iPad mini Returning my iPad Mini 6

[taneff]

So iFixit explained the jelly effect and also said that cheaper display panels show it more visible than higher quality panels. So I guess Apple uses different display manufactures and some are of higher and some are of lower quality.

Jelly effect is there but some have no problems and some have big problems with it. A user posted a video of his device here, also has touch issues with the display, and I can see it clearly there. Not on my device. And I find my Mini 6 display to be quite nice. Similar to the higher LCD quality of my Mini 5 but more accurate colors as my Mini 5 had major red tint compared to my Mini 6. Some users here are also reporting about bad display quality compared to the Mini 5. Not with my Mini 6.

So maybe if someone really really wants the Mini 6 it is worth it to try different Mini 6 to maybe find a device with a better display which doesn't show jelly that much, even though it will be there on every device.

 

[ofarlig]

So iFixit explained the jelly effect and also said that cheaper display panels show it more visible than higher quality panels. So I guess Apple uses different display manufactures and some are of higher and some are of lower quality.

Jelly effect is there but some have no problems and some have big problems with it. A user posted a video of his device here, also has touch issues with the display, and I can see it clearly there. Not on my device. And I find my Mini 6 display to be quite nice. Similar to the higher LCD quality of my Mini 5 but more accurate colors as my Mini 5 had major red tint compared to my Mini 6. Some users here are also reporting about bad display quality compared to the Mini 5. Not with my Mini 6.

So maybe if someone really really wants the Mini 6 it is worth it to try different Mini 6 to maybe find a device with a better display which doesn't show jelly that much, even though it will be there on every device.

Yeah, different manufacturers with one being a slower panel can make the problem much more noticable. All of them will have it but a fast panel would fix a chunk of the problem at least . I am going to wait a few months and see if something changes and maybe try to order another one, because apart from the jelly scrolling it was a really good device for me.

 

[klasma]

So iFixit explained the jelly effect and also said that cheaper display panels show it more visible than higher quality panels. So I guess Apple uses different display manufactures and some are of higher and some are of lower quality.

Jelly effect is there but some have no problems and some have big problems with it. A user posted a video of his device here, also has touch issues with the display, and I can see it clearly there. Not on my device. And I find my Mini 6 display to be quite nice. Similar to the higher LCD quality of my Mini 5 but more accurate colors as my Mini 5 had major red tint compared to my Mini 6. Some users here are also reporting about bad display quality compared to the Mini 5. Not with my Mini 6.

So maybe if someone really really wants the Mini 6 it is worth it to try different Mini 6 to maybe find a device with a better display which doesn't show jelly that much, even though it will be there on every device.

The display of the mini 6 I had was really nice, except for the jelly scroll. Personally I find it more plausible that the varying reports here are due to individual perception rather than due to differences in display quality.

 

[Shanghaichica]

My iPad mini is restoring from an iCloud backup. The display seems to be a bit more vibrant than on my mini 5 but I haven’t put a screen protector on it yet so that could be an issue. Holding it and typing it in portrait mode is more comfortable than on the mini 5. It does feel a lot better in the hand. Haven’t seen the jelly scrolling yet.

 

[taneff]

The display of the mini 6 I had was really nice, except for the jelly scroll. Personally I find it more plausible that the varying reports here are due to individual perception rather than due to differences in display quality.

I do believe it is a mix of both as some report bad display quality compared to Mini 5, jelly effect aside. There are definitely different quality of displays out there. And iFixit mentions it too. All have it, some more some less. Some see it more, some it less. It is a mix of both I believe.

 

[klasma]

I do believe it is a mix of both as some report bad display quality compared to Mini 5, jelly effect aside. There are definitely different quality of displays out there. And iFixit mentions it too. All have it, some more some less. Some see it more, some it less. It is a mix of both I believe.

It could be that different display models vary in how bad it is. However, note that iFixit is merely speculating here, they haven’t determined any quality issue, or haven’t even established that a quality issue would be necessary to explain the severity of the effect (rather than e.g. simply the narrowness of the screen).

 

[ascender]

Despite my reservations, I'm not going to return the Mini. I absolutely love the form factor for note taking and media consumption. Its so light compared to anything else, so it really is like having a notebook on-hand the whole time.

I borrowed my wife's Air for a few days and I just kept falling back in to my old habits where I'd end up with it on the couch, attached to a keyboard. I really want to stop doing that!

