New BBC micro:bit announced

13 Oct 2020

Discover the simplicity of teaching with sound and touch with the new BBC micro:bit. Announced today and available from November 2020 the latest micro:bit comes with built-in speaker, microphone and capacitive touch sensor.

The original BBC micro:bit was created at the BBC in partnership with world-class technology and product design co-creators. In 2016 the BBC "Make it Digital" campaign gave away one million micro:bits for free to students across the UK as computing was added to the school curriculum.

BBC Director General Tim Davie said: “From the very beginning the BBC’s purpose has been to inform, educate and entertain – qualities which are all reflected in the micro:bit project. Since its launch through our Make it Digital campaign, it has helped transform digital skills and learning. I have no doubt the updated and upgraded micro:bit will drive further innovation and creativity, both in the UK and around the world.”

Four years after the launch of the original BBC micro:bit, the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, the non-profit organisation now responsible for the BBC micro:bit, announces the latest version.

The new BBC micro:bit is a more powerful device combining all the same features of the original and adding built-in microphone, speaker, capacitive touch sensor, and power save button. The latest developments also provide an updated technical platform designed to provide capabilities for introducing future projects that will allow future AI and ML education projects in schools.

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

There are more than five million micro:bits used in classrooms around the world. Started as an innovative solution to support computational thinking in the UK, the BBC micro:bit is now a worldwide success transforming students’ engagement with technology and building teachers’ confidence in leading digital skills and creative computing education.