Raspberry Pi raises the suggested retail price of the fourth-generation, 2GB Model B model by $10 to $45. Eben Upton of the organization promises the increase is temporary. The Raspberry Pi, which was deleted last year, also returns with 1GB.
According to Eben Upton of Raspberry Pi, the maker of the computing board is not immune to the chip and component shortages and the temporary price increase is a result of that. “Despite greatly increased demand, we will only be able to make seven million units by 2021, roughly the same number as 2020,” said the Raspberry Pi CEO. The Raspberry Pi Zero and the 2GB variants of the Raspberry Pi 4, in particular, are said to face shortages, but over the next year the company expects to secure enough 28nm chips for these products to meet demand.
With the price increase from $35 to $45, the 2GB model is back at the price it was before February 2020. Then the company also discontinued the 1GB variant, which until then cost $35. The company is now bringing that 1GB version back for another $35.
Upton does expect the delivery problems of 40nm chips to continue into much of 2022, and the company’s products will also be affected. Raspberry Pi uses those chips for older products than the Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 400 and Compute Module 4. The company will give priority to the Compute Module 3, Compute Module 3+ and Raspberry Pi when deploying the limited amount of 40nm chips. 3B. The Raspberry Pi 3B+ is not included, which means that this computing board will probably not be available or will be less available. Since the 3B+ has the same wireless chipset as the 4, it is expected that customers will be able to migrate to the 4.
Upton emphasizes that the price increase is the first in Raspberry Pi’s history and that it is expected to be temporary in nature.