Raspberry Pi 5: Everything We Know So Far

If you're in the market for a single-board computer system, chances are high that your first choice would be something from Raspberry Pi. While the newest model from the company is the Raspberry Pi 4, most buyers know that it was launched nearly four years ago, in June 2019. Given the Raspberry Foundation's history of periodically updating the Raspberry Pi lineup, there is increasing chatter about the possibility of the Raspberry Pi 5 making its debut in the near future. However, with no official confirmation about the thus far, we are left with no option but to speculate.

To better understand the prospects of the Raspberry Pi 5 debuting soon, it is crucial to understand the release schedule of the Raspberry Pi so far.

Since the first Raspberry Pi made its debut in 2012, there have been three major generational releases that include the Raspberry Pi 2 (2014), the Raspberry Pi 3 (2016), and the Raspberry Pi 4 (2019). A quick look at the launch years of each successive generation also reveals that the foundation has not followed a set pattern. However, it also becomes evident that there has never been more than a gap of three years between two generations of Raspberry Pi models.

While it is true that we don't have a definite answer to the question of when the Raspberry Pi 5 will finally be released, there have been several statements from noteworthy personalities and reports from credible publications that could provide us with some clues.

The current generation of Raspberry Pi 4 models come powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Cortex-A72 CPU chip that trundles along. A mid-cycle update to the lineup ensured that the clock speed was boosted to 1.8GHz on the newer 8GB model. Current expectations are that the Raspberry Pi 5 will likely feature a clock-speed upgrade to 2 GHz (or higher). This upgrade could also result in better performance and efficiency figures for the machine.

There is talk about the product debuting with an 8GB model, with chances of a 16GB model coming a few months later. In addition to this, the Raspberry Pi 5 could shed a few grams in weight and overall dimension thanks to the addition of slimline ethernet ports. In fact, this quest for slimness could also result in fewer USB ports. That being said, there is also expectation about the product offering native support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth.

A common issue with the Raspberry Pi 4 is its tendency to get very warm during use. Some users expect the Raspberry Pi 5 to be devoid of this issue. A section of users is also hoping for the Raspberry Pi to finally get onboard storage using a microSD card slot.

Until as recently as late 2022, expectations were prevalent about the Raspberry Pi 5 making its debut sometime in 2023. However, these rumors were quashed by none other than Eben Upton — the founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. In his now famous interview, he specifically asked people to stop expecting the Raspberry Pi 5 in 2023. That interview was also notable for 2023 being referred to as a "recovery year" by Upton. Upton indicated that the Raspberry Pi Foundation — like many other companies — needed a time to bounce back from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Don't expect a Pi 5 next year... There's merit, I think, in us spending a year before we look at introducing anything new, spending a year recovering from what just happened to all of us", Upton was quoted saying.

That said, given that the Raspberry Pi Foundation is known for sudden, low-key launches, a section of enthusiasts are still clinging to hopes of a possible 2023 launch of the Raspberry Pi 5. If this launch does indeed happen, there is speculation that the pricing will be below the $99 mark. Even if there is no Raspberry Pi 5 in the offing this year, 2023 could still see iterations of the Raspberry Pi 4 models debut in the following months.