Raspberry Pi 4 2GB Model Costs 50% More Than at Launch, Driven by Memory Costs

The cost of a 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 has risen to $67.50, a 50% increase from its $45 launch price in 2019, due to rising memory component costs. Raspberry Pi announced a $12.50 price increase effective October 1, 2026, for the 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 models. The company had previously reduced the price of the 2GB Pi 4 to $35 before increases in 2021 and February 2024 brought it to $55, and then $67.50. Raspberry Pi has introduced 3GB and 1GB variants to offer more affordable options, but states that maintaining lower prices for all models is now unsustainable, citing a steep rise in memory costs over the past two years. Pine64 has ceased production of its Linux hardware range due to similar memory and storage costs. The 1GB variants of the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 remain unchanged, and the company advises users to select the appropriate product for their needs and purchase from approved resellers. Raspberry Pi anticipates that memory costs will eventually subside and hopes to reverse the price increases.

While the 1GB variants are unaffected, the 2GB versions of the Compute Module 4 and 5 are also subject to the price increase. The company suggests that older models, such as the Raspberry Pi 3, may suffice for some users. In addition, Nvidia recently debuted a DGX Spark with half the RAM and storage of previous models, now priced at $4,999, while the 128 GB version has jumped to $6,950, a nearly 75% increase from its launch price.

Where they differ

• The Register broadened the scope to include price increases for Nvidia’s DGX Spark and other tech industry trends related to memory costs, while omgubuntu focused solely on Raspberry Pi pricing.
• The Register included a wider range of unrelated news briefs (security, FOSS, etc.) alongside the price increase, while omgubuntu dedicated its entire article to the Raspberry Pi price changes.
• omgubuntu included a question to readers about their Raspberry Pi usage, while The Register did not engage with its audience in this way.

What is not yet known

• The long-term trajectory of memory costs and when Raspberry Pi expects them to subside remains uncertain.
• The specific impact of the price increases on different user groups (hobbyists, developers, industrial applications) is not detailed.

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