The Raspberry Pi foundation has launched an updated version of its Raspberry Pi Zero to mark its 5th birthday.
The new Raspberry Pi Zero W features onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and serves as an alternative to its $5 Raspberry Pi Zero which launched back in 2015.
Raspberry Pi Zero W Specs
Fans of the Pi Zero maker board will be pleased to hear that the new model still boasts the same core specs. All that’s new is integrated wireless and Bluetooth.
“People have used the [Zero] for a lots of stuff, but one thing a lot of people have been doing with it is plugging Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dongles in to it,” the company says in the announcement video. By integrating these features into the board directly it frees up the USB OTG port for other uses.
The Raspberry Pi Zero W uses the Cypress CYW43438 chipset as used by the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, which provides 802.11n wireless LAN and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.
These connectivity additions double the price of the device, though. The Raspberry Pi Zero W costs $10.
The rest of the Raspberry Pi Zero W specs are the same as the wireless-less model, namely:
- 1GHz, single-core CPU
- 512MB RAM
- Mini HDMI
- USB OTG port
- Micro USB power
- HAT-compatible 40-pin header
- Composite video and reset headers
- CSI camera connector
A range of Raspberry Pi distributors already have the Zero W in stock ready to go, including US-based Adafruit, and UK-based Pimoroni — who, I have to say, have some wonderfully inventive project kits available for the new board:
- Source: Raspberry Pi Blog