OnePlus dismisses OnePlus 5's jelly scrolling effect as 'normal' behavior

OnePlus has officially responded to the controversy surrounding the odd jelly-like scrolling effect on some OnePlus 5 devices: this “subtle visual effect” is simply “natural.”

Despite having been one of the most anticipated devices of the year, the OnePlus 5 saw a lot of controversy since its launch. First it was the alleged benchmark manipulation. And now, as we reported earlier, some OnePlus 5 users are noticing a bizarre jelly-like scrolling effect. Essentially, the content on the screen would wobble and get distorted when you scroll through it – well – just like jelly. You can see it in action here.

After online threads gathered hundreds of OnePlus 5 users worldwide reporting similar issues, the company said it would be looking into it, and now it has an official response. According to OnePlus, this weird effect is perfectly normal:

The OnePlus 5 uses the same level of high-quality components as all OnePlus devices, including the AMOLED display. We’ve received feedback from a small number of users saying that at times they notice a subtle visual effect when scrolling. This is natural and there’s no variance in screens between devices.

Because the company deems it normal behavior instead of a manufacturing issue, it’s unlikely that OnePlus will see it as a sufficient reason for a warranty replacement. So, since it doesn’t look like OnePlus will do anything to address it, if the jelly effect bothers you a lot, you’re probably better off returning your device within the 15-day timeframe.

There are a lot of theories online as to what could be causing the odd scrolling effect, and the one that I find particularly interesting is the upside-down theory. Users who have this issue claim that when they scroll with the phone upside down, the jelly effect disappears. In fact, out of curiosity, I tried scrolling while holding my Galaxy S7 Edge upside down, and it actually does produce the same jelly effect that’s been reported, making everything wobble. Perhaps the panel is mounted incorrectly; perhaps it’s a software-related orientation issue; perhaps it has nothing to do with the screen being upside down.

Whatever the cause is, I do hope OnePlus will do more than just dismiss it as a non-issue. After all, Samsung did the same with the red tinting issue on Galaxy S8 devices and later issued a software fix. With its price hovering dangerously close to those of mainstream flagship devices and with tensions rising from the OnePlus community, the last thing the company would want is to disappoint its loyal fans who chose to stick with the OnePlus 5.

What do you reckon the issue is here? Does the jelly-like effect bother you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!