Raspberry Pi 3 offers a 64-bit CPU, built-in Wi-Fi for just $35

It's been four years since the Raspberry Pi Foundation launched the 256MB Raspberry Pi Model A, and to celebrate the milestone, the charity is launching new hardware in the form of the Raspberry Pi 3. On sale for the same $35 as the Pi 2, the Pi 3 offers a 1.2GHz 64-bit ARM Cortex A53 CPU, integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.1.

The Raspberry Pi 3 will be fully compatible with older models, so all the tutorials and projects will work the same on the latest hardware. The Cortex A53 CPU offers an increase of 33 percent in the clock speed, and is twice as powerful as the 900MHz Cortex A7 CPU used in the Pi 2. You get the same 1GB of RAM and 400 MHz VideoCore IV graphics solution as the Pi 2, and the Pi 3 also retains the dimensions of its predecessor.

For now, Raspberry is sticking to the 32-bit Raspbian OS that is used on other Pi devices, with the charity set to consider the value of offering a 64-bit flavor of the OS in the coming months. With eight million Pi devices in the market, Raspberry wants to ensure that the Pi 3 is fully comatible with older models.

The Raspberry Pi 3 is now available for $35 from the following retailers:

• See at element14
• See at RS Components

Source: Raspberry Pi blog