Allocations of Raspberry Pi

[purplejackalope]

I hope I'm not stepping on any toes asking this, but is this the best place for updates on estimated timelines on when to expect Raspberry Pi's to be back in stock? I've been mainly checking the blog and rpilocater, but I was hoping to find something that would give updates like "we don't have anything set in stone but we're predicting *insert date here*." I know that with the chip shortage that things are still up in the air and I'm not expecting an actual firm date. I mainly want an estimated timeline just so I know when I should check again and I can plan accordingly for my projects.

Again, I really hope I'm not being too annoying asking this, I'm very new with dealing with raspberry pis/SBCs in general, so I just want to make sure I'm checking the right places. I can tell in the recent posts in this thread that the regulars are getting frustrated and I don't want to contribute to that.

[ejolson]

I hope I'm not stepping on any toes asking this, but is this the best place for updates on estimated timelines on when to expect Raspberry Pi's to be back in stock? I've been mainly checking the blog and rpilocater, but I was hoping to find something that would give updates like "we don't have anything set in stone but we're predicting *insert date here*." I know that with the chip shortage that things are still up in the air and I'm not expecting an actual firm date. I mainly want an estimated timeline just so I know when I should check again and I can plan accordingly for my projects.

Again, I really hope I'm not being too annoying asking this, I'm very new with dealing with raspberry pis/SBCs in general, so I just want to make sure I'm checking the right places. I can tell in the recent posts in this thread that the regulars are getting frustrated and I don't want to contribute to that.

Welcome to the forum!

This thread starts with

We are hoping things will improve H1 2023, but the rest of 2022 is likely to be similar to what we are seeing now.

I think that was later updated to the end of H1, which would be June.

[purplejackalope]

I hope I'm not stepping on any toes asking this, but is this the best place for updates on estimated timelines on when to expect Raspberry Pi's to be back in stock? I've been mainly checking the blog and rpilocater, but I was hoping to find something that would give updates like "we don't have anything set in stone but we're predicting *insert date here*." I know that with the chip shortage that things are still up in the air and I'm not expecting an actual firm date. I mainly want an estimated timeline just so I know when I should check again and I can plan accordingly for my projects.

Again, I really hope I'm not being too annoying asking this, I'm very new with dealing with raspberry pis/SBCs in general, so I just want to make sure I'm checking the right places. I can tell in the recent posts in this thread that the regulars are getting frustrated and I don't want to contribute to that.

Welcome to the forum!

This thread starts with

We are hoping things will improve H1 2023, but the rest of 2022 is likely to be similar to what we are seeing now.

I think that was later updated to the end of H1, which would be June.

Thanks for clarifying things for me! I didn't know if the first post was something that was updated, or if there were further updates in the replies. I saw there was an argument earlier when I was checking the recent page, so I just wanted to double check if this was the right thread. Thanks for your time!

[Anonymous]

No further news, expecting big 2711 based device supply improvement start h2, older models will take a bit longer. Zero2 is worst case unfortunately.

This was the last update I remember being in the thread. So getting ahold of a Pi4/Pi400 should be less of a scramble not too long after June - I’m hoping memory chips don’t limit which models are available (personally hoping for a Pi4 8GB).

[MikeDB]

No further news, expecting big 2711 based device supply improvement start h2, older models will take a bit longer. Zero2 is worst case unfortunately.

This was the last update I remember being in the thread. So getting ahold of a Pi4/Pi400 should be less of a scramble not too long after June - I’m hoping memory chips don’t limit which models are available (personally hoping for a Pi4 8GB).

Memory chips are one thing not in short supply. Massive glut and the spot price has collapsed.

https://www.dramexchange.com/

You need to be a subscriber to see full history but you can see some parts have dropped around 1 percent just today.

And this is before Samsung's new memory fab comes online !

[Anonymous]

Memory chips are one thing not in short supply. Massive glut and the spot price has collapsed.

Thanks! That's good news!

[MikeDB]

Memory chips are one thing not in short supply. Massive glut and the spot price has collapsed.

Thanks! That's good news!

Apart from for people who bought an SSD or graphics card last month SSD prices are coming down but GPUs prices seem unwilling to fall yet.

[ejolson]

Memory chips are one thing not in short supply. Massive glut and the spot price has collapsed.

Thanks! That's good news!

It seems Pi day has come and gone, celebrated here with apple and pizza pie but no raspberry. Maybe July 22 will have better luck. It's anyway a better approximation.

