Radxa has launched Rock Pi 4 Plus versions of its Model A and B SBCs that move to the 2GHz OP1 version of the RK3399. The Plus models also add eMMC without raising the price and pre-load the Armbian-based Twister OS.

Radxa has upgraded its open-spec, community-backed Rock Pi 4A and 4B SBCs with eMMC storage and an 11 percent faster version of the Rockchip RK3399. Better yet, the price remains the same, although only Allnet.China is currently matching Radxa’s recommended pricing.

Rock Pi 4B Plus, front and back
(click images to enlarge)

“We are now authorized by Rockchip to use the OP1 processor which is previously only for big customers like Asus or Samsung,” says Radxa. The RK3399 OP1, which is found on Asus’ Tinker Board 2, bumps up the dual -A72 cores from 1.8GHz to 2.0GHz and the four -A53 cores from 1.4GHz to 1.5GHz.

New recommended pricing for the Rock Pi 4A and Rock Pi 4B are as follows:

• Model A — 2GB LPDDR4 + 16GB eMMC — $49
• Model A — 4GB LPDDR4 + 32GB eMMC — $65
• Model B — 2GB LPDDR4 + 16GB eMMC — $59
• Model B — 4GB LPDDR4 + 32GB eMMC — $75

Radxa also noted that the 1GB RAM model is now available with 8GB eMMC, although this configuration was not included in the above list. Earlier pricing (as of Jan. 2021) may be found in our catalog of 150 Linux hacker boards. Like the Rock Pi 4A and 4B, the 4A+ and 4B+ are identical except that the B+ adds WiFi and Bluetooth. The Plus changes do not appear to apply to the dual-display Rock Pi 4C.

Also new is the addition of the Raspberry Pi oriented Twister OS, which is preloaded on the eMMC. The Armbian-based Twister OS “brings recent kernel, HW decoding, GPU acceleration to the Rock Pi Plus,” says Radxa. Other OSes including Android 9.0. Debian, and Ubuntu Server can be downloaded.

Twister OS
(click image to enlarge)

The Rock Pi 4 closely matches the Raspberry Pi layout and feature set, but offers a faster SoC with its RK3399. The SBC is equipped with a native GbE port, a pair each of USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, and a 4K-ready HDMI 2.0 port in addition to 2-lane MIPI-DSI and -CSI. Other features include an audio jack with mic, an RTC, and a USB Type-C port for power. The SBC has a 0 to 80°C range and a 5.5-20V input.

The last major v1.4 upgrade in 2019 added 4MB SPI for booting NVMe drives on the board’s M.2 socket. Information on Rock Pi add-ons may be found in our SBC catalog.

 
Further information

The Rock Pi 4A Plus and Rock Pi 4B Plus should soon be available at the pricing listed above. Currently, the only matching price is the 4GB/32GB Rock Pi 4B Plus at Allnet.China for $75. AliExpress has the Rock Pi 4B Plus at prices ranging from $85 to $129. Amazon offers the 4GB/32GB Rock Pi 4B Plus for $95. More details should eventually appear at Radxa’s Rock Pi community website.