Raspberry Pi inventory improving, could reach pre-pandemic levels in 2023
Enlarge / Raspberry Pi 4 boards could be freely ready to purchase again, without the snipe hunt experience, in Q3 2023. (credit: ReadyPlayerEmma / Wikimedia (cc-by-sa-2.0)))
There hasn't been much good news involving Raspberry Pis lately, at least for those looking to buy. But the single-board system maker says to take heart. Individual units are heading out now, and more are coming soon.
In a "Supply chain update" blog post ("It's good news!"), CEO Eben Upton wrote that Raspberry Pi has "set aside a little over a hundred thousand units, split across Zero W, 3A+, and the 2GB and 4GB variants of Raspberry Pi 4, for single-unit sales." During the pandemic-spurred component shortage, most of the Pis produced every month were going to businesses, leaving those in need of one or two for a project refreshing rpilocator and cursing their timing. Zeros will start showing up first, then 3A+, then different models of 4.
Upton acknowledged this reality (and even linked the locator) and asked that people buy only from approved resellers and consider the Pico and Pico W lines for projects that might fit, as those lines remain strong. As of this morning, a few 3A+ and CM4 models showed an optimistic green on the rpilocator spreadsheet.