iPad mini My take on the Jelly Scroll

[turbineseaplane]

As a multiple iPad Mini 5 (and other iPads) owner, I wanted to give my thoughts on the jelly scroll issue.

As I've been weighing in on it (and the Mini6 in general) I thought I should be fair and go give the Mini 6 a good 30 min in-store trial, which I just completed a bit ago.

1. It's there, and it's unlike any versions of the jelly issue that I've ever seen on any of my iPads over the years
2. It is not a catastrophe - but side by side it's clear as day to see it on the Mini 6 and I honestly can't detect it on my Mini 5
3. I doubt it will be addressed by Apple unless they do a silent screen revision at some point in the Mini6 lifecycle.
4. It would not necessarily prevent me from buying a Mini 6 unless portrait orientation was a primary usage (pilot with vertical charts in the cockpit, etc)
5. Volume button location didn't bother me as much I'd thought it might -- nice smart up/down based upon device orientation being done in software. Well done there Apple!
6. I liked the flat sides. Being an SE1 evangelist, I'm a flat side fan and really enjoy that aesthetic.
7. If one already has a Mini 5, I would see no reason to come out of pocket and spend the net money needed to get a Mini 6

I at one time had thought about taking the generous Apple trade-in offer for my Mini 5 (base model) and upgrading, and I likely would have if they hadn't raised the base prices. That and I'd be personally annoyed about the headphone jack also since I use that daily on multiple devices still....also, portrait is over 50% of my usage, so .... yeah .... not great..

But -- all that said - it seems like a great iPad if you don't already have a Mini 5 and can work around the portrait jelly.

My great hope honestly is that Apple can source a better panel that doesn't exhibit this issue to this degree, but I'm guessing that's out of the cards also.

One final note - man the thing sure was getting warm in my hand just using it.
Super odd. My Mini 5 is always cool running. Maybe that was iOS 15 though?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I wanted to add that I can detect landscape jelly on my iPad Pro 9.7
It simply never catches my eye due to it happening over such a large physical space

It also seems less pronounced either way.

I am nearly fully convinced that the Mini 6 jelly situation is all about them changing the panel orientation

 

[bobcomer]

As a multiple iPad Mini 5 (and other iPads) owner, I wanted to give my thoughts on the jelly scroll issue.

As I've been weighing in on it (and the Mini6 in general) I thought I should be fair and go give the Mini 6 a good 30 min in-store trial, which I just completed a bit ago.

1. It's there, and it's unlike any versions of the jelly issue that I've ever seen on any of my iPads over the years
2. It is not a catastrophe - but side by side it's clear as day to see it on the Mini 6 and I honestly can't detect it on my Mini 5
3. I doubt it will be addressed by Apple unless they do a silent screen revision at some point in the Mini6 lifecycle.
4. It would not necessarily prevent me from buying a Mini 6 unless portrait orientation was a primary usage (pilot with vertical charts in the cockpit, etc)
5. Volume button location didn't bother me as much I'd thought it might -- nice smart up/down based upon device orientation being done in software. Well done there Apple!
6. I liked the flat sides. Being an SE1 evangelist, I'm a flat side fan and really enjoy that aesthetic.
7. If one already has a Mini 5, I would see no reason to come out of pocket and spend the net money needed to get a Mini 6

I at one time had thought about taking the generous Apple trade-in offer for my Mini 5 (base model) and upgrading, and I likely would have if they hadn't raised the base prices. That and I'd be personally annoyed about the headphone jack also since I use that daily on multiple devices still....also, portrait is over 50% of my usage, so .... yeah .... not great..

But -- all that said - it seems like a great iPad if you don't already have a Mini 5 and can work around the portrait jelly.

My great hope honestly is that Apple can source a better panel that doesn't exhibit this issue to this degree, but I'm guessing that's out of the cards also.

One final note - man the thing sure was getting warm in my hand just using it.
Super odd. My Mini 5 is always cool running. Maybe that was iOS 15 though?

I just tested my iPad Mini 6 and couldn't see the jelly scroll. I wonder if it depends on what else is running in the background. Anyway, if it had jelly scroll, it probably wouldn't have bothered me as I've seen it before in multiple devices. And I went from a Mini4 to a Mini6 and love it!

Mine only got warm after about 45 minutes of light gaming. I wonder if that may be part of it. My iPhone 11 PM gets really jerky when it gets warm. (more than the jelly scroll)

 

[turbineseaplane]

I just tested my iPad Mini 6 and couldn't see the jelly scroll. I wonder if it depends on what else is running in the background. Anyway, if it had jelly scroll, it probably wouldn't have bothered me as I've seen it before in multiple devices. And I went from a Mini4 to a Mini6 and love it!

Mine only got warm after about 45 minutes of light gaming. I wonder if that may be part of it. My iPhone 11 PM gets really jerky when it gets warm. (more than the jelly scroll)

Would you consider uploading a video of your Mini 6 scrolling up/down in portrait ?

I honestly think we‘d all be relieved to see a Mini 6 in portrait mode that doesn’t exhibit the jelly.
I have seen it in every video thus far. (And now in person also)

Thank you in advance!

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I just watched a Youtube video on this problem and it appears to me this in fact a panel problem. I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 that is using an OLED panel and it does the EXACT same thing. Before someone termed the phrase Jelly Scroll, I used to call it “Wavy Scrolling”. And it happens primarily in Portrait Mode. If I turn the Tab S2 sideways the wavy scrolling goes away.

Samsung has never fixed the problem so I suspect it’s panel related.

 

[sparksd]

I just watched a Youtube video on this problem and it appears to me this in fact a panel problem. I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 that is using an OLED panel and it does the EXACT same thing. Before someone termed the phrase Jelly Scroll, I used to call it “Wavy Scrolling”. And it happens primarily in Portrait Mode. If I turn the Tab S2 sideways the wavy scrolling goes away.

