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Meet the new BBC micro:bit

Now with speaker and microphone!

Same great features, easier ways to use sound and touch to get creative in the classroom

three children's hands holding the new micro:bit

The new BBC micro:bit

We’re really excited to announce the launch of the latest BBC micro:bit.

Sense and react to sound with the built-in microphone

Sense and react to sound with the built-in microphone

Play sound from the micro:bit with the built-in speaker

Play sound with the built-in speaker

the new micro:bit has a capacitive touch sensor

Capacitive touch sensor
(a bit like your phone!)

the new micro:bit has a power saving mode

Power saving mode

the new micro:bit has more computing power

More computing power

You have all obviously been listening to the community… the addition of the speaker and mic is a gamechanger!

Joachim Choen, New South Wales, Australia

Meet the latest micro:bit

Sensing and making sound

New micro:bit is here

With five million micro:bits already used for teaching digital skills and computational thinking, the updated micro:bit is set to add even more opportunities for learning, exploration and creativity in classrooms.

The new micro:bit is available to buy at the same price point and you can visit the buy page to find out if it is available in your area.

a young girl holding a new micro:bit

You can turn the outdoors into your classroom with the micro:bit

What you can do with it

This is extremely exciting news, I can't wait to get this into our classrooms!

Shaina Glass, Aldine Independent School District, Texas, USA

With the built-in speaker, microphone and touch sensor on the new micro:bit, there are even more exciting things you can add to your projects.

Clap hearts

Clap your hands to make the heart beat using the sound sensor

Bumblebee

Fly your bumblebee to see how motion affects the frequency, tempo and volume of its sound

Hold the note

Keep singing to make all the LEDs light up

Mimic

Talk to your micro:bit and listen to it mimic the rhythm of your speech

New! Sense and play with sound

My pupils and I have been exploring sound with micro:bit in projects for several years. Now these investigations can be taken to a whole new level.

Justin Bioletti, Torriano Junior School, London

two young girls surprised by micro:bit

The new BBC micro:bit has a built-in microphone and speaker to allow sound-sensing and sound-making without the need to attach another device.

Great to see the new micro:bit with more fun with sound. That is a real trigger for kids for sure! This looks really promising and it keeps the simplicity and is true to the original concept. I like that!

Jon Haavie, Teknisk Museum, Norway

Software development and compatibility

Our online editors are designed to be really easy to use to program the micro:bit and this will continue for the new features of sound sensing, sound-making and touch.

the latest BBC micro:bit up close front and back

The latest micro:bit will fit right in to your existing lessons and materials; all the existing MakeCode blocks and MicroPython code will work in the same way as they do on the original micro:bit. The previous micro:bit will also continue to work just as it did before. More features, including easy ways to take AI and ML into the classroom, will be released throughout 2021. Watch this space.

Technical specifications

We've summarised the detail on the hardware and software on our tech website.

View the tech website

Getting hands-on and experimenting with the micro:bit is critical to helping children better understand important technologies early in their development.

Gareth Stockdale, CEO Micro:bit Educational Foundation

a young boy working with the micro:bit

Deepen understanding and build digital skills with the micro:bit

FAQs

Where can I get the new micro:bit?

The micro:bit is available to buy now. Visit the Buy page to find out where to buy from our resellers when it becomes available in your region.

The Micro:bit Educational Foundation is a not-for-profit. When you buy the micro:bit we receive a royalty which helps our work in education programmes worldwide.

The original micro:bit is great, why the change?

Over the 5 years since the original micro:bit was designed, the Micro:bit Educational Foundation has listened to the requests of educators. In updating the micro:bit, we’ve opened up a new range of creative possibilities without removing anything, or disrupting the existing micro:bit experience, because we know that stability is more important than any individual feature!

Can I still use the micro:bit I have?

Yes. Your micro:bit(s) will still work in exactly the same way and will continue to be supported by Microsoft MakeCode and MicroPython. You will still be able to use all your resources in exactly the same way as before too.

Any programs you create that use the original micro:bit features will work on your original and new version of the micro:bit, though of course you’ll need to connect headphones or a speaker to the original micro:bit to hear any sound!

Visit our support site for further information.

I’ve got a micro:bit and lots of lessons for my students. Will the new micro:bit work with them?

Yes, the new micro:bit will work with your existing micro:bits in the same way they do now. You will just have to update your hex files before using the new micro:bit.

Further technical information is available at tech.microbit.org

Will my accessories work with the new micro:bit?

We are working closely with accessory makers to ensure your accessories will continue to work in the same way. There may be occasional instances where this is not possible, but this will be rare.