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It sure looks like the iPad Mini has a ‘jelly scrolling’ problem

Michael Allison
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The new iPad Mini has been a critical hit alongside Apple’s iPhone 13 series. However, it’s also picked up a frustrating issue for a few buyers — “jelly scrolling”. Spotted by iPad Mini buyers over the past weekend and tagged #jellygate by some, the problem with the iPad Mini’s display has become a sudden Achilles’ heel for the long-awaited tablet.

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

Jelly scrolling is an issue that recurs on displays for a number of reasons. In essence, it occurs when the contents on one side of a screen scroll slightly faster than the other due to the screen refreshing faster on that side. This then causes display elements on the other side to lag. The end result? The content displayed appears to wobble like jelly — hence the name.

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While the problems we encountered are not as dramatic as in the new video (above), which is shot in slow motion, Digital Trends can confirm the issue exists on an in-house iPad Mini. It’s present in both landscape and portrait modes, though it varies depending on the current app. We’ll go more in-depth with the display when we do a full review, but it’s an issue that does exist. Apple’s generally good customer support (and strong consumer protections in some countries) mean that you can return an iPad Mini 6 if the display issue turns out to be a deal breaker for you.

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It’s not clear why this is happening on the new Mini. Whether this is something that’s due to hardware or software is something only Apple can answer. Apple’s iPad Mini isn’t the first tablet to suffer from it, and other devices, including the OnePlus 5, the Galaxy Tab S6, and more, have had run-ins with the infamous jelly scroll.

Other than that, the new iPad Mini has its advantages. It’s a smaller tablet than the iPad Air and iPad Pro, and it has a more modern design than the iPad with its USB-C port, thin bezels, and button-mounted fingerprint sensor. It’s a nice little device that can serve as a tablet primarily focused on content consumption. Despite its positive critical reception, though, it’s unclear if it’ll be as popular as either its bigger or cheaper siblings.

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Michael Allison
Michael Allison
Mobile News Writer
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
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