The Raspberry Pi Foundation has introduced a new $25 single-board computers that keeps many of the features of its high-end $35 device.
The new Raspberry model is being called Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+. It’s the direct sibling to the company’s 3B+ computer. But while the 3A+ has a smaller form factor and lower price, Raspberry Pi assures use it still has the processing power. It has the same exact quad-core 1.4GHz Broadcom processor as the company’s top-of-the-line computer.
Wi-Fi!
This isn’t the first time that Raspberry Pi’s made cheaper version of their computers. For instance they released a simplified A+ model back in 2014. However, this A+ model is different. It has a lot more to offer. Previous A+ models didn’t have Ethernet and Wi-Fi. They didn’t have any onboard way to get an internet connection. The Pi 3 A+ has Wi-Fi, so it’s ready to connect to the internet right away.
A few things Raspberry Pi has cut back
There are a few features Raspberry Pi had to let go to reduce the price by $10. First, there’s no Ethernet port, so Wi-Fi is your only option. Also, there’s just 512MB of RAM as opposed to the 3B+’s 1 GB of RAM. And the four USB 2.0 ports have been reduced to just one.
Overview
- 1.4GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU
- 512 MB LPDDR2 SDRAM
- Dual-band 802. 11ac wireless LAN and Bluetooth 4.2/BLE
- Improved USB mass-storage booting
- Improved thermal management
Pricing and availability
The Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ isn’t ready just yet, but it will be released this December. While a $10 price reduction to an already affordable product may not seem huge to most, it’s could be substantial for schools buying these computers in large quantities.