[AkulaMD]

No further news, expecting big 2711 based device supply improvement start h2, older models will take a bit longer. Zero2 is worst case unfortunately.

This was the last update I remember being in the thread. So getting ahold of a Pi4/Pi400 should be less of a scramble not too long after June - I’m hoping memory chips don’t limit which models are available (personally hoping for a Pi4 8GB).

Memory chips are one thing not in short supply. Massive glut and the spot price has collapsed.

https://www.dramexchange.com/

You need to be a subscriber to see full history but you can see some parts have dropped around 1 percent just today.

And this is before Samsung's new memory fab comes online !

That's good news. One less reason to increase product prices in the name of high memory chips price.

[BigRedMailbox]

Just out of curiosity, is there any kind of prediction as to what the price will settle back to?

I.e., let's assume that at some point in the future, all this "chip shortage" nonsense has cleared and things are back to the way things were, in terms of chips and tech and stuff. But still, we have had a wave of global inflation over the past year or two - ostensibly because of COVID - how will that affect prices?

Will (say) $45 be the new $35?

Incidentally, Amazon is currently selling used (but good/working) 3B+s for about $68, which actually doesn't sound too bad.

[Anonymous]

Just out of curiosity, is there any kind of prediction as to what the price will settle back to?

Will (say) $45 be the new $35?

Based on my local “gallon of milk” price index, $45 sounds reasonable, maybe a nice round $50 - inflation here has been massive compared to our low rates for 30+ years.

[Gavinmc42]

inflation here has been massive compared to our low rates for 30+ years.

Some of us are older and can remember even decades before that when interest rates were 19%.
Some of us even had grandparents with stories of WW1 and later the Great Depression.
In the big scheme of things those of us alive now are the survivors of previous adversities.

I had noticed the fall in SSD prices, one of the indicators of supply easing up.
The Pi Zero2 is the only one missing from my collection
$50 is not a big deal compared to the computing power a Pi4 provides, but I don't "need" more 4's.
Will be interesting too see if the Pi5 can match the $35 price or will it be $45-50

[Anonymous]

inflation here has been massive compared to our low rates for 30+ years.

Some of us are older and can remember even decades before that when interest rates were 19%.

I'm more than a bit older than 30, but here in the US, this "global pandemic" has created pretty unusual circumstances for my lifetime, even though it probably won't rate too highly in the history books (or however history is looked back upon 30 years from now - if anyone still bothers). Inflation has been around or below 2% pretty consistently here since the 80s, which approximates the the beginning of the "personal computer" era. Quadrupling (or more) inflation might just cause an unprecedented rise in the price of these pocket-sized supercomputers (closing in on half the flops of early $8M machines) and US $50 still seems pretty cheap to me.

[abbdoulinite]

Thanks to all for the recent updates.

To refer to the question of purplejackalope, can we have an updated view or vision about the allocation timeline ?

The answers mentioed in previous posts all refer to the initial message posted in August 2022.
=> I believe that things have changed (good or bad) and 6 months after we need an update.

I can totally understand that it is not an easy topic, but as done for other chip/product manufacturers, it could be good for everyone to have more visibility.

Another question, in early 2023, there were still some RPI-CM4 modules appearing, but now for the last 3-4 weeks there is nearly no RPI-4 or RPI-CM4 available anywhere.
=> What is the vision on the allocation of different models ?
=> When can we expect to see again more RPI-4 and RPI-CM4 ?

Thanks in advance for your insights

[ame]

Thanks to all for the recent updates.

To refer to the question of purplejackalope, can we have an updated view or vision about the allocation timeline ?

The answers mentioed in previous posts all refer to the initial message posted in August 2022.
=> I believe that things have changed (good or bad) and 6 months after we need an update.

I can totally understand that it is not an easy topic, but as done for other chip/product manufacturers, it could be good for everyone to have more visibility.

Another question, in early 2023, there were still some RPI-CM4 modules appearing, but now for the last 3-4 weeks there is nearly no RPI-4 or RPI-CM4 available anywhere.
=> What is the vision on the allocation of different models ?
=> When can we expect to see again more RPI-4 and RPI-CM4 ?

Thanks in advance for your insights

Welcome, new user.

[Anonymous]

The latest update I saw on this thread was in Feb:

No further news, expecting big 2711 based device supply improvement start h2, older models will take a bit longer. Zero2 is worst case unfortunately.

