The Raspberry Pi 5 is expected to be the next iteration of the popular credit card-sized computer. But when will it launch? Will we see a Raspberry Pi 5 in 2023, and if so, how powerful will it be?We’ve collected together all the rumors and facts about the Raspberry Pi 5.
What Spec Will the Raspberry Pi 5 Have?
The most important detail about the Raspberry Pi 5 is its hardware specification. What RAM will it have, how fast will the CPU be, and can we finally say goodbye to booting from microSD card?
When the Raspberry Pi 4 was first released, it had Raspberry a quad-core Cortex-A72 @ 1.5GHz, with later releases (such as the 8GB model) boasting 1.8GHz. There is a strong chance that the Raspberry Pi 5 could feature a 2.0GHz processor.
Meanwhile, we expect the Raspberry Pi 5 to start at 8GB, probably with a 16GB model either at launch or shortly after. The computer should also feature power button at long last (although this may be wishful thinking) as well as taking the opportunity to slim down and lose a couple of the USB ports. Most current laptops have slimline Ethernet ports, so this is also an option, as is a USB Type-C data port with OTG support.
It would be a surprise if the Raspberry Pi 5 didn’t have Wi-Fi 6 and an upgrade to Bluetooth.
When Will the Raspberry Pi 5 Be Released?
Arguably the most important question about the Raspberry Pi 5 is its release date.
In the past, Raspberry Pi releases have been pretty low-key until the big day, with some devices dropping out of nowhere. For example, the Raspberry Pi Zero, which shipped free on the front of a $5 magazine, was a bit of a surprise.
Similarly, the arrival of the Raspberry Pi 3B+, and 2021’s Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, seemed to occur with no build up at all.
In theory, the Raspberry Pi 5 could appear at any point in 2023. However, this is unlikely. Recent reports suggest the Raspberry Pi 5’s release date won’t be until 2024.
Why Won’t There Be a Raspberry Pi 5 Coming Out in 2023?
Throughout 2022, the Pi 5 was expected to be released in 2023. This was nixed when Raspberry Pi’s Eben Upton stated in a December 2022 interview (above) that “next year is a recovery year.”
“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.”
So, rather than expecting the Raspberry Pi 5 in 2023, the smart money is on 2024 or later. But that doesn’t mean that there will be no new model—just not a Raspberry Pi 5.
Is There a New $5 Raspberry Pi in Spring 2023?
One key persistent rumor concerning the Raspberry Pi in 2023 is of a new $5 model launching in the spring. This seems unlikely, and is probably related to news concerning the Raspberry Pi Pico W.
The RP2040-based board is a revision to the original Pico; the Raspberry Pi Pico W was released in June 2022 with built-in wireless networking and Bluetooth BLE. However, Bluetooth was not enabled on the Raspberry Pi Pico W at launch.
Happily, that looks set to change. Check this tweet by Raspberry Pi documentation writer Alasdair Allen:
So, no new Raspberry Pi this spring; instead a revision to the Raspberry Pi Pico W SDK to enable Bluetooth.
How Much Will the Raspberry Pi 5 Cost?
One thing is for certain: you’re unlikely to get any Raspberry Pi model for just $5 in 2023 or beyond.
When the Raspberry Pi 5 arrives its price is likely to reflect demand, supply chain status, availability, inflation, and the specification. It’s probably a good idea to take the launch price of the Raspberry Pi 4 as a baseline. You should be able to factor a higher price from there.
So, while we can’t tell you exactly what you should budget for, consider that the Raspberry Pi 4 1GB model cost just $35, with 2GB for $45, 4GB at $55, and the later 8GB model at $75.
With the expectation that the Raspberry Pi 5 will have 8GB and 16GB models, $99 could be likely for the larger RAM model. While this is around what many people have paid for Raspberry Pi 4s since the supply chain issues began, it could be a new normal.
Other Raspberry Pi 5 Rumors
Possibly the most important Raspberry Pi rumor is the one that involves floating the company on the London Stock Exchange. If this turns out to be true (and it has been rumored for a few years now) it would result in more money being available for development of the computer.
There is also the possibility of enhanced support for Windows 10 or 11. We've shown how Windows can be installed on a Raspberry Pi 4, but the process remains difficult compared with Linux operating systems.
One other rumor to keep an eye on is the Raspberry Pi 5’s storage options. Over the years we’ve switched from SD card to microSD card for booting the computer and on-board storage. While USB devices can add valuable additional storage and are now supported as boot devices, and network boot on the Raspberry Pi 4 is now supported, the process is a bit untidy.
Almost all the Raspberry Pi 5’s competitors have been using eMMC storage, and it’s time to follow suit. Whether pre-installing the OS or allowing the user to write directly to it, the Raspberry Pi 5 marks the perfect opportunity to ditch booting from an SD card.
You’ll Need to Wait Longer for Raspberry Pi 5
Technology rumors are rarely 100% correct; even when prototypes are revealed, the finished product often looks or functions differently. Much can take place between conception, development, and release, and as we still don’t know any prices or dates for the Raspberry Pi 5, it’s definitely a case of “wait and see.”
To recap those key Raspberry Pi 5 rumors:
- Likely to have a 2.0GHz processor, at least 8GB RAM, possible eMMC
- A 2023 Raspberry Pi 5 release has been denied
- There is almost certainly no new $5 Raspberry Pi or Raspberry Pi Pico
- The Raspberry Pi 5 will probably cost around $99
Some, all, or even none of these Raspberry Pi 5 rumors might turn out to be true. Whatever the case, we’ll almost certainly have a great computer to use when the Raspberry Pi 5 is finally released.