In our iPad mini (2021) review, we didn’t notice any major issues with the display on the sixth-generation version of the tablet, but the slate did attract complaints about a ‘jelly scrolling’ problem – which Apple has now apparently fixed with the iPad mini 7.
If you’re new to the saga, jelly scrolling is where one side of the screen refreshes slower than the other, causing a jarring effect when scrolling up and down – especially on pages of text. Apple has said it isn’t an issue, but it has continued to be an annoyance for some.
Our review of the 7th-gen iPad mini (2024) is still on the way, and it goes on sale October 23. In the meantime, well-known Apple commentator Jason Snell has said on his Six Colors podcast (via MacRumors) that he believes the issue has now been sorted out.
Snell didn’t go into specific details about the tweak, or say where he got his information, but his close connections to Apple make this a credible tip-off – even if the new iPad mini comes with an 8.3-inch LCD panel that appears to be almost identical to the screen on the previous model.
Smoother scrolling
Quite how big of a deal this is depends on how much the jelly scrolling on the iPad mini 6 spoiled your viewing experience. Apple has remained adamant that there’s no issue, and it was only noticeable in portrait mode – but once you did see it, it was then difficult to unsee it while using the tablet.
It was certainly enough of a problem for us to mention it in our list of 5 potentially annoying iPad mini 7 limitations. Apart from a performance bump, there aren’t too many upgrades on the new slate – though it will be able to run Apple Intelligence.
According to a rumor that surfaced last year, changes in the way the iPad mini is assembled are responsible for eradicating jelly scrolling. Whatever has happened behind the scenes, it’s going to be a welcome improvement.
You can preorder the iPad mini 7 right now from Apple, or wait until Wednesday to go and pick it up in stores. Pricing starts at $499 / £499 / AU$799 – that gets you 128GB of storage, with 256GB and 512GB models also available.