it less noticeable. It is very noticeable in the other non 120 Hz iPads as well.

I'm not debating that it likely exists on all devices such that it can be 100% "fixed."

Could you point me to one thread about Apple phones having the jelly problem and everyone talking about it? Any Mac threads like that? Any other iPad threads like that?

Hop on google and type "jelly screen" an then check search results. ALL of them refer to only iPad Mini 6 or now 7. There's no matches in the first page and half to any other product from Apple or anyone else. The term and this one specific product are "married."

I bet there's at least 50+ threads on this website pretty much focused on "jelly scroll" associated with only iPad Mini 6. And I may be pretty conservative guessing only at 50. That association is significant. But I'd like to see one similar thread focused on jelly tied to iPhones with comparably many people griping about it, seeing it, "giving me migraines", etc.

And that's the point. Maybe Apple can't 100% fix it... but they can certainly do better... as evidenced by everything else they offer generally NOT having much association with jelly.

My guess is they got a bargain on this panel and chose profit maximization over "freaking great products." Forgivable to some degree in the 6 before the public could notice and gripe about it for 3 years. Much less forgivable if it pesists into this 7 when they well know about it.

Apple product buyers pay way more for Apple stuff because we want greatness. When Apple chooses less than great, we are disappointed and vent frustration. I see no objective defense if 7 retains the same screen or still overly shows jelly more than the rest of the Apple offerings.

They have adressed it with a better solution since the 7 is a lot better than 6 and makes it a lot less noticeable when using the device.

TBD. We don't know this yet. Pre-release "reviews" are always so flattering to Apple because they want to keep the "first review" advertising revenue gravy train rolling.

Real reviews will come from NOT "friends of Apple" faux-reviewers beginning as soon as today... from people not chasing eyeballs but just sharing their real opinions of seeing it or not.

And even better 'reviews' will be the personal ones in which anyone wondering goes and checks it with their own eyes. No need trusting online (typically biased) opinions when it is easy to go see for oneself first hand starting today.

I don't know for sure if 7 has the same screen or a different one... that shows less jelly or more jelly... yet. My own eyes will have a look soon and I'll see for myself. And this is really the very best way for all to pass judgement who have any concern about this issue.

Again, I own 6 and have for years. I readily see the jelly. It is much more jelly than any other Apple or non-Apple screen I use, so it does bug me. But I value "the rest" enough to just deal with it.

As an Apple product buyer, I expect "the best," so I would expect this dominant gripe issue from buyers to be well addressed in a 7... priced much higher than competitor tablets around this same size. If it has not been addressed, that's pretty disappointing after 3 years of this dominant product gripe... and thus I can easily understand others wanting a new Mini griping.

 

[ofarlig]

I'm not debating that is likely exists on all devices such that it can be 100% "fixed."

Could you point me to one thread about Apple phones having the jelly problem and everyone talking about it? Any Mac threads like that? Any other iPad threads like that?

I bet there's at least 50+ threads pretty much focused on "jelly scroll" associated with only iPad Mini 6. That association is significant. But I'd like to see one similar thread focused on jelly tied to iPhones with comparably many people griping about it, seeing it, "giving me migraines", etc.

And that's the point. Maybe Apple can't 100% fix it... but they can certainly do better... as evidenced by everything else they offer generally NOT having much association with jelly.

My guess is they got a bargain on this panel and chose profit maximization over "freaking great products." Forgivable to some degree in the 6 before the public could notice and gripe about it for 3 years. Much less forgivable if it pesists into this 7 when they well know about it.

Apple product buyers pay way more for Apple stuff because we want greatness. When Apple chooses less than great, we are disappointed and vent frustration. I see no objective defense if 7 retains the same screen or still overly shows jelly more than the rest of the Apple offerings.

Yeah the Mini 6 display was a let down, but saying you won’t buy a product if you can detect jelly scrolling isn’t feasible since all of Apples tablets and phones have the effect in a noticeable way. For most of them it just doesn’t pop out with normal usage.

TBD. We don't know this yet. Pre-release "reviews" are always so flattering to Apple because they want to keep the "first review" advertising revenue gravy train rolling.

