About this replacement
Palm Tungsten T5 — 3.7V Li-Polymer Replacement Battery (IA1XA27F1)
This is a 3.7V, 1350mAh Li-Polymer battery for the Palm Tungsten T5 PDA. It replaces the original OEM cell (IA1XA27F1) in units where the factory battery no longer holds a usable charge. Fits the Tungsten T5 only — verify your model before ordering.
- Tungsten T5 fitment: The T5 uses a slim Li-Polymer cell at a fixed 3.7V nominal rail with a specific connector and board footprint. This cell matches that footprint, voltage, and BMS handshake — the device charges and reports state-of-charge normally through the cradle or USB cable.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this cell through charge and discharge on a T5 unit. The BMS accepted the cell without fault codes, charge termination triggered correctly at full capacity, and low-battery warnings appeared at the expected voltage threshold.
- RAM data protection before swap: The Tungsten T5 stores open application state and unsaved data in SRAM powered directly by the main battery. Perform a full HotSync to your host computer before removing the old cell — any data not written to flash storage will be lost the moment battery power is cut.
Why the Tungsten T5 loses data after a battery swap
The T5 splits storage between flash memory and SRAM. Flash holds the OS and installed applications. SRAM holds active records, open databases, and application state — and it requires continuous battery power to retain that data. When the battery is removed, SRAM loses power instantly and that data is gone. A completed HotSync before the swap is the only way to protect it.
Tungsten T5 not booting after new battery installed
The T5 boot sequence requires a minimum voltage threshold before the processor will initialise. A new Li-Polymer cell shipped at storage charge — typically around 3.6V — can sit just below that threshold after transit. The device may show nothing on screen or get stuck on the Palm logo. Place it in the cradle or connect the USB charger and charge for at least 30 minutes before attempting to power on — do not press the power button repeatedly during this window.