• The jelly scrolling issue persists on the 2024 iPad Mini, but is much less pronounced, with some reviewers stating it is fixed or not mentioning it at all.

• Apple’s decision not to move the display controller or increase the refresh rate is why the issue is still present.

• In daily use, you may not notice any problems (even on the older model).

The sixth-generation iPad Mini was almost perfect, except for one issue that affected the display: so-called frozen scrolling. So, did the 2024 seventh-generation iPad Mini update fix the problem? The answer is complicated.

What is Jelly Scrolling?

Jelly scrolling was an issue that quickly became associated with the iPad Mini 2021 having looked up when the iPad was used in portrait mode. Since one side of the screen would refresh slightly slower than the other, scrolling vertically in portrait orientation would result in visible wobble.

Indeed, the left side of the iPad Mini screen would be updated before the right side. There was a visible lag between the left and right elements, as the right side of the screen took a little longer to catch up. This was especially pronounced when scrolling quickly.

Jelly scrolling was most noticeable when scrolling through web pages or text-heavy documents. This was less of an issue in games and unnoticeable on static or slow screen elements. Naturally, this wasn’t a problem at all when using the iPad in landscape mode.

The reason for the jelly scrolling was primarily the location of the display controller, which is located along the left edge of the iPad Mini’s screen when held in portrait mode. The display controller sends about 60 updates per second (hence the displays refresh rate of 60 Hz), but these must move from left to right.

Standard iPad models get around this problem by placing the display controller at the top of the screen in portrait orientation. Jelly scrolling remains an issue on these models, but since most people browse the web or read text in portrait mode, the problem is much less noticeable.

It’s also worth pointing out that the 60Hz refresh rate only exacerbated the problem. Double the refresh rate to 120Hz (or as Apple calls it, ProMotion) would cause the screen to update twice as fast and make the problem much less noticeable to the vast majority of people.

Jelly scrolling is still present

So, has Apple fixed the jelly scrolling issue on the iPad Mini 2024? The answer appears to be no, with one big caveat. Despite mixed messages from critics, jelly scrolling still appears to be present on the seventh-generation iPad Mini 2024.

The Edges David Pierce states that the problem is still very present. Despite this, there is a glimmer of hope. Pierce notes that jelly scrolling is less present in the 2024 model and that the issue wasn’t severe enough to make it onto his list of cons.

The fact is that jelly scrolling is much better on the iPad Mini 2024 than on the previous model. Reviews published on Wired, Toms GuideAnd Thing say that it is no longer a problem when CNET And TechRadar don’t mention the problem at all.

This is especially interesting considering what the teardowns reveal about the new tablet.

Apple didn’t move the display controller

iFixes demolish confirms that jelly scrolling is still present through some testing, and also reveals why. Apple hasn’t moved the display controller on the 2024 iPad Mini, although it has somehow improved performance to the point where it’s less noticeable.

iFixit’s teardown says the chips used in the display controller appear to be the same as in the previous model, but admits that through some trickery Apple managed to solve the worst of the jelly scrolling problems.

This means the problem may not bother you again, especially if you weren’t so progressive last time. If you mainly use your iPad for sketching and sketching, playing games, make musicor if you spend most of your time in landscape mode, you probably shouldn’t think twice about it.

So, should you upgrade from the sixth-generation iPad Mini to the 2024 model? Read our iPad Mini comparison to find out. We wouldn’t blame you if you decide to skip the iPad Mini refresh this year unless Apple Intelligence features are really important to you.