As with the iPhone, PlayStation, and most technology products, you don’t want to buy a Raspberry Pi 4 if the Raspberry Pi 5 comes out next week. Unlike Apple products, Raspberry Pi releases are not announced each year in a massive press conference, so let me share the information we have so far about an upcoming Raspberry Pi 5 release.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is not yet available on the market. According to the latest interview of Eben Upton on the topic, they are not yet working on the Raspberry Pi 5. Following this information and the current supply chain constraints, it’s very unlikely that a Raspberry Pi 5 will be released in the coming months.
But it doesn’t mean that we don’t have any information at all. Keep reading to learn the best choice available if you want to buy a Raspberry Pi, and what to expect from the Raspberry Pi 5.
Is there a Raspberry Pi 5 available?
Raspberry Pi 5 is not available, and there haven’t been any announcements on its release date. The most powerful Raspberry Pi models currently available are still the Raspberry Pi 4B and 400.
So, if you are checking this article before buying a new Raspberry Pi model, I can assure you that it’s still safe to buy one of these models:
- Raspberry Pi 4B: The best choice to be used for any project, with the traditional form factor. With direct access to the GPIO pins, you can build any electronic circuit or robot kits with it. Available with 2, 4, or 8 GB, you won’t be limited.
Buy now on Amazon. - Raspberry Pi 400: Perfect for desktop usage or programming. It’s a Raspberry Pi 4B (with 4 GB of RAM), embedded in the official Raspberry Pi keyboard. It isn’t ideal to use it as a server or for electronic circuits, but it’s currently the most powerful CPU.
Buy now on Amazon.
There is currently no reason to wait for a new model. The two models available are completely capable to run well for most projects. I use a Raspberry Pi 4 all the time to write tutorials on this website, and it’s pretty rare to be limited by the performances or specifications of this device.
Warning: current prices are all over the place for a new Raspberry Pi. Make sure to check this article to pay the right price when buying a Raspberry Pi. I also give a few tips to find one in stock (which currently isn’t that easy).
Here are a few articles you should read before making your decision:
- Raspberry Pi 4: Do you really need 8 GB? (vs 4 GB)
- Raspberry Pi Buying Guide: Everything you need to know
- Raspberry Pi 3B+ vs 4: Which one to choose? (With benchmarks)
When will the Raspberry Pi 5 be released?
The Raspberry Pi 5 release date hasn’t been announced yet, and according to the latest news, the probability to get it released before mid-2023 is pretty low.
I did a survey on my YouTube channel, asking my followers when they expect to see the Raspberry Pi 5 available. The vast majority say it won’t be before 2024 (68%).
If you are lost in all these new words and abbreviations, request my free Raspberry Pi glossary here (PDF format)!
Personally, I would love to see it sooner, maybe in fall 2023. But I agree that there aren’t any clues telling us that the release will happen soon.
In July 2021, Eben Upton, the Raspberry Pi Ltd. CEO, answered questions from Tom’s Hardware, explaining that they weren’t working on a Raspberry Pi 5 at the time. Its goal was to first release a Raspberry Pi 4A, which should be a low-cost version of the Raspberry Pi 4B.
These plans have probably been disrupted by the chip shortages we have experienced since. Currently, we don’t know if the 4A is still at work, with maybe the same CPU as on the 4B but with fewer ports (HDMI, USB) and memory, or if they will wait to release something different.
At least, as the Raspberry Pi 4A hasn’t been announced, it confirms that the Raspberry Pi 5 is not yet ready. Maybe they’ve started working on it, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to release it now, with so many supply chain issues globally.
Here is the release date history for Raspberry Pi B and B+ models:
| Raspberry Pi Model | Release date |
|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 1B | June 2012 |
| Raspberry Pi 1B+ | July 2014 |
| Raspberry Pi 2B | February 2015 |
| Raspberry Pi 3B | February 2016 |
| Raspberry Pi 3B+ | March 2018 |
| Raspberry Pi 4B | June 2019 |
| Raspberry Pi 5B | ? |
As you can see, there is a new model released almost every year or two, since the beginning of Raspberry Pi. But we are late for the Raspberry Pi 5, as the Raspberry Pi 4B is already 3 years old.
This is probably due in part to the supply chain issues (high demand but delays due to COVID and other reasons), but it’s strange that they didn’t even start working on it in 2021. We’ll learn about their goals in future announcements, but perhaps we’ll have some surprises with the next releases.
Update: In December 2022, Eben Upton said we shouldn’t expect a Raspberry Pi 5 next year (2023), as it will be a transition year, to get back to normal related to the supply chain issues with the existing models.
Don’t expect a Pi 5 next year… 2023 is a recovery year
Eben Upton, December 2022
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What to expect for the Raspberry Pi 5?
As with any new Raspberry Pi model, the Raspberry Pi 5 will probably include a slightly faster processor and better connectivity ports for a similar price. The minimum amount of memory will likely be increased as well (to 4 GB).
We never get much information announced before the release date, so this would be speculations following the previous releases, or expectations from Raspberry Pi users.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation also has some competitors that continue to release new products regularly and could take advantage if they don’t release new features with the Raspberry Pi 5.
Processor
Since the first Raspberry Pi model, each new major model (B series) came with a CPU upgrade. The Raspberry Pi 5 will probably follow this trend. We can expect to reach 2 GHz for the first time.
