The Raspberry Pi Foundation has announced the launch of the Raspberry Pi 5, the latest and most powerful iteration of its popular single-board computer. The Raspberry Pi 5 is expected to ship by the end of October, with a starting price of $60 for the 4GB variant and $80 for the 8GB version12.
Key features include:
- 2.4GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU
- VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2
- Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output
- 4Kp60 HEVC decoder
- Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi®
- Bluetooth 5.0 / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
- High-speed microSD card interface with SDR104 mode support
- 2 × USB 3.0 ports, supporting simultaneous 5Gbps operation
- 2 × USB 2.0 ports
- Gigabit Ethernet, with PoE+ support (requires separate PoE+ HAT, coming soon)
- 2 × 4-lane MIPI camera/display transceivers
- PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast peripherals
- Raspberry Pi standard 40-pin GPIO header
- Real-time clock
- Power button
The Raspberry Pi 5 boasts a number of significant improvements over its predecessor, the Raspberry Pi 4, which was released in June 2019. The new model features a custom-designed silicon chip, the BCM2712 SoC, which houses a quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU running at 2.4GHz and a VideoCore VII GPU supporting OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.212. The Raspberry Pi 5 also supports dual 4Kp60 HDMI display output, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Gigabit Ethernet with PoE+ support, high-speed microSD card interface, USB 3.0 ports, PCIe 2.0 interface, and a real-time clock12. Additionally, the Raspberry Pi 5 has a power button and a built-in fan header with mounting holes for active cooling12.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is compatible with most existing Raspberry Pi accessories, such as HATs, cameras, displays, and cases. However, some older HATs and add-ons may require software updates to run properly on the new board3. The Raspberry Pi Foundation also plans to release new accessories for the Raspberry Pi 5, such as a PoE+ HAT and a camera module with dual-lens support12.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is expected to be a game-changer for makers, hobbyists, educators, and professionals alike. With its enhanced performance, graphics, and features, the Raspberry Pi 5 can handle a wide range of projects, from media servers and retro gaming consoles to robotics and artificial intelligence applications. The Raspberry Pi 5 is also ideal for learning coding and networking skills, as well as experimenting with new technologies and ideas.
The Raspberry Pi 5 faces some competition from other single-board computers in the market, such as the Asus Tinker Board S, the Odroid N2+, the Udoo Bolt V3, and the Orange Pi 54567. These alternatives offer different advantages in terms of power, speed, storage, or media capabilities. However, none of them can match the Raspberry Pi 5 in terms of price, versatility, community support, and software compatibility.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has not revealed its roadmap for future products beyond the Raspberry Pi 5. However, it has stated that it will continue to support and update the Raspberry Pi 4 and its derivatives, such as the Raspberry Pi 400 and the Compute Module 412. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has also said that it will ringfence all of the Raspberry Pi 5s it sells until at least the end of the year for single-unit sales to individuals, giving priority access to print subscribers of The MagPi and HackSpace magazines12.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is set to be the most exciting product from the Raspberry Pi Foundation yet. It promises to deliver a no-compromises user experience that will enable users to create amazing projects with ease and fun. The Raspberry Pi 5 is available to pre-order today from many approved reseller partners12.
