iPad Mini 6 "Jelly Scrolling" Is Normal Behavior According To Apple
iPad mini 6 "jelly scrolling" is normal behavior according to AppleIt's not unusual for new products to launch with some issues, and even Apple's devices aren't immune to that. Fortunately, most of those post-launch problems can be fixed through a software update, like the "Unlock with Apple Watch" iPhone 13 bug that's already addressed in the latest iOS 15.1 beta. Unfortunately, that still depends on whether Apple considers something to be a bug or a non-issue, and it seems that it doesn't see any problem with the "jelly scrolling" being reported by new iPad mini 6 owners.
After many generations, Apple has finally changed the formula of the iPad mini in more than just the design. It's using a new and larger display, one that might require some developers to adjust their apps to match the new screen size and resolution. That may have made users and reviewers more perceptive of a change in the experience, resulting in reports of this "jelly scrolling" behavior.
This term refers to how the left half of the screen seems to lag behind the right half when scrolling a page, making paragraphs of text look wobbly. It's subtle but noticeable when you become aware of it, and it seems to be more prominent when scrolling slowly. There also seems to be some relation to the orientation of the screen, where the jelly effect sometimes disappears completely when holding the iPad mini 6 in landscape orientation.
Apple tells Ars Technica that this is actually normal behavior for LCD screens, where there is a delay when lines at the top and bottom of the screen are refreshed. Many sites, however, point out that the iPad mini 6 seems to exhibit this more prominently than any other LCD iPad, though there are indeed instances where uneven scrolling is noticeable on other devices. Apple's explanation doesn't address factors like the orientation of the screen or the delay affecting half of the screen rather than just the edges.
Unfortunately, calling it a non-issue suggests that Apple won't be entertaining replacements because of that particular complaint. That might leave owners fewer options if they are truly bothered by this jelly scrolling behavior. That said, Apple could sneak in a fix in iOS 15.1 that would "improve display performance" while silently addressing what it doesn't want to call a bug.