--- title: Raspberry Pi Zero 3W and Pi 4 Model A spotted in device... description: Kernel device tree files reveal two unannounced Raspberry Pi boards: a Zero 3 W and a Pi 4 Model A. The Zero 3 W swaps the Zero 2 W's Cortex-A53 chip for the... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/raspberry-pi-zero-3w-and-pi-4-model-a-spotted-in-device-trees-1drovasvj twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Raspberry Pi Zero 3W and Pi 4 Model A spotted in device trees | daily.dev og:description: Kernel device tree files reveal two unannounced Raspberry Pi boards: a Zero 3 W and a Pi 4 Model A. The Zero 3 W swaps the Zero 2 W's Cortex-A53 chip for the... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/raspberry-pi-zero-3w-and-pi-4-model-a-spotted-in-device-trees-1drovasvj og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/1drovasVJ.png og:image:alt: Raspberry Pi Zero 3W and Pi 4 Model A spotted in device trees og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Raspberry Pi Zero 3W and Pi 4 Model A spotted in device trees **[Hacker News](https://daily.dev/sources/hn)** · 8 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Kernel device tree files reveal two unannounced Raspberry Pi boards: a Zero 3 W and a Pi 4 Model A. The Zero 3 W swaps the Zero 2 W's Cortex-A53 chip for the Pi 4's quad-core Cortex-A72 BCM2711, a big step up in per-core performance. It also shows signs of an SPI flash bootloader, a power button, single HDMI, and possibly eMMC storage, though microSD is more likely. The Pi 4 Model A drops Ethernet and the 3.5mm audio jack, keeps microSD, and appears to support external antenna switching like the Compute Module 4. Neither board's RAM, pricing, clock speeds, or release date are known yet. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### What SoC does the upcoming Raspberry Pi Zero 3 W use? Kernel device tree files show the Raspberry Pi Zero 3 W using the Broadcom BCM2711, the same quad-core Cortex-A72 chip found in the Raspberry Pi 4. This replaces the Zero 2 W's quad-core 1GHz Cortex-A53 RP3A0, a significant per-core performance jump packed into the Zero form factor. Clock speeds are not specified in the device tree. _Track single-board computer leaks like this Zero 3 W chip swap on daily.dev before you plan your next build._ ### Will the Raspberry Pi 4 Model A have Ethernet and an audio jack? No. Device tree files show the Ethernet controller is not enabled and the GPIO lines that drive the Ethernet PHY on the Model B have been repurposed. The analogue audio pins are empty and the composite video encoder is disabled too, so audio would run over HDMI or USB/I2S, matching the stripped-down formula of earlier Model A boards. _Developers deciding between Pi 4 variants can follow spec leaks like this on daily.dev._ ### Does the Raspberry Pi 4 Model A support external antennas? It appears to, based on two antenna control lines (ANT_CTRL1 and ANT_CTRL2) in the device tree plus overlay parameters named ant1, ant2 and noant. This matches how the Compute Module 4 switches between its onboard antenna and an external U.FL connector, which would help anyone mounting the board inside a metal enclosure. _Makers planning enclosure designs can follow daily.dev for confirmation once the Pi 4 Model A ships._ ## Community take How the wider developer community reacted, aggregated from 1 discussion and 71 comments across hackernews (as of 2026-10-28). **TL;DR:** Reaction is mostly cautious excitement about a more powerful Zero, dominated by pleas to keep pricing and availability sane, alongside recurring gripes about Raspberry Pi's WiFi quality, boot-chain messiness, and whether a Pi is even still the best choice versus ESP32 or Rockchip/Allwinner boards. **Sentiment:** 30% positive · 45% mixed · 25% skeptical **The case for** - A faster Cortex-A72 Zero with the Pi 4 chip could sell very well if priced right and paired with more RAM. - The form factor remains compelling: cheaper and more powerful than an Arduino for many projects. - Software/ecosystem support for Raspberry Pi is seen as a major advantage over rivals. **The pushback** - Recent Pi pricing and availability (scalper prices, hard-to-find Zero 2W stock) has soured enthusiasm. - WiFi hardware on past Pi models is criticized as weak-range and, in the Cypress/Broadcom CYW43455 case, prone to crashing under load. - Some argue ESP32 and Rockchip/Allwinner boards now offer better value for GPIO or low-power use cases, reducing the Pi's niche. - Concerns that Raspberry Pi's boot chain remains a legacy mess inherited from repurposed Broadcom set-top-box SoCs. **By community** - hackernews (mixed): Interest in the new boards is tempered by persistent complaints about pricing, availability, WiFi quality, and competition from ESP32/Rockchip alternatives. **Hottest debate:** Whether Raspberry Pi boards are still worth it given pricing/availability issues versus cheaper, more specialized alternatives like ESP32 and Rockchip SBCs. **Open questions** - Will the Zero 3W and Pi 4 Model A be priced and stocked well enough to avoid scalper markups? - Will the Zero 3W finally ship with improved WiFi (5GHz/ac, WPA3) and USB-C? - How much RAM will the new boards include? **Highlights** > The lack of availability is basically the only reason they are releasing this new version. They stopped making the lpddr2 dram that the old SoCs used a few years back, and now most of the stock has dried up. The Pi 4 SoC used lpddr4, and I’m pretty sure they are still making it. > — [phire on hackernews](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50269442) > Yeah, it's not talked about too often but RPi 1 was basically Broadcom's "useless SoC recycling program". If not for the success of Raspberry Pi, Broadcom would have zero SBC presence today. Like many companies chasing the high volumes and high margins, they don't see the market value in a segment like this. Thus things like poor docs and weird blobs. Raspberry Pi is open to the degree it is despite Broadcom, not because of it. Ironically, that Broadcom tie could have caused RPi to eventually lose ground to other SBCs - because the likes of Rockchip just deliver more bang for buck in SoC dept. Broadcom doesn't seem to be investing in staying competitive in the segment. So RPi's edge is just the ecosystem being more important than raw price/performance. For now though, that's pretty