Real reviews will come from NOT "friends of Apple" faux-reviewers beginning as soon as today... from people not chasing eyeballs but just sharing their real opinions of seeing it or not.

And even better 'reviews' will be the personal ones where anyone wondering goes and checks it with their own eyes. No need trusting online (typically biased) opinions when it is easy to go see for ones self first hand starting today.

I don't know if 7 has the same screen or a different one... that shows less jelly or more jelly... yet. My own eyes will have a look soon and I'll see for myself. And this is really the very best way for all to pass judgement who have any concern about this issue.

Again, I own 6 and have for years. I readily see the jelly. It is much more jelly than any other Apple or non-Apple screen I use, so it does bug me. But I value "the rest" enough to just deal with it.

As an Apple product buyer, I expect "the best", so I would expect this dominant gripe issue from buyers to be well addressed in a 7... priced much higher than competitor tables around this same size. If it has not been addressed, that's pretty disappointing and thus I can understand others wanting a new Mini griping.

I have them both side by side at home and used the 7 for most of the day so I know they have adressed it and made it a lot better than before. It is still something I can easily notice if I go looking for it but for normal usage it doesn’t stand out the same way as on the 6, and I hated my 6 due to the jelly scrolling.

It’s still a non OLED 60 Hz display though so it isn’t something fancy that will wow anyone but I don’t consider it garbage like the screen on my 6 is.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Yeah the Mini 6 display was a let down, but saying you won’t buy a product if you can detect jelly scrolling isn’t feasible since all of Apples tablets and phones have the effect in a noticeable way. For most of them it just doesn’t pop out with normal usage.

I'll try to buy what you are saying because you write it as fact but I can't recall one thread with a good number of posts complaining about jelly in any Apple product other than iPad mini. Similarly, a google search for "jelly screen" does not connect to non-MacRumors sites with a lot of griping about it in Macs, iPhones or even other iPads.

I'll assume you are technically correct- that all screens of this type have some jelly- but the rest of the lines and apparently much cheaper competing products don't seem to share the level of jelly in iPad mini. Else, I just can't seem to find much comparable gripes about it in upwards of everything else.

I have them both side by side at home and used the 7 for most of the day so I know they have adressed it and made it a lot better than before. It is still something I can easily notice if I go looking for it but for normal usage it doesn’t stand out the same way as on the 6, and I hated my 6 due to the jelly scrolling.

Well that's great. Real users actually testing it head to head sounds promising. I look forward to seeing it with my own eyes too. I hope it will look like an improvement to my eyes as well.

 

[klasma]

A pair of display controllers, one for each orientation.

Uh, that wouldn’t work.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

In tablets, as in smartphones, most of them from the mid-range (300/400$/€) already carry at least 90Hz, most of them being already 120Hz...

Right. But how many of those are the same size as iPad Mini? Or are otherwise competitive, in terms of specifications or features?

I know a 120hz OLED can be had for as low as $200 - I bought a CMF phone with one. The chip in iPad Mini runs circles around the mediatek part. That 120hz oled panel isn't very good, either, lots of green cast.

 

[ctjack]

It is the best one I've seen as well.

It uses the Scan Skew test by Blur Busters, which shows the "issue" really well and makes it comparable. I was able to reproduce the effect on a variety of displays, you just have to test in the direction the display doesn't refresh in (i.e. if it refreshes from top to bottom, test from left to right):

• 34" 21:9 by LG, 160 Hz LCD (test left to right)
• Steam Deck, 60 Hz LCD (test top to bottom)
• iPad Pro 11" M1, 120 Hz LCD (test portrait top to bottom)
• Framework Laptop 13, 120 Hz LCD (test left to right)
• MacBook Pro 14" M1, 120 Hz miniLED (test left to right)

These all have shown the effect to some extent. I'm fairly confident I can also spot it on the iPhone 16 Pro (120 Hz OLED), but it's a lot harder to spot there.

So anyone expecting a true fix for this will always be disappointed. The issue can only be mitigated to a certain extent, and sure: 120 Hz and OLED would've helped and probably made this impossible to spot for most people, but apparently it's vastly improved on the mini 7 compared to the 6. I bet it's no worse than on the iPad Air M2, but people are specifically paying attention to it because the mini 6 had a very bad display controller.

