Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ With 512MB RAM, 5GHz Wi-Fi Connectivity Launched

Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ has been launched a trimmed down version of the powerful Pi 3 Model B+. The successor to the original Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+, this comes is a cheaper variant of the Pi 3 Model B+. They are powered by the same processor, Bluetooth capacity, Wi-Fi, among other things. Meanwhile, the key changes between the two include RAM and the number of ports. Also notable, is that the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ is $10 (roughly Rs. 700) cheaper than the Pi Model B+.

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ has been priced at $25 (roughly Rs. 1,800) and is currently available on its website. The company has incorporated most of the upgrades that were a part of the powerful Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+. It is powered by the same 1.4GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU (Broadcom BCM2837B0) and features support for 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, alongside Bluetooth 4.2.

Meanwhile, the company seems to have cut some corners in the Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ in an attempt to bring down its price from the premium Model B+. The new Raspberry Pi 3 model now lacks an Ethernet port and instead of four USB 2.0 ports, there is only one. However, most importantly, the new Raspberry Pi 3 model A+ comes with only 512MB of RAM, while the previous variant arrived at 1GB of RAM. Raspberry Pi Founder Eben Upton in a blog post announced the launch.

Back in 2014, the launch of the original Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+ was followed by a cut-down Raspberry Model A+. However, the company had removed both the USB hub and Ethernet controller to be able to hit a lower price point. As a result, the models had no onboard way to get an Internet connection. However, the Raspberry Pi 3A+ comes with Wi-Fi support.

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ delivers dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless connectivity,. The Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ also supports Bluetooth 4.2, and Bluetooth Low Energy making it easier to create IoT hubs or in interaction with other devices in smart homes.

The Pi 3 Model A+ shares the same mechanical footprint as the 2014 Model A+. It measures 65x6.5mm and comes with the same 40-pin GPIO header. Notably, despite the high-end specifications, the Pi 3 Model A+ will cost $10 less than Model B+.