much on hold, because SBC price tags are increasingly DRAM dominated instead. > — [ACCount39 on hackernews](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50267996) > The biggest thing I want to see in a zero 3 w is not better cpu or ram, but wifi that isn't the zero 2 w spec of "2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n wireless LAN" Having at least 1x1 802.11ac that's capable of working in the 5050 to 5900 MHz band will be a huge feature improvement. Such as to connect to a 'modern' AP running in an 80 MHz channel. There's tons of environments where 2.4 GHz is a CSMA hell of noise and the performance in a single 20 MHz channel will always be crap, and ranges/real world distances between AP and pi will be very limited because of the extreme noise in the 2.4 band. > — [walrus01 on hackernews · 3 comments](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50266268) > The CM4 and Pi 4 use the Cypress CYW43455 for Wi-FI, which I found to be unreliable. Under load, it crashes, and it can't be fixed in the kernel. Frustratingly, many other SoMs and SBCs use this chip. I don't understand why there is no recall on this - in my opinion - trash product. It's an odd feeling to be the only one experiencing this. I am 100% confident this is a design flaw in the CYW43455. I've seen this also on a Pine64 CM4 compatible SoM, which has a completely different SoC. This is on both the official and custom carrier. Cypress, fix your shit! > — [edg5000 on hackernews · 2 comments](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50269333) > I still havent been able to buy a Pi zero 2w from anywhere that isnt scalper prices. Zero is DOA if they cant actually manufacture them enough to get them into peoples hands. > — [Beached on hackernews](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50268678) **Source threads** - [hackernews](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50265594) · 144 points · 71 comments ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Raspberry Pi Zero 3 W & Raspberry Pi 4 Model A Surface In Linux Kernel Patches](https://daily.dev/posts/raspberry-pi-zero-3-w-raspberry-pi-4-model-a-surface-in-linux-kernel-patches-znducgzxn) · Phoronix · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Hands On WIth The Raspberry Pi Compute Module Zero](https://daily.dev/posts/hands-on-with-the-raspberry-pi-compute-module-zero-m4k101g9h) · Hackaday · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [The Pi Zero 2 W is the only Raspberry Pi that makes sense right now](https://daily.dev/posts/the-pi-zero-2-w-is-the-only-raspberry-pi-that-makes-sense-right-now-464hneel5) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#linux](https://daily.dev/tags/linux), [#embedded](https://daily.dev/tags/embedded), [#raspberry-pi](https://daily.dev/tags/raspberry-pi) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/raspberry-pi-zero-3w-and-pi-4-model-a-spotted-in-device-trees-1drovasvj) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Raspberry Pi Zero 3W and Pi 4 Model A spotted in device trees","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/raspberry-pi-zero-3w-and-pi-4-model-a-spotted-in-device-trees-1drovasvj","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/raspberry-pi-zero-3w-and-pi-4-model-a-spotted-in-device-trees-1drovasvj"},"datePublished":"2026-10-27T23:12:48.406Z","dateModified":"2026-10-28T07:01:06.276Z","description":"Kernel device tree files reveal two unannounced Raspberry Pi boards: a Zero 3 W and a Pi 4 Model A. The Zero 3 W swaps the Zero 2 W's Cortex-A53 chip for the...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/785acd5e52283348ab97f2e1082b5a61?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/785acd5e52283348ab97f2e1082b5a61?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"Hacker News","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Hacker News","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/t_logo,f_auto/v1/logos/hn","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/hn"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/raspberry-pi-zero-3w-and-pi-4-model-a-spotted-in-device-trees-1drovasvj","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"linux,embedded,raspberry-pi","timeRequired":"PT8M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hacker News","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/hn"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Raspberry Pi Zero 3W and Pi 4 Model A spotted in device trees"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/raspberry-pi-zero-3w-and-pi-4-model-a-spotted-in-device-trees-1drovasvj#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What SoC does the upcoming Raspberry Pi Zero 3 W use?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Kernel device tree files show the Raspberry Pi Zero 3 W using the Broadcom BCM2711, the same quad-core Cortex-A72 chip found in the Raspberry Pi 4. This replaces the Zero 2 W's quad-core 1GHz Cortex-A53 RP3A0, a significant per-core performance jump packed into the Zero form factor. Clock speeds are not specified in the device tree. Track single-board computer leaks like this Zero 3 W chip swap on daily.dev before you plan your next build."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Will the Raspberry Pi 4 Model A have Ethernet and an audio jack?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. Device tree files show the Ethernet controller is not enabled and the GPIO lines that drive the Ethernet PHY on the Model B have been repurposed. The analogue audio pins are empty and the composite video encoder is disabled too, so audio would run over HDMI or USB/I2S, matching the stripped-down formula of earlier Model A boards. Developers deciding between Pi 4 variants can follow spec leaks like this on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does the Raspberry Pi 4 Model A support external antennas?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It appears to, based on two antenna control lines (ANT_CTRL1 and ANT_CTRL2) in the device tree plus overlay parameters named ant1, ant2 and noant. This matches how the Compute Module 4 switches between its onboard antenna and an external U.FL connector, which would help anyone mounting the board inside a metal enclosure. Makers planning enclosure designs can follow daily.dev for confirmation once the Pi 4 Model A ships."}}]} ```