Traces of new Pi hardware spotted in GitHub

A new Pi Zero 3 W and Pi 4 Model A seen lurking in the repository

The wait for a new Raspberry Pi Zero may be nearly over, judging by the raspberrypi/linux repository.

Among the merged pull requests is one titled "Add device tree for Pi Zero 3 W and Pi 4A," suggesting new hardware is on the way, including a successor to the very long-in-the-tooth Pi Zero 2 W.

The board launched five years ago. Its 512 MB of memory was hardly generous, but it offered considerable bang for the buck. At the time, we reckoned performance was closer to the Raspberry Pi 3 than the flagship Pi 4, but perfectly adequate provided you didn't open too many browser tabs at once.

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According to the source tree, as reported by Phoronix, the new board could use the Broadcom BCM271, up from the RP3A0 in the current Zero. If so, that would be a significant performance gain, though it's unclear whether the 1.5GHz clock speed of the Pi 4, which uses the same SoC, will be retained.

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Heat is a concern as the Pi 4 gained a reputation for running hot under load without active cooling, and it throttles performance when temperatures climb. A board as small as the Zero will have even less room to shed heat. 

Assuming that challenge can be met, it would be a worthy upgrade for the venerable Pi Zero 2. There is no word on how much memory it is likely to have – we can't imagine much given the current cost of RAM and the need to keep the price at least close to that of the Zero 2 W, which can still be had for around $18.

The code also hints at eMMC storage is mentioned, but that seems unlikely to reach the finished product, probably because of the cost.

Alongside the Pi Zero 3 W is a Raspberry Pi 4 Model A. Where the Zero 3 W is a clear upgrade, the 4 Model A looks more like a cost-cutting measure amid rising hardware prices. Model A boards typically have less memory, and no Ethernet port, and the 4A appears to have a single HDMI output rather than twp.

Things could change before any hardware ships. We asked Raspberry Pi if anything was in the pipeline, but the company said it had nothing to add.

Enthusiasts will welcome an upgraded Pi Zero after more than half a decade, provided the price is right and it doesn't run too hot. At the same time, a cut-down Pi 4 carries the whiff of inevitability in an era of rising component costs. ®