Samsung has never fixed the problem so I suspect it’s panel related.

Interesting. I have an 8" S2 and don't see it - I tried to duplicate it tonight.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Interesting. I have an 8" S2 and don't see it - I tried to duplicate it tonight.

Haha, I have a good friend who bought the 8" S2 when I purchased the 9.7" version and I asked him if he saw the problem I was having and he said No! So it happens with the larger screens and oh btw, when I was researching the problem, some owners of the same tablet I have did not notice any wavy scrolling. So not every tablet has this problem.

 

[decypher44]

Here’s the skinny:


So, Apple confirms it’s how they work. So they ALL have it. On top of that, they are not going to pursue a fix, since that’s how they’re all supposed to operate (according to them).

Apple’s Response to Arstechnica:

“
Update, 9/28/2021: In response to our inquiry, Apple has told us that the "jelly scroll" issue on the sixth-generation iPad mini is normal behavior for LCD screens. Because these screens do refresh line-by-line, there is a tiny delay between when the lines at the top of the screen and lines at the bottom are refreshed. This can cause uneven scrolling issues like the ones observed on the iPad.

We maintain that this effect is noticeable on the iPad mini in a way that it is not noticeable on other 60 Hz LCD iPads we've tested, like the iPad Air 4 and the latest $329 iPad. There's also a clear dividing line down the middle of the screen in portrait mode, as observed in our testing and in the video linked below—it's not a problem at the extreme edges of the display. The upshot is that the company doesn't believe there is a hardware or software issue to "fix," and that the screen apparently is the way it is.”

 

[rovex]

The take away here is use your iPad mini in landscape ! I know I do, I think tablets are inherently designed for landscape use anyway.

 

[decypher44]

The take away here is use your iPad mini in landscape ! I know I do, I think tablets are inherently designed for landscape use anyway.

Holding it that way when scrolling through forums (this is where I notice it most) is tedious. The height at that orientation is obviously smaller, so I have to scroll more often.

Fortunately, I find it better using my iPhone for forum use as it’s easier to type on than the iPad.

 

[bobcomer]

Would you consider uploading a video of your Mini 6 scrolling up/down in portrait ?

I'm not sure that would make a difference, Doesn't a video camera work basically the same, (scanning 1 line at a time), so it could introduce the scrolling too?

Anyway, later tonight if I'm not too busy. I suspect people that see the jelly will see it in mine as well. I can't see it, but I'm a lot older than I used to be when I saw it on other types of screens.

Got a link for some good text to show the effect?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm not sure that would make a difference, Doesn't a video camera work basically the same, (scanning 1 line at a time), so it could introduce the scrolling too?

Anyway, later tonight if I'm not too busy. I suspect people that see the jelly will see it in mine as well. I can't see it, but I'm a lot older than I used to be when I saw it on other types of screens.

Got a link for some good text to show the effect?

It's all good Bob - thx for replying though

We have totally clarity on this from Apple today, per the Ars Technica article and their comms with Apple.

Jelly scroll in portrait is there on every single iPad mini 6 - it's a result of their design change to optimize for landscape it would seem. If you can't see it, I'm honestly happy for you and really envious.

 

[Yr Blues]

They probably have an in-house term for their most hyper sensitive users that frequently return their products.

 

[davidako]

They probably have an in-house term for their most hyper sensitive users that frequently return their products.

The mini 6 is the first device I've returned in over 15 years of using Apple (for its intended design, not for a fault)

 

[Yr Blues]

The mini 6 is the first device I've returned in over 15 years of using Apple.

Now that you see it, how can you use any product with a digital screen? Did you know your nose is in your field of vision?

 

[charles4515]

I compared scrolling on my Mini 6 screen to the scrolling on my Mini 5 screen. Looks the same to me.

 

[estabya]

I can see the jelly scrolling very subtly on my mini 6 if I sit there and scroll to look for it, but it’s definitely not something I notice in my normal usage.

 

[davidako]

Now that you see it, how can you use any product with a digital screen?

My mini 5 and phones refresh correctly in portrait mode which I what I use for reading text.

Apple is supposed to be the company that charges a premium for the best user experience. Not the company that just hikes prices then whinges that any limitations were just too difficult for them to bother solving.

 

[Macalway]

Some of these units might be bad. Mine doesn't do it so what does that tell you?

Apple might not be aware of a more severe problem that goes beyond 'normal for a lcd'. And the Company Line is what you are going to get at first.

 

[turbineseaplane]

My mini 5 and phones refresh correctly in portrait mode which I what I use for reading text.

Apple is supposed to be the company that charges a premium for the best user experience. Not the company that just hikes prices then whinges that any limitations were just too difficult for them to bother solving.

100% agree. I'm actually a bit disappointed that all of us here on this forum don't hold them to a higher standard.

We are letting them move the goalposts downward with acceptance of stuff like this.

 

[Yr Blues]

My mini 5 and phones refresh correctly in portrait mode which I what I use for reading text.

Apple is supposed to be the company that charges a premium for the best user experience. Not the company that just hikes prices then whinges that any limitations were just too difficult for them to bother solving.

Apple decided to switch the orientation, that's all.

We, at least I do, live in a free country. Return it at your liesure.

 

[davidako]

Apple decided to switch the orientation, that's all.

We, at least I do, live in a free country. Return it at your liesure.

Already did.

 

[Yr Blues]

Already did.

Let it be known. And it shall be.

 

[Avenger]

I compared scrolling on my Mini 6 screen to the scrolling on my Mini 5 screen. Looks the same to me.

I didn’t notice any difference either. But I am not about to look at slow down videos to purposefully look for it.