If you are looking for an alternative for the ubiquitous Raspberry Pi (RBPi) or one of its siblings, give the Orange Pi 2G-IoT a second look. The Shenzhen-based maker of the Orange Pi developer board has made this one to rival the RBPiZW, the RBPi Zero W.
The Orange Pi 2G-IoT is a new design for a single board computer, available for sale of AliExpress. The device can run Android, Debian, Ubuntu, or Raspbian. It gives builders a 2G antenna to run applications for the Internet of Things, and that is where it gets the IoT in the name, while offering wireless LAN and Bluetooth for the same price as that of the RBPiWZ.
Featuring a 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A5 processor running at 32 bits, the Orange Pi 2G-IoT has a 256 MB RAM, and GC860, a Vivante graphics processor. The board supports 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, and 40-pin GPIO connector that matches the RBPi GPIO layout. Additional features include audio and video outputs and inputs, and USB 2.0 ports. There is a slot where you can insert a SIM card, while the 2G antenna supports GPRS/GSM data connections. The only two points of difference with the RBPiZW is it has double the RAM, that is 512 MB, while the Orange Pi 2G-IoT has 500 MB of on-board NAND flash to go along with the SD card slot.
With the Orange Pi 2G-IoT, you do not get a Display port, HDMI port or a VGA port. However, an LCD connector is present, where you can connect an external screen.
However, as the Orange Pi 2G-IoT is still new in the market, anyone who plans to use these devices must proceed with caution on two points. One, check if there is software support for the devices. The RBPiZW is a known entity and has a huge array of operating systems and software to run on it.
Second, those buying the board should check if there are carriers still supporting 2G. For instance, in the US, AT&T and many other carriers have killed off their 2G network, and many are planning to do so very soon. The situation is very similar in the UK. However, there are still some in other parts of the world who continue to support 2G and may do so for years to come.
These ultra-small single board computers offer a lot of options, the list continuing to grow at the lowest prices. After considering the shipping costs, we can call these the sub-$20 boards. This includes the RBPIZW that has the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Orange Pi Zero, and now the Orange Pi 2G-IoT.
Even with all the impressive features at below $10, especially the addition of GPRS/GSM, the Orange Pi 2G-IoT is not likely to kill the sales of RBPiZW. This is mainly because of the community support the RBPiZW currently enjoys. Of course, the Orange Pis are great little computers, but if you run into a problem with them, you are likely to find less support online, as compared to what you can expect from the huge online community supporting RBPiZW.
