– Zero 3 W is considered feasible but unlikely to follow the historic rapid cadence; price and RAM constraints are delaying the release.
– A potential Zero 3 W may require a dual-sided board to fit DRAM and a more modern SoC, increasing complexity and cost.
– Ongoing LPDDR4/LPDDR4X price pressures are the main reason for postponingZero announcements, aiming for a more reasonable price point.
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is almost half a decade old. Presented in late 2021, the Zero 2 W was originally priced at $15. Additionally, Raspberry Pi complemented its tiny single-board computer (SBC) with a Zero 2 WH variant for those who needed a pre-soldered GPIO header (curr. $36.99 on Amazon).
Industry Update
Now, Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton has offered early hints about the prospect of it launching a long-awaited Zero 3 W. For context, the company released the original Pi Zero in 2015 at a mere $5. In a Reddit AMA, Upton has indicated that the Zero W series will not follow this release cadence for its third-generation release.
Feasibility and Hardware Considerations
Currently, Upton considers a Zero 3 W ‘quite feasible’. However, it stresses that the next Zero-branded SBC may need to adopt a dual-sided SBC to accommodate DRAM and ‘one of the more modern SoCs’. Unfortunately, ongoing LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X price pressures mean that a Zero 3 W would launch with a ‘rather un-Zero-like price point’ today.
Market Strategy
As a result, Upton and Raspberry Pi appear to have postponed any new Pi Zero announcements until it can stockpile LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X RAM at more reasonable prices. For reference, Raspberry Pi has also commented on the state of the Raspberry Pi 6, too. Please see our corresponding article for more details about the company’s other anticipated SBC.
