Banana Pi BPI-W3: New single-board computer launches with major changes from original showcase

Banana Pi is now selling the BPI-W3, nearly a year after the company introduced the single-board computer (SBC) with a Rockchip RK3588 chipset. The SBC has changed quite a bit since last July, though. As CNX Software notes, Banana Pi has redesigned the BPI-W3, doing away with its built-in Rockchip RK3588 chipset, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and PCIe x4 slot.

Instead, the BPI-W3 now features a Rockchip RK3588 system-on-module (SoM). Meanwhile, freeing up the chipset's PCIe lanes has allowed Banana Pi to include M.2 NVMe SSD support via an M.2 Key M slot. Also, the company has added a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet connection between the board's POE input and headphone jack.

Additionally, the BPI-W3 has 8 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage within its 148 x 100.5 mm footprint. At launch, Banana Pi offers Android 12, Debian and Ubuntu 22.04 images. These can be found on the SBC's wiki, as can various other details like datasheets. Currently, the BPI-W3 is available through Banana Pi's AliExpress store for US$162.10 before shipping. 

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