Jelly scrolling was a major issue with the iPad mini 6, but Apple has fixed it for the most part with the latest iPad mini 7 lineup. However, some users are still experiencing the same phenomenon, and it remains to be seen whether the company has changed the internals to minimize the refresh rate deviation. iFixit‘s teardown of the iPad mini 7 reveals the device’s internal structure and the mystery of the jelly-like scrolling issue.
A teardown reveals that the iPad mini 7 features the same display driver locations as the iPad mini 6
For those who aren’t familiar, the iPad mini Jelly Scroll began with the launch of the mini 6 in 2021. Some users have reported noticing that one side of the display updates faster than the other, and that the refresh rate is comparable every time you scroll. Especially when reading text. The problem seemed to be very noticeable in 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 concern of users was the jelly scroll and whether the company fixed the issue. According to a teardown video shared by iFixit, Apple has indeed made some changes to the iPad mini 7’s internals, but many parts are still unchanged. For example, in the iPad Air lineup, the display driver is located internally at the top of the screen. The iPad mini 6 and 7 had display drivers located on the side, which may have caused the jelly scrolling issue.
Apple explained to users that jelly-like scrolling on the iPad mini 6 is normal behavior for the LCD panel. Despite that claim, the company has made certain changes to its hardware or software to minimize the jelly scrolling issue. Internally, there is no indication that the jelly scroll issue has been fixed. Display drivers, like other components, are largely the same.
Finally, the website states that Apple has performed an unknown trick to reduce the jelly scrolling effect on the iPad mini 7. A roundup of reviews for this device notes that most reviewers, with the exception of The Verge, have no experience with jelly scrolling. This means that the company may have made some changes at the software level to alleviate the jelly scrolling issue.
Additional details in the exploded view show the same component parts that are interchangeable with the iPad mini 6. Repairability is very high as older devices can be used to repair newer models. A teardown of the iPad mini 7 reveals that the Apple logo on the back can also be removed, but there’s no word on promoting thermal design. Please stay tuned as we will continue to update you on this issue and the details of the device’s internal design.
