iFixit’s iPad mini 7 teardown reveals that Apple made almost no internal changes to the device. Its internal layout is also the same as that of the iPad mini 6.
Interestingly, rumors previously indicated Apple rotating the iPad mini 7’s display controller to fix the jelly scrolling issue. But that’s not the case.
No internal layout changes in iPad mini 7
The 2021 iPad mini 6 launched with a sleek new design and a bigger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. While the tablet packed a lot of power for its compact form factor, it soon became infamous for jelly scrolling issues. The issue led to one side of the display scrolling faster than the other half, causing screen tearing.
Apple publicly defended the problem, saying the jelly scrolling effect is “normal behavior for LCD screens.” Many speculated that the inverted display controller was causing the problem.
Initial iPad mini 7 reviews point to Apple addressing the jelly scrolling issue on its newest iPad. But as iFixit’s teardown reveals, Apple did not achieve this by repositioning the display controller. Even the display chip is seemingly the same.
A removable rear Apple logo!
Another surprising tidbit from iFixit’s iPad mini 7 teardown is the removable rear Apple logo. This is apparently the first time the company is using a removable logo on its devices. Unlike the iPhone 16 Pro series, Apple still uses sticky adhesive pull tabs to hold the iPad mini 7’s battery in place.
Like its predecessor, the iPad mini 7’s design makes replacing the battery and the USB-C port easy. However, accessing its innards can be difficult, as it requires removing the display, which can break during the process. No replacement spare parts and repair manuals from Apple further make carrying in-house repairs difficult.
Overall, the iPad mini 7 earned a provisional repairability score of 3 out of 10 in iFixit’s teardown.