 

[RoadWarrior56]

Increasingly smart advice with modern Apple -- unfortuantely

Particularly painful mistake if someone perhaps traded-in their iPad mini 5 and now wishes they could have it back.

 

[RoadWarrior56]

I was lucky. I still had my Mini 5, since I had not yet received the trade in kit. I was able to "unwind" my entire deal and return the Mini 6 back to Apple and cancel the trade-in. As I had previously posted, I never saw the so-called jelly scrolling on the Mini 6 for the 3-4 days I used it. I just know the display was extremely irritating to my eyes and caused repeated headaches, and the screen never looked as sharp as any of my previous iPad Mini screens. Speculating what might have happened with this product, I wonder if the seemingly endless supply chain issues that everybody is dealing with caused Apple to use other suppliers for some of their screens, with resulting QA/QC and inconsistency issues. In any case, it is not my problem any more. I will just wait with interest to see what happens going forward.

 

[wilberforce]

Increasingly smart advice with modern Apple -- unfortuantely

Particularly painful mistake if someone perhaps traded-in their iPad mini 5 and now wishes they could have it back.

Yes, never send in a trade-in until near the end of the 14-day try-out period on the new device (or you are absolutely sure you like the new device).
Apple sends the trade-in kit when the new device ships (doesn't matter how far in advance you preorder, or what the backlog is), so you have a good overlap of time when you have both devices before you have to send back one or the other. I have frequently done this. This is how I am able to compare every aspect of the old vs new before deciding.

The only risk is if they deny the originally quoted trade-in value, which does happen

 

[Plantain]

Battery life is "ok"..

ok so it’s not just me. I’m worried with updates and time the battery life will start to become unbearable especially what it’s advertised for. What will media consumption and gaming look like a year after using this thing?

 

[MrGimper]

The display of the mini 6 I had was really nice, except for the jelly scroll. Personally I find it more plausible that the varying reports here are due to individual perception rather than due to differences in display quality.

I agree ... would be interesting for friends or family to validate this ..... someone with a device they see jelly on, and someone with a device they don't see jelly on, swapping devices and reporting. Does the jelly move, so to speak.

 

[Baywatchboy]

I'm probably misunderstanding what you mean but for the record, the iPad mini 6 has 5G. It works very well with T-Mobile. I usually get over 660 Mbps and theoretically can go up to 3.5 Gbps. It doesn't have the little used 5G ultra-wideband antennas though so maybe that is what you meant.

What I meant was having a Mini with 5G as opposed to one with only wifi. I have only owned wifi versions of iPads in the past because I use them almost exclusively at work or home where I always have wifi. I would be more inclined to have a mini with me because of the size, therefore the need/want to have 5G. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[EastHillWill]

I haven't read this entire thread, so apologies if this has already been stated: I wonder if Apple knew the mini didn't have the absolute best screen, but determined it was good enough for a year or two (or more, I guess...) until they replaced it with mini-LED or--less likely given the report we saw a few days ago--OLED. I assume we'll have this form factor for a while, but a new display in the not too distant future.

 

[Scarpad]

That's the biggest issue I have with it just now and I think why I will return it. I have tried adjusting some of the accessibility settings, but I'm not getting on with the size for web browsing either. I keep finding myself zooming in, rotating the device etc.

At the moment its an expensive digital notebook and eReader, so I guess its just not for me.

yeah iOS 15 did effect my iPad Pro 11 but the larger screen compensates somewhat, the six it makes small and fuzzy

 

[Scarpad]

It pains me to write this, but I have owned ever Mini since the original, except for the Mini 3. I have loved every one of them. When the Mini 6 was announced, I eagerly pre-ordered it and picked it up at an Apple Store on Saturday. It is great in every way, except that I seem to get eyestrain every time I look at the screen for an extended period of time. I have see no jelly scrolling or any other malady described in this forum, it is just that my 65 year old eyes seem to generate a headache when I use it, and that is with glasses. I still have my Mini 5 since I have yet received my trade-in return kit for it. I copied my information back onto the "5" last night (i had previously wiped it), and the screen looked totally different and doesn't cause eyestrain. It just doesn't irritate me the way the Mini 6 screen does. I am afraid I may have to return the Mini 6 and keep the Mini 5. Is it just me or is this is an issue for many other readers of this forum?

that what I did, for almost $925 at maxed out apple skimped on this panel

 

[Rafterman]

I was lucky. I still had my Mini 5, since I had not yet received the trade in kit. I was able to "unwind" my entire deal and return the Mini 6 back to Apple and cancel the trade-in. As I had previously posted, I never saw the so-called jelly scrolling on the Mini 6 for the 3-4 days I used it. I just know the display was extremely irritating to my eyes and caused repeated headaches, and the screen never looked as sharp as any of my previous iPad Mini screens. Speculating what might have happened with this product, I wonder if the seemingly endless supply chain issues that everybody is dealing with caused Apple to use other suppliers for some of their screens, with resulting QA/QC and inconsistency issues. In any case, it is not my problem any more. I will just wait with interest to see what happens going forward.

