New Raspberry Pi Zero Priced at Just $5

As we've noted here many times, when it comes to the top open source stories of the past couple of years, it's clear that one of the biggest is the proliferation of tiny, inexpensive Linux-based computers at some of the smallest form factors ever seen. The diminutive, credit card-sized Raspberry Pi, which was originally priced at $25 and $35, has been one of the most widely followed of these miniature systems.

Now, The Raspberry Pi Foundation is announcing that these devices have reached a startlingly low new price point. At $5, the latest Pi device may be as cheap as this type of device comes.

"Of all the things we do at Raspberry Pi, driving down the cost of computer hardware remains one of the most important," notes a post from the Pi team. "Even in the developed world, a programmable computer is a luxury item for a lot of people, and every extra dollar that we ask someone to spend decreases the chance that they’ll choose to get involved."

The post adds:

"The original Raspberry Pi Model B and its successors put a programmable computer within reach of anyone with $20-35 to spend. Since 2012, millions of people have used a Raspberry Pi to get their first experience of programming, but we still meet people for whom cost remains a barrier to entry. At the start of this year, we began work on an even cheaper Raspberry Pi to help these people take the plunge."

"Today, I’m pleased to be able to announce the immediate availability of Raspberry Pi Zero, made in Wales and priced at just $5. Zero is a full-fledged member of the Raspberry Pi family, featuring":

• A 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
• An unpopulated 40-pin GPIO header
  • Identical pinout to Model A+/B+/2B
• An unpopulated composite video header
• Our smallest ever form factor, at 65mm x 30mm x 5mm

For many people around the world, the Pi Zero could be within reach as a computing solution, and the $5 pricing should mean that these devices will reach many more tinkerers, too.