Raspberry Pi Uses, Shortage, and Future Inventory Outlook

The Raspberry Pi is an amazing computer and it has been in short supply recently because of several factors. This blog post will give more detail to what the Raspberry Pi is, what it can do, and when the current shortage will work itself out.

The Raspberry Pi is a small single-board computer, comparable in size to a credit card. It features all its hardware on a single electronics board, including CPU, memory, ports like USB, HDMI, or LAN, and a slot for a microSD card. There are no expansion slots or sockets to swap or add additional components.

Raspberry Pi is versatile and inexpensive, with the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with 2gb of memory starting at around $35.

But just because it’s small and affordable doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful.

What can a Raspberry Pi do?

The Raspberry Pi was initially created as an easy and affordable way to teach programming skills and how computers work. As such, many of its uses are educational with many applications perfect for the computer hobbyist, tinkerer and DIYer, as well as aspiring programmers. But the Raspberry Pi is also well-suited for business and IT operations.

Commonly used for digital signage, IoT devices, light displays and controllers, and POP kiosks, Raspberry Pi devices can do a lot without requiring a full laptop or PC. With configurations available with HDMI connections, Ethernet port, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, the Raspberry Pi is incredibly versatile.

What’s the story behind the Raspberry Pi shortage?

The Raspberry Pi shortage was caused by several factors, including the world-wide semiconductor shortage, a sharp rise in hobbyist demand during the pandemic, and its growing popularity and use in business.

Raspberry Pi devices use Broadcom electronic components and COVID-19 impacted the production and shipping of microprocessors, memory, and sensors, leading to delivery delays and shortages.

Home electronics sales saw a spike during the pandemic as people worked from home, and with so many leisure activities not accessible, there wasn’t much else to do with free time. The affordable and powerful Raspberry Pi was a popular purchase and demand spiked, making it difficult to keep up with orders. 

Finally, the use of Raspberry Pi in business made supply issues even more challenging. Wide use in robotics, education, DIY, and IoT devices increased the Raspberry Pi’s already sky-high demand. 

The Raspberry Pi Foundation, the creator of the devices, has been working hard to match supply with demand and 2023 looks like it will be a better year for both enthusiasts and businesses.

When will the Raspberry Pi shortage improve?

According to Raspberry Pi Foundation CEO Eben Upton, progress on filling backlogs and increasing supply is being made, and it expects to move 2 million devices in Q2 2023 with “unconstrained” supply in Q3 and Q4.

According to Upton, 2023 should see the Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero 2 back in stock with substantial availability of Raspberry Pi 3, 3B+, and 4 models. During the shortage, the organization prioritized sales to OEMs, which led to less supply for the hobbyist market. Upton also said that falling behind on orders led to a perception among enthusiasts of a widespread shortage of devices, which led to stockpiling, which furthered the shortage. Supply was so tight for DIYers that it wasn’t unusual for a $35 Raspberry Pi to sell for hundreds of dollars.

When inventory starts flowing more freely, Diskcopy can image your Raspberry Pi devices on microSD cards or mount and verify a supplied image to its CM3 and CM3+ boards, which uses embedded flash technology. Our order capacity is flexible, reaching into the thousands of units.  

We can handle all Raspberry Pi components and accessories, including the following models:

• Raspberry Pi 400 Personal Computer Kit
• Raspberry Pi Pico
• Raspberry Pi Pico W
• Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
• Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
• Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit
• Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+
• Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+
• Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
• Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+
• Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+
• Raspberry Pi Zero W
• Raspberry Pi Zero
• CM3
• CM3+

Diskcopy is the industry’s most trusted name for exacting media duplication because every bit is important. We pioneered media and data duplication for businesses in the early 1990s and we have decades of experience and expertise with all types of media duplication, including Raspberry Pi.

When you need high-quality media duplication services, you need Diskcopy.