About this replacement
Garmin Virb X / VIRB XE — 3.8V Li-Polymer Replacement Battery (361-00080-00)
This 3.8V, 980mAh lithium-polymer cell replaces the original battery in the Garmin Virb X, VIRB XE, and Virb X Compact action cameras. It matches the OEM part numbers 361-00080-00 and 010-12256-01. Capacity is 3.72Wh — identical to the factory specification.
- Virb X and VIRB XE platform fit: Both cameras share the same compact 29.40 × 27.60 × 20.20mm cell format, identical voltage rail, and the same BMS handshake protocol — one cell covers both bodies without modification.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this cell through the Virb XE body under continuous 1080p recording load. The BMS accepted the cell on first install, reported charge state correctly, and maintained stable voltage through discharge without spurious cutoff.
- First-cycle initialisation on the Virb XE: Run one full charge cycle through the camera body or OEM charger before your first shoot. Some Garmin Virb BMS firmware requires this single in-body charge pass to calibrate the battery-remaining display accurately on a new cell.
Why the Virb X battery percentage jumps erratically after installing a replacement cell
The Virb X maps battery percentage to a fixed voltage-threshold table stored in firmware. A new lithium-polymer cell has a slightly different discharge curve shape than an aged original — particularly in the mid-range between 3.6V and 3.9V. The camera reads voltage correctly but translates it against a curve the fresh cell doesn't follow exactly. One full charge-discharge cycle lets the BMS recalibrate its internal state-of-charge estimate against real cell behaviour. After that cycle, percentage readout stabilises.
Garmin Virb X showing dead battery indicator on a partially charged replacement
This happens when the replacement cell voltage sits below 3.5V on first install — either from storage self-discharge or a conservative shipping charge state. The Virb X BMS interprets any cell below its low-voltage threshold as depleted and refuses to boot. Connect the camera to its OEM charger immediately and leave it for at least 20 minutes before attempting to power on. Once the cell climbs above 3.6V, the BMS re-initialises and the camera starts normally.