Thank you for providing your extensive results.

I always felt it but couldn’t explain and now your post helps.

Basically what i think is happening is the display properties. Out of all apple tech the oled pro ipad has the most fluid screen to me.

I guess it has to do with the actual pixels response time - apple uses slow lcds in their tech and that is a tradeoff of the current state of technology.

One can make only 2 of the below:
1) screen that pops colors and color accurate with wide color array like p3
2) higher refresh rate screen
3) faster pixel response for gaming.

My most fluid screen with no tearing is windows gaming laptop, which utilizes 3 and half of 1 above. It is smooth because pixels refresh fast and color accurate enough until srgb space but not p3 as apple products.

Apple has gone on p3 color space and higher refresh rate, which leads to slow pixel response. Oled makes things better cause it naturally refreshes faster. On top of that, ipad mini shows a lot cause of the price restrictions cause they didn’t want to put better panel at the price.

Now of course you can have all 3 aspects together: high refresh rate oled with p3 color but lookup dedicated gaming oled external display prices and make no mistakes why apple can’t combine all 3 in a single device.

 

[ofarlig]

I'll try to buy what you are saying because you write it as fact but I can't recall one thread with a good number of posts complaining about jelly in any Apple product other than iPad mini. Similarly, a google search for "jelly screen" does not connect to non-MacRumors sites with a lot of griping about it in Macs, iPhones or even other iPads.

I'll assume you are technically correct- that all screens of this type have some jelly- but the rest of the lines and apparently much cheaper competing products don't seem to share the level of jelly in iPad mini. Else, I just can't seem to find much comparable gripes about it in upwards of everything else.

The mini 6 for sure have it worse than other devices but that doesn’t mean that others are free from it. And as a group more people will notice things if the spotlight is on the defect, and the Mini 6 was bad enough to get more people to notice it from the start.

But I can pull up any of my Apple devices and see the jelly scrolling effect on them, doesn’t matter if it’s OLED 120 Hz, LCD 120 Hz or LCD 60 Hz so we can’t expect miracles like having it not be there at all.

Well that's great. Real users actually testing it head to head sounds promising. I look forward to seeing it with my own eyes too. I hope it will look like an improvement to my eyes as well.

Yeah, everyone will have different thresholds for when it becomes not noticeable during normal use. For me I think the Mini 7 is on the edge, it doesn’t stand out but I am not sure it is completely unnoticeable for me in all situations during normal use.

I am still thinking about returning the Mini 7 to get some foldable Android phone instead because their OLED 120 Hz displays are gorgeous compared to any iPad Mini.

 

[j26]

I have a Mini 6 - yes it has the jelly scrolling, yes I can see it, but fortunately it doesn’t bother me. The Mini 6 is such a great device hat I can forgive that shortcoming.

However, I get that many people ARE bothered by it based on the number of posts I’ve seen of people who bought and returned, and it’s really disappointing that those people - who clearly want a mini tablet- have to pass on this one too.

 

[slippery-pete]

Just you wait. If this gets fixed, people will move on to other complaints like 60hz, not being OLED, and no M-series chip. One after the other.

This 100% THIS.

 

[playtech1]

The iPad is essentially nearly all display so I found it really odd that Apple put one that is, at best, mediocre in a fairly expensive device like the iPad Mini.

It's not just the jelly scrolling, it's that it's alongside a slow refresh rate, slow pixel response/ghosting and poor colours or backlight. The Mini 6 was the first iPad I looked at in the shop and thought it was overall worse than the predecessor because it's main feature - the screen - wasn't good enough.

 

[thadoggfather]

Edit - see couple posts below. Improved but not 100% addressed (imo)

Happy to report :

Going to Nytimes.com
Side by side in store with my mini 6 the problem is as good as fixed in portrait mode

Is it maybe marginally worse than mini5 in portrait dunno it looked really good next to my 6 though

So much so I’m going to test drive one and compare to both my 5 and 6 if I like what I’m seeing gonna trade in the 6

If not back it goes and the waiting continues for next model

Granted didn’t try against a dark background or anything more extensive but my 5 second findings were enough to give it a try