Jelly scrolling was a main issue on the iPad mini 6, and for the most part, Apple has fixed it in its latest iPad mini 7 lineup. However, some users continue to experience the same phenomenon, and it remains to be seen if the company has changed the internals to minimize the refresh rate displacement. iFixit's teardown of the iPad mini 7 reveals the internals of the device and the mystery of the jelly scrolling issue.
Teardown reveals that the iPad mini 7 features the same display driver position as the iPad mini 6
If you are not familiar, jelly scrolling on the iPad mini originated with the launch of the mini 6 in 2021. Some users reported that one side of the display refreshed faster than the other, causing them to notice the refresh rate parity with every scroll, especially while reading text. The issue appeared to be quite noticeable in the portrait orientation, and it had been three years since the company responded with a fix.
With the launch of the iPad mini 7, the main point of concern for users was jelly scrolling and whether the company had fixed the issue. According to the teardown video shared by iFixit, Apple has indeed made some changes on the inside of the iPad mini 7, but a lot still remains the same. For instance, the iPad Air lineup features a display driver that goes on top of the screen on the inside. On the iPad mini 6 and 7, the display drivers were positioned on the side, which could have contributed to the jelly scrolling issue.
Apple told users that jelly scrolling on the iPad mini 6 was normal behavior of an LCD panel. Despite its claims, the company has made certain changes, whether in hardware or software, to minimize the jelly scrolling issue. Internally, there are no traces available that suggest that the jelly scrolling issue has been fixed. The display driver is more or less the same, along with some other components.
In the end, the website states that Apple has pulled off some unknown trickery to reduce the jelly scrolling effect on the iPad mini 7. Our review roundup of the device pointed out that, except for The Verge, most reviewers have not experienced jelly scrolling to the same extent as that of the iPad mini 6. This means that the company could also have made some changes to the software level that reduced the jelly scrolling issue.
Other details in the teardown show the same component parts, which are interchangeable with the iPad mini 6. It is a great deal for repairability as older devices can be used to fix the newer model. The iPad mini 7 teardown also revealed that the Apple logo on the back can also be removed, but there is no word that it promotes the thermal design. We will update you guys with more details on the issue and the internal design of the device, so be sure to stick around.