I may not be your eyes, but your brain, Since Apple reversed the scan direction between the 5 and 6, your brain may not like the new orientation.

 

[davidako]

I may not be your eyes, but your brain, Since Apple reversed the scan direction between the 5 and 6, your brain may not like the new orientation.

Tim Cook loves the idea that all his cost cutting measures can be excused as just being problems with users’ brains 😂

 

[ofarlig]

I did return mine but got another one that will arrive Monday or so, I will try to use it in a way that won’t irritate me that much. I think it can be done by not scrolling as fast while reading or not reading while scrolling. See if becomes a too big compromise or not when I am not as efficient.

I was going to have to send back the first one I ordered initially regardless because my carrier had apparently removed the option for a data SIM so it made the cost go up, and with the jelly scroll it become a too steep upgrade cost from my Mini 5.

 

[ScanTheNavian]

I did return mine but got another one that will arrive Monday or so, I will try to use it in a way that won’t irritate me that much. I think it can be done by not scrolling as fast while reading or not reading while scrolling. See if becomes a too big compromise or not when I am not as efficient.

Please come back and tell how that went! I've been scanning the Android market recently and there just isn't anything comparable to the iPad Mini. The only solution right now is either to hope for a revised model(likelyhood in the lower digits) or to try and train my mind not to see it or be affected. So I've been having the same train of thought like you.

Another thought I've been having is to buy an 11" model, but it would affect my need for portability too much, even though the cost difference would be rather slim.

 

[ofarlig]

Please come back and tell how that went! I've been scanning the Android market recently and there just isn't anything comparable to the iPad Mini. The only solution right now is either to hope for a revised model(likelyhood in the lower digits) or to try and train my mind not to see it or be affected. So I've been having the same train of thought like you.

Another thought I've been having is to buy an 11" model, but it would affect my need for portability too much, even though the cost difference would be rather slim.

I will, I did like the Mini 6 and when I am not taking the 5G version I am saving close to $480 if I include the cost of the extra SIM needed for a year.

I was on the fence on getting the new Samsung Fold 3 instead and getting rid of my 12 Pro Max as well as the Mini 5. I had the Fold 2 for a while and it really is an amazing unit, but in the end I am too into the Apple ecosystem to make the switch work. So if you can see yourself running an Android phone it is a great option. If Apple releases a competitor to that in a few years I will jump on it instantly.

 

[jdb8167]

What I meant was having a Mini with 5G as opposed to one with only wifi. I have only owned wifi versions of iPads in the past because I use them almost exclusively at work or home where I always have wifi. I would be more inclined to have a mini with me because of the size, therefore the need/want to have 5G. Sorry for any confusion.

Gotcha

 

[tpfang56]

Ugh, I’m losing my nerve. The ipad mini 6 is has almost the perfect form factor, but it’s really not worth the price for both extra storage + cellular (only have cellular in my model.) The jelly scroll is distracting at first, and I know if I stare at the screen enough, it’ll give me motion sickness—but when I first pick it up and use it, I almost think I can get away with it.

Otherwise, it’s such a perfect little device. I’m very sad to have to return it…

 

[Shanghaichica]

Please come back and tell how that went! I've been scanning the Android market recently and there just isn't anything comparable to the iPad Mini. The only solution right now is either to hope for a revised model(likelyhood in the lower digits) or to try and train my mind not to see it or be affected. So I've been having the same train of thought like you.

Another thought I've been having is to buy an 11" model, but it would affect my need for portability too much, even though the cost difference would be rather slim.

Why not buy a mini 5? It’s still a very capable device and is better than any small android tablet on the market.

 

[sparksd]

Why not buy a mini 5? It’s still a very capable device and is better than any small android tablet on the market.

Yeah, I have an 8" Galaxy Tab S2 and my new Mini 6 absolutely blows it away. It has the nice AMOLED display but the performance is wretched.