In place of the Pico from a year ago, which is a $4 microcontroller that is based on the company’s own-designed processor, the RP2040. The firm introduced an new design:The Raspberry Pi Pico W.
Although it adds an 802.11n Wi-Fi radio, as the name implies, it is essentially the same hardware and is therefore ideal for creating IoT projects and similar tasks. Additionally, it costs $6 more than the typical Pico.
Although a price increase of 50% is not negligible (especially if you intend to purchase numerous units), it is comprehensible why the W version is so much more expensive than the original.
The Raspberry organization claims that it used an Infineon CYW43439 chip to add wireless to the Pico. It’s odd that while Bluetooth is supported by that chip, Raspberry Pi states it is not now active. (However, it gives the impression that it’s at least thinking about doing so in the future.)
Although there are add-ons to help your normal Pico connect to a network, they are far more expensive and heavier than having Wi-Fi built into the microcontroller itself, and they take up important pins that could be used for other exciting accessories. The Pico W just has everything pre-installed, and if you’d like, you can use it as a drop-in replacement for a project based on a conventional Pico.
The Pico H and Pico WH were two further Pico products that Raspberry Pi unveiled. They are identical to the Pico and Pico W, but cost a dollar more and have pre-attached pin headers and a debug connector, whereas the base models only have standard pad-like pins.
In essence, you pay to make it simpler to attach things, which may or may not be worthwhile for everyone. However, the WH version won’t be available until August, although the H is currently on sale.