About this replacement
Apple iPad mini 4 — 3.82V Li-Polymer Replacement Battery (A1546)
This is a 3.82V, 5100mAh lithium-polymer battery that replaces part number A1546 in the Apple iPad mini 4. It fits models A1538 and A1550. Use this when the original cell has degraded and the tablet no longer holds a usable charge.
- iPad mini 4 compatibility (A1538 / A1550): Both Wi-Fi and cellular variants of the iPad mini 4 run the same 3.82V battery rail with the same connector and BMS handshake. One battery fits both boards.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We ran this cell on an iPad mini 4 board and confirmed the BMS negotiated correctly with the charge IC. Charge acceptance was clean from 0% and the fuel gauge reported consistently through the full cycle.
- Fuel gauge recalibration after swap: After fitting this battery, run one full discharge to automatic shutoff, then charge uninterrupted to 100% without using the tablet. This lets the fuel gauge IC recalibrate against the new cell and clears the inaccurate percentage readings that almost always appear right after a swap.
iPad mini 4 shutting down at 15–25% after battery replacement
This is a voltage cliff problem, not a faulty cell. When the display backlight and Wi-Fi radio draw simultaneously, the instantaneous load pulls the battery voltage below the BMS cutoff threshold before the state-of-charge counter reaches zero. The fuel gauge IC is still calibrated to the old cell's discharge curve, so it reads 20% when the actual voltage has already dropped to the shutdown point. One full discharge-to-shutoff followed by an uninterrupted charge to 100% resets the calibration and eliminates the early cutoff.
Fast charging unavailable after fitting a new A1546 cell
The iPad mini 4 charge IC negotiates charge rate with the battery BMS on the first accepted charge cycle. If the tablet shows only slow charging after a battery swap, the negotiation has not yet completed. Plug into the original Apple adapter and let it run one full charge from below 10% to 100% without interruption. After that cycle, the charge rate returns to normal. Using a third-party cable or adapter during this first cycle can prevent the handshake from completing.