I’d love a timeline, but RPi seems to value a bit of secrecy, perhaps emulating another fruity computer company that made sure every bit of news hit with a big splash.

[Paul Hutch]

I’d love a timeline, but RPi seems to value a bit of secrecy, perhaps emulating another fruity computer company that made sure every bit of news hit with a big splash.

I suspect it is more that they are not a large enough manufacturer to have better certainty in when they will get all the parts needed to produce specific devices.

[jcpole]

For myself, I can’t wait until normal people can buy these again, without paying scalper prices. Nobody should be selling these for $300 each! Even the “official” resellers are doing it! Every reseller that raised their prices needs to be penalized once availability is no longer constrained. If you acted like a profiteer, you should be treated like a profiteer. This is especially true for the scumbags on Amazon.

So while we’re on the topic, WHEN will we be able to buy them again??

[W. H. Heydt]

For myself, I can’t wait until normal people can buy these again, without paying scalper prices. Nobody should be selling these for $300 each! Even the “official” resellers are doing it! Every reseller that raised their prices needs to be penalized once availability is no longer constrained. If you acted like a profiteer, you should be treated like a profiteer. This is especially true for the scumbags on Amazon.

So while we’re on the topic, WHEN will we be able to buy them again??

Official resellers can be reported. Note that this applies to their own website and actual RPT products. If a Pi is embedded in a kit with other parts, they can charge what they like.


As for availability...I've seen three different resellers report having Pi-400s available with the last week or so, and another one that shipped an outstanding backorder from last October in late February. So there is hope...

[Anonymous]

Just checked and my local Microcenter has “25+” zero Ws in stock ($15 - full list, not the $5 I used to get them for) and 22 3A+ boards available ($25). No Pi4s yet…

[jcpole]

I’m definitely looking for 4s with 8GB of RAM. I’m using the 4s as interfaces into supercomputing clusters. The clusters can’t be accessed directly because they don’t run any kind of user interface software. Not being able to get the Raspberry PIs has probably set me back two years. I hate to admit that I paid $200+ for one off of Amazon a few weeks ago. I had to bring up at least one cluster for test purposes.

I’m a big believer in the Thinking Machines Connection Machine paradigm, and a Raspberry PI interface into a larger cluster makes perfect sense. Now, if I could just find the 4s to purchase, without spending $200+ on each of them, I’d be golden.

[BigRedMailbox]

Just checked and my local Microcenter has “25+” zero Ws in stock ($15 - full list, not the $5 I used to get them for) and 22 3A+ boards available ($25). No Pi4s yet…

How about 3B (or 3B+)? That's the important one.

BTW, the problem with Micro Center is that there are very few of them (read: none near me) and they don't do mail order.

[W. H. Heydt]

Just checked and my local Microcenter has “25+” zero Ws in stock ($15 - full list, not the $5 I used to get them for) and 22 3A+ boards available ($25). No Pi4s yet…

How about 3B (or 3B+)? That's the important one.

I suspect that you mean important for you. The main Pis people seem to be after are Pi4Bs and Pi02Ws.

BTW, the problem with Micro Center is that there are very few of them (read: none near me) and they don't do mail order.

They do mail order....just not for anything that is otherwise hard to get. I agree with you about them being thin on the ground, though. Closest one to me is about 400 miles way and I'm sure there are other posters (even limiting it to ones in the US) that aren't anywhere near that close to one.

[Anonymous]

I am very lucky to have a MicroCenter within walking distance and occasional availability isn’t really meaningful data. I’m just contributing my sightings, like birdwatchers crowdsourcing data to estimate the population of an endangered species.

[Anonymous]

I’m definitely looking for 4s with 8GB of RAM. I’m using the 4s as interfaces into supercomputing clusters. The clusters can’t be accessed directly because they don’t run any kind of user interface software. Not being able to get the Raspberry PIs has probably set me back two years. I hate to admit that I paid $200+ for one off of Amazon a few weeks ago. I had to bring up at least one cluster for test purposes.

I’m a big believer in the Thinking Machines Connection Machine paradigm, and a Raspberry PI interface into a larger cluster makes perfect sense. Now, if I could just find the 4s to purchase, without spending $200+ on each of them, I’d be golden.

I too am looking for a 4 with 8GB, but with far more modest ambitions - just a development machine. Thinking Machines was very, very cool. Good luck, and, if you can, share your progress!