The Raspberry Pi Foundation now offers its Pi Pico microcontroller in bulk. Businesses can order a massive 480-count reel of the Pi Pico for a whopping $1,680. And yeah, we’re talking about a film reel full of individually packaged Pico computers—it’s pretty neat.
While the idea of spending a fortune on Raspberry Pi computers seems a bit silly, these reels are only intended for businesses. Hardware manufacturers, hobby shops, and schools may need a large inventory of Pi Pico computers, and these bulk reels cost nearly $300 less than purchasing an equivalent number of individual Pi Pico computers.
Notably, the Pi Foundation began selling its RP2040 ARM chip in bulk reels earlier this year. It seems that the direct-to-business bulk scheme is profitable, even if it looks a little strange from the outside.
If you’re crazy enough to buy this many Pi Pico microcontrollers, all you need to do is log into the Pi Direct store, request an invoice for what you want, and follow some email instructions to complete a bank transfer.
Again, this is direct-to-business only. While individuals can probably order of Pi Pico computers without a hitch, doing so may violate whatever agreement the Pi Foundation has with its approved resellers. So, maybe you should open an LLC or something.
Source: Raspberry Pi Foundation
