Raspberry Pi CEO says he expects shortages to end within a year

Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton has said he believes the disruption to his company’s supply chain, due in part to the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be resolved completely, “in one year”, paving the way for a more powerful product in the Pi range.

Speaking to Micro Center, Upton also spoke highly of the Raspberry Pi 400, which has been the easiest Pi to procure throughout the pandemic, and promises further products in what he called “the hundred series”.

The comments all but confirm that the all-in-one form factor of the 400, which places a Pi printed circuit board (PCB) inside a keyboard, will continue to be an area of interest for the company, although Upton gave no further details.

Raspberry Pi and the pandemic

No computer board is immune to shortages, but the Raspberry Pi Pico is giving it a good go, becoming the go-to board for computing hobbyists throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Pico achieves its staying power by being fitted with the RP2040, the first chip designed in-house at the company, which is also spreading to, as Upton puts it, an “explosion” of third-party boards.

As Tom’s Hardware reported, larger manufacturers such as Adafruit, Seeed, Sparkfun and Ardunio, as well as more “boutique” manufacturers have all since introduced boards that feature the RP2040.

As the most popular and mainstream option for single-board microcomputers, an end to shortages will no doubt be welcomed by computing enthusiasts and those looking to put Python skills to good use. 

And while it’s true that anything could happen in the interim, Upton’s comments can at least be met with cautious optimism.

•  Here’s our list of the best laptops for programming right now