Today a new Raspberry Pi model has been released after rumours first surfaced on Twitter yesterday. The new model is being referred to as the “Pi Zero W”. It is identical to the previous Pi Zero model but now features on-board 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth 4.1 LE.
The advertised price is $10 (ex tax) which will translate to £9.60 (inc VAT) for buyers in the UK. This compares to the $5/£4 price of the original Pi Zero. For many people the availability was more of an issue than cost so we hope the Pi Zero W will signal an improvement in overall supply.
The Pi Zero boasts some impressive specifications :
- Broadcom BCM2835 application processor
- 1GHz ARM11 core (40% faster than Raspberry Pi 1)
- 512MB of LPDDR2 SDRAM
- A micro-SD card slot
- A mini-HDMI socket for 1080p60 video output
- Micro-USB sockets for data and power
- CSI camera connector
- Un-populated composite video header
- Un-populated 40-pin GPIO header (same pinout as Model A+/B+/2B/3B)
- 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 4.1 LE
The 40 pin GPIO header is the same as on previous models and is un-populated so you will need to solder on a suitable header if required. The mini-HDMI port may require an adaptor if you wish to use a standard HDMI cable. Most sellers are offering a kit of cables, adaptors and headers to get you started if you don’t already have suitable items in your toolbox.
The most significant difference is it now uses the same Cypress CYW43438 wireless chip as the Pi 3 Model B and this provides both 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0.
Mechanical Specifications
- Dimensions : 65mm x 30mm x 5mm
- Weight : 9g
Pi Zero Mechanical Diagram from Raspberry Pi Foundation
The Pi Zero is half the size of the A+. The top two holes are in the same positions.
Official case
The Foundation have also created an official case for the Pi Zero W. It is injection-moulded and follows the same design principles as the existing official case. It has three interchangeable lids:
- A blank one
- One with an aperture to let you access the GPIOs
- One with an aperture and mounting point for a camera
Read more on the Official Pi Foundation Blog including a list of Distributors.
In the UK you can buy from Pimoroni, ModMyPi and The PiHut. Other retailers include Adafruit, CanaKit, Micro Center, Kubii & Kiwi electronics.
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