If you just bought a new iPad mini 6 and are encountering the “jelly scrolling” issue we noted on Monday, Apple has stated that this might be normal behavior for the device.
iPad mini 6 owners have been complaining about a “jelly scrolling” problem that affects some iPad mini models when using the device in portrait mode, and Apple now says that the behavior is normal for an LCD screen.
The “jelly scrolling” issue refers to screen tearing, wherein text or images on one side of the screen can appear to be tilted downwards due to a mismatch in refresh rates. This can cause one side of the display to look as if it’s refreshing faster than the other side.
Apple told Ars Technica that jelly scroll is normal behavior for an LCD. The screen is designed to refresh line by line, which can cause a tiny delay between when the lines at the top of the screen and the bottom of the screen are refreshed, resulting in uneven scrolling issues.
The issue seems to be much more pronounced on the iPad mini 6 than on other iPads that also have an LCD screen like the iPad Air, or even the ninth-generation iPad that was released at the same time.
This, in turn, has led to complaints from some customers who are unhappy with the jelly scrolling effect. It also seems that these customers seem unlikely to receive a replacement device from Apple.
iPad mini 6 owners who can’t get past the jelly scrolling on their tablets should make sure to make a return or get a replacement within 14 days after purchase during the standard return period. Not all iPad mini devices seem to be experiencing the issue to the same degree, so it may be possible to purchase one that has less of a scrolling delay.
Apple may also issue some kind of software fix in the future to address the problem, even though the company claims that it is normal behavior.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors and Ars Technica