Raspberry Pi A+ Model Breaks Cover, Includes Touch Screen Connector
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the forthcoming Raspberry Pi touchscreen - the last ingredient needed to create that "PiPad". At the same time, we mentioned that a new A+ model RPi was en route, which the foundation hopes will sell far better than the original A; while the B model sold a staggering 4 million units, A sold a modest 100,000.
Today, we get our first sneak peak at the new A+ model, and we have a clumsy e-tailer to thank. The A+'s PCB looks similar to the B+ in layout, but it's clear that the B+ will remain in another class on its own. Specs noted include a 700MHz Broadcom BCM2835 CPU and 256MB of RAM, a single USB 2.0 port, full-size HDMI, and perhaps not surprisingly, a DSI port to be used with the RPi touchscreen.
Also notable with the A+ is its 40-pin GPIO socket, which should enable it to use any expansion cards designed with the HAT standard. Overall, it's an attractive piece of kit, but it's hard to say whether or not it offers enough to surge sales as much as the RPi foundation would like. At this point, pricing hasn't been disclosed, but it seems very likely that it would be priced similarly to the original A, at $25. Word has it that the unit might launch tomorrow, so we don't have much longer to wait and find out.
