About this replacement
Apple iPad Mini 2 / Mini 3 — 3.7V Li-Polymer Replacement Battery (A1489 / A1512)
This 3.7V, 6400mAh lithium-polymer battery replaces the original cell in the Apple iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3 tablets. It fits models A1489, A1490, and related variants. Voltage and capacity match OEM specifications so the charge IC operates without modification.
- iPad Mini 2 and Mini 3 compatibility: Both generations share the same battery footprint, connector pinout, and BMS communication protocol — the charge IC on the logic board expects the same voltage curve and thermistor response from either model's battery slot.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this cell through charge and discharge on an iPad Mini 2 logic board, confirming BMS handshake, charge termination at full capacity, and stable voltage output under combined display and WiFi load.
- Fuel gauge recalibration after swap: After installation, run the tablet down to automatic shutoff — do not force-power-off — then charge uninterrupted to 100% without using the device. This lets the fuel gauge IC map its low-voltage and high-voltage thresholds against the new cell's actual curve and clears the inaccurate percentage readings that appear after a swap.
iPad Mini 3 shutting down at 15–25% battery remaining
The Mini 3 display and WiFi radio together pull enough current that the battery voltage dips sharply near the bottom of its discharge curve. The fuel gauge IC, still calibrated to the old cell's internal resistance profile, interprets that voltage sag as empty and triggers an OS shutdown. The actual cell still holds charge — the IC just hits its cutoff threshold early. One full recalibration cycle corrects the threshold mapping and typically pushes the shutdown point below 5%.
Fast charging not resuming after battery replacement on iPad Mini 2
The iPad Mini 2 uses Apple's proprietary charge negotiation rather than USB-PD, and the charge IC sometimes defaults to a conservative current limit on the first cycle with a new cell. This is a protection behaviour — the IC hasn't yet confirmed the new cell's thermal and voltage response. Plug in with the original Apple adapter and leave it charging uninterrupted through one complete cycle. After that first accepted cycle, the IC unlocks its normal charge rate.