Raspberry Pi announces a $7 Pico 2 with built-in Wi-Fi

Raspberry Pi has announced an updated type of the Pico 2 microcontroller committee pinch an onboard Wi-Fi chip. Called the Pico 2 W, it’s powered by RP2350 microcontroller, which you tin find successful each mode of nerdy DIY gadgets and nosy devices for illustration the minuscule Thumby Color GBA clone. Best of all, it costs $7, up conscionable 2 bucks from the $5 Pico 2.

The Pico 2 W’s Wi-Fi spot adds a 2.4GHz awesome utilizing the Wi-Fi 4 (aka 802.11n) modular and brings Bluetooth 5.2 on for the ride. Wi-Fi 4 is an older, low-bandwidth modular that’s still utilized successful a batch of smart location products today, from basal sensors to information cameras to smart speakers for illustration the HomePod Mini.

The Pico 2 W besides features a azygous USB 1.1 port. Tom’s Hardware notes successful its reappraisal of the committee that it supports modular Raspberry Pi Pico accessories, which grow what it tin do pinch sensors, displays, and robotics kits.

As for the microcontroller itself, Raspberry Pi debuted the RP2350 in August arsenic a dual-core spot that uses some Arm and RISC-V architectures. The original Pico utilized the RP2040, the first self-designed spot Raspberry Pi released. (It’s besides the spot that powers the DockLite G4 committee that lets maine use an aged iMac G4 arsenic an outer display.)

You’ll find each sorts of uses for Pi’s low-power boards. Some group create civilization IoT sensors and controllers — folks successful a subreddit devoted to the Raspberry Pi Pico statement mention utilizing it to powerfulness clocks, civilization smartwatches, IoT upwind stations aliases biology sensors, and more. One personification moreover says they’re “contemplating immoderate ideas for a feline toy.”

As of publication, the Pico 2 W is only disposable for preorder astatine 1 of Raspberry Pi’s preferred retailers — but you tin bargain it astatine 3 others.