Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Released – Faster CPU & Better Wi-Fi

The venerable Raspberry Pi 3 just got an update with the Model B+ (instead of just a Model B). It keeps the same $35 price as all previous generation Model Bs, but now with a faster CPU, better wireless capabilities, and some other new features ready to be exploited, such as PoE.

The Raspberry Pi 3 was released just over two years ago, where it introduced a quad-core CPU and integrated wireless with 802.11n and Bluetooth, which meant the Pi 3 was ready to go as an IoT device without having to get extra adapters. It also switched over to a 64-bit CPU, laying the groundwork for future software to take advantage of.

The new Pi 3 model B+ bumps up the clock speed to 1.4GHz (a 200MHz boost), a dual-band wireless transceiver for 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz radios, including support of 802.11ac, plus Bluetooth 4.2. An important change is also to the Ethernet adapter, as it will now report as Gigabit Ethernet. It should be noted that the new Ethernet is still USB linked, so you won’t get the full speed out of it, but it will now saturate the USB,. so speeds are expected to be around 300Mbps, instead of 100Mbps with the old controller.

The new wireless chip and design also has the added bonus of the entire Raspberry Pi 3 B+ being classed a radio module under FCC rules, meaning the device is certified for radio transmissions, reducing certification complexity for system integrators and manufacturers that use Pi 3s in their builds.

The 4-Pin PoE Header

The original Pi 3 introduced PXE booting as a feature (booting an OS from over the network), but there were some issues, and as such was not enabled by default. Nearly all of these issues have since been ironed out and PXE boot is now on by default.

A long requested feature for Raspberry Pis has been PoE, or Power over Ethernet. This means powering the Pi through the Ethernet port, so that it can be placed in areas where power delivery is problematic. While the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ doesn’t have built-in support for PoE, it has been given a new 4-pin header on the board for a new HAT that will be coming out, allowing for PoE capabilities.

Upcoming PoE HAT

Speaking of power, there is some new power management that allows for better thermal control over the CPU, which is what allows the chip to clock at 1.4GHz when below 70C. When temps go above 70C, then it’ll drop the core down to 1.2GHz which increases the time delay before thermal throttling kicks in at 80C. Most users will not need to worry about this though, as they are unlikely to reach these temps under normal conditions.

The new Pi 3 B+ keeps the same price point at $35 (excluding taxes/delivery/etc), but gets some significant improvements. The only holdup might be the same 1GB RAM limit (due to the chip stacking they use), and the now outdated VideoCore IV GPU, since this is the only open GPU spec currently available. Check the Pi foundation’s site for usual links on where to get the new model.