Once again, here is the history of the Raspberry Pi processors:
| Raspberry Pi Model | CPU |
|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 1B | 1x ARM1176JFZ-S 700 MHz |
| Raspberry Pi 2B | 4x Cortex A7 – 900 MHz |
| Raspberry Pi 3B | 4x Cortex A53 – 1.2 GHz |
| Raspberry Pi 3B+ | 4x Cortex A53 – 1.4 GHz |
| Raspberry Pi 4B | 4x Cortex A72 – 1.5 GHz (boosted to 1.8 GHz with Bullseye) |
| Raspberry Pi 5B | ? |
I expect to see at least a quad-core processor with 1.8 GHz natively, so we’d have a reason to get the Raspberry Pi 5. Then, they can boost this a bit with an eight-core CPU or with a slightly higher frequency.
If you are lost in all these new words and abbreviations, request my free Raspberry Pi glossary here (PDF format)!
This choice will depend on their goals. I would prefer a higher frequency, as I think it’s the first limiter currently. Apps that run on one thread are still pretty slow on Raspberry Pi. But maybe they will focus on multitasking and give us a better CPU for desktop usage, we’ll see.
Memory
In a recent test, I compared the 4 GB and 8 GB versions of the Raspberry Pi 4B. You can check the full benchmarks here, but in short 4 GB is enough for most projects and usage on a Raspberry Pi.
So, I don’t think the Raspberry Pi 5 really needs more RAM. I guess they would cut the 2 GB that doesn’t really make sense and maybe set the minimum to 4 or 8 GB. Perhaps having only one version at 8 GB would make it easier to make a choice.
The kind of projects where 16 GB is useful is very limited, so except if they find a way to keep a low price with 16 GB, I don’t see the point of offering this. Also, they will have to improve the RAM bandwidth if they want to give us this option, which may impact the final price of the device. I don’t think it’s mandatory.
HDMI ports
The Raspberry Pi 4B came with two major changes compared to the previous models :
- Switching from HDMI to micro-HDMI: you can no longer use a standard HDMI cable, and you need adapters or compatible cables.
- Dual HDMI output: the Raspberry Pi 4B was the first model capable of using a dual screen thanks to the two micro-HDMI connectors.
Do you use your Raspberry Pi with two monitors?
Personally, no, and I spend my days on a Raspberry Pi. I think this might be interesting for desktop use, but I’m not even sure. If you use a Raspberry Pi as your main computer, you probably aren’t using it a lot.
The intersection between Raspberry Pi users and users with two monitors is probably small. If you need two monitors, you most likely need a more powerful computer.
So, will the Raspberry Pi 5 use the same connectors? If they keep the same size, probably. I don’t think they will revert to one standard HDMI port, even if I would find it easier for the users (which is the goal, in the end, remember that Raspberry Pi was created for students). And there is not enough space to put two full-size HDMI ports.
In short, I don’t expect major changes to this.
USB ports
Same thing for the USB ports. They could put 4x USB 3 ports instead of 2x USB 3 and 2x USB 2. But we don’t really need it, and this would impact the final price of the device, as USB 3 connectors are more expensive.
So, I would keep it the same as on the Raspberry Pi 4B. 4 ports are enough, and 2x USB 3 ports is fine.
Other USB formats like USB-C could be added (especially if they remove one HDMI output), but personally, I don’t use the USB-C connector on my laptop, so I don’t think I would use it more on a Raspberry Pi.
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eMMC support
One thing I really hope they will add, though, is better support for hard drives. A built-in SATA connector somewhere on the board would be perfect.
Yes, we can use USB devices or even SSD drives via the USB 3 ports on the Raspberry Pi 4B, but it’s not very convenient.
More and more competitors are releasing models with an eMMC module, where you can plug an M.2 hard drive, directly on the main board. For example, the ODROID-M1 is available at a similar price with an eMMC module on it:
Having something similar on a Raspberry Pi would be nice, but it implies that the size of the board would change, which is not really a good thing. Another option is to have the space to use smaller drives (like this one on Amazon).
I don’t think this would require major changes on the Raspberry Pi board. It can be on the back, with the SD card slot removed or placed somewhere else. And it would be a great improvement for Raspberry Pi users, as most projects will run way faster on SSD than on SD cards.
PCIe support is also something that has been mentioned a few times lately, we’ll see how it goes, especially with the Raspberry Pi 4A that might be the first one to get it.
Pricing
The official price of Raspberry Pi models on their release date has been pretty consistent over the years, with model B being around $35 and model A around $25.
| Raspberry Pi Model | Official price on the release date |
|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 1B | $35 |
| Raspberry Pi 2B | $35 |
| Raspberry Pi 3B | $35 |
| Raspberry Pi 3B+ | $35 |
| Raspberry Pi 4B | Between $35 (1GB) and $75 (4G) |
| Raspberry Pi 5B | ? |
The Raspberry Pi 5 might cost a bit more, especially if they default to 8 GB of RAM, include 4x USB 3 ports, or add an eMMC slot. But I expect the base price to be between $40 and $60.
And I hope the general pricing issues will be resolved before the release because it’s tough currently to find a Raspberry Pi in stock at its normal price (as I explain in more detail here). That’s probably one reason why they might wait before releasing it. We don’t want to have to pay $200 for a new Raspberry Pi.
In any case, I hope this article answered some of your questions. I still recommend getting a Raspberry Pi 4 if you want to buy a Raspberry Pi now, you won’t be disappointed. And you are welcome to leave a comment in the community if you would like to chat about these Raspberry Pi 5 bets.
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