The component shortage is a problem for companies throughout the electronics industry. Let's consider how it is affecting Raspberry Pi.
As we approach the end of the year, the availability of semiconductors remains an issue, and the world-wide logistics network still has to fight with bottlenecks. Many well-known suppliers of electronics have been experiencing severe delivery problems many months. Curious about Raspberry Pi? In a recent interview with Elektor, CEO Eben Upton pointed out that, despite his team's good cooperation with the partners, Raspberry Pi has not been immune to the effects of supply chain issues. This now ensures that for the first time the price for a Raspberry Pi product will increase. Upton recently reported that the availability of some products — especially the Raspberry Pi Zero and the 2 GB variant of the Raspberry Pi 4 — would no longer be guaranteed.
I'll be back: Raspberry Pi 1 GB returns (source: www.raspberrypi.com)
Raspberry Pi Price News
Due to the reduced availability, the prices of some components have increased drastically, if they are still available at all. This is also associated with a price increase of the 2-GB Raspberry Pi 4 for the first time, temporarily to $45. Customers and especially industrial customers who used the RPi 4 in the 2 GB variant for $35 are now facing $10 higher costs per unit. To mitigate this effect, the RPi 4 will again be offered in the 1 GB variant for $35, Upton noted in his post. This means that customers from the industry can now choose whether they can cope with the current temporary price increase to $45 for the 2 GB model or go with the 1 GB version for $35.
No priority for the Raspberry Pi 3B+ (source: www.raspberrypi.com)
Other Options
Raspberry Pi also recently announced other measures. The availability of the RPi 3B+ is also decreasing as limited 40nm manufacturing capacity is currently being prioritized for production of the Compute Module 3, Compute Module 3+, and the RPi 3B. This will not improve availability for the RPi 3B+ in the coming weeks. They recommend users who are using an RPi 3B+ in their products to switch to an RPi 4 1 GB where possible.
So, if you still want to put a Raspberry Pi 4 under your Christmas tree, you should start checking for its availability!
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