Merely days after the new iPad mini’s market release, some users have started reporting a weird ‘jelly scrolling’ effect that makes text lines appear wobbly on the screen. However, this is not a screen issue unique to the iPad mini, or tablets in general. In 2017, multiple OnePlus 5 users reported a similar jelly-like effect when scrolling through an app, but the company ruled out any hardware defects back then. A quick look at the official Apple forum reveals that even older iPad models have exhibited a similar problem that causes on-screen content, especially text, to appear wobbly.
The problem of on-screen content appearing slightly skewed while scrolling is particularly noticeable when reading a text-heavy page, as the lines of text tend to appear wavy. In the past, some users have even reported that they can see the images appearing slightly distorted from end to end. While hardware flaws often appear to be the most likely culprit for such issues, users in support forums often suggest a device reset to get rid of the issue.
Coming to the latest manifestation of the ‘jelly scrolling’ issue on the 6th Gen iPad mini, the anomaly was highlighted by The Verge’s Dieter Bohn who tweeted a video of the issue in action. Multiple complaints on Reddit, blog forums, and even a few queries on Apple Discussions suggest that the problem is not a one-off. The odd scrolling behavior happens when content on one side of the screen moves faster than the other half, resulting in slight distortion and a wavy motion effect. YouTube channel Teoh on Tech also highlighted and demonstrated the issue in a recent video.
Unclear If Hardware Flaw Or Software Bug
The jelly scrolling effect is only noticeable when viewing the content in portrait mode, and is said to be non-existent when using the iPad mini in landscape orientation. At this point in time, it is unclear if the issue is widespread or only limited to a small number of iPad mini units. Moreover, it can’t be said with certainty whether hardware imperfections are causing the weird visual effect, or if it’s due to any software-related issues. Apple is yet to acknowledge and release an official statement about the problem.
In the past, Samsung has rolled out software updates to fix display issues on its phones, with a recent example being the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s ‘green tint’ display problem. Apple usually follows a strict quality control procedure for its devices, so if the problem is due to hardware flaws, iPad mini 6 buyers will likely be eligible for a free replacement. However, it is quite likely that Apple will try to fix the wobbly scrolling issue with a software update first, before initiating a repair or replacement program.
