The Raspberry Pi 4 has been launched to much fanfare overseas, but South African fans will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on one. Local importer, RS Components South Africa has, however, assured users that once these latest offerings from the Raspberry Pi Foundation get the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s (ICASA) stamp of approval, they will be available to order.

“We would like to advise all our customers that we are hard at work to make sure we get the Pi 4’s as soon as possible. We are just waiting for ICASA’s go ahead and then we are good to go. We expect stock in September 2019,” said Brian Andrew, MD of RS Components South Africa.

The first of the fourth generation Raspberry Pi that will be available is the Pi 4 Model B. The estimated prices thanks to current exchange rate are as follows:

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1 GB – R579.19

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 2 GB – R744.66

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 4 GB – R910.14

This new version is based on the upcoming Debian 10 Buster release and delivers a modern user interface and updated Chromium 74 web browser, according to RS Components. Other improvements include the adoption of the Mesa V3D graphics driver, which offers OpenGL-accelerated web browsing and the ability to run 3D applications in a window. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has also released new accessories for the Pi 4 Model B, including a new case, a USB Type-C power supply, a microUSB to USB Type-C adapter, and micro HDMI cables. Notable upgrades include Gigabit Ethernet, support for up to 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, dual-band Wi-Fi, as well as 4K60 hardware HEVC decode support.

Eben Upton, founder of Raspberry Pi, said the latest offering was a comprehensive upgrade, touching almost every element of the platform. “For the first time, we provide a PC-like level of performance for most users, while retaining the interfacing capabilities and hackability of the classic Raspberry Pi line. What’s changed with Raspberry Pi 4 is that, in addition to being a device for learning about computing, it’s also much more suitable than its predecessors for use as a general-purpose classroom computer,” he added.

Specifications

-Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz

-1 GB, 2 GB or 4 GB LPDDR4-2400 SDRAM (depending on model)

-2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE

-Gigabit Ethernet

-2 USB 3.0 ports; 2 USB 2.0 ports.

-Raspberry Pi standard 40 pin GPIO header (fully backwards compatible with previous boards)

-2 × micro-HDMI ports (up to 4kp60 supported)

-2-lane MIPI DSI display port

-2-lane MIPI CSI camera port

-4-pole stereo audio and composite video port

-H.265 (4kp60 decode), H264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode)

-OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics

-Micro-SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage

-5V DC via USB-C connector (minimum 3A*)

-5V DC via GPIO header (minimum 3A*)

-Power over Ethernet (PoE) enabled (requires separate PoE HAT)

-Operating temperature: 0 – 50 degrees C ambient