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The Orange Pi Zero 2W is a new single-board computer that measures just 65 x 30mm (2.6″ x 1.2″, but which features a quad-core processor, up to 4GB of RAM, and enough ports and connectors for basic computer functions.
In other words, it’s an awful lot like a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, but it has a different processor, support for up to eight times more memory, and USB-C ports instead of micro USB. The Orange Pi Zero 2W is available now from AliExpress for around $13 and up.
The little computer is powered by an Allwinner H618 processor, which features a 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 processor and Mali-G31 MP2 graphics. The board features a micro HDMI 2.0 port for audio and video output, two USB 2.0 Type-C ports for power or data, a microSD card reader for storage, and a 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header.
Wireless capabilities include support for WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0, and the board is desgigned to work with 5V/2A USB-C power adapters.
Prices for the board range from $13 for a model with 1GB of RAM to $23 for a 4GB model, but there are also 1.5GB and 2GB options.
And you can add a $5 expansion board to your order to get an attachment with a 10/100 Ethernet jack, two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, an infrared receiver, and three buttons (one is an on/off switch, while the other two are user-customizable).
The Orange Pi Zero 2W should support a range of operating systems including Android 12 and GNU/Linux distributions including Debian and Ubuntu.
While you’d think that the Orange Pi Zero 2W would be similar to the Orange Pi Zero that the company launched three years ago, the older model has an Allwinner H616 processor, 512MB or 1GB of RAM, and a different shape and port selection: it measures 60 x 53mm (2.4″ x 2.1″) and has a built-in Ethernet jack, USB-A port, a single USB-C port, and a micro HDMI port.
via LinuxGizmos and CNX Software
