Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3

Name: Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3
Brand: Heltec Automation
Price: 20.02 USD
Availability: InStock

The Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3, by Heltec Automation, is a radio for Meshtastic networks. See the practical specifications, estimated price and where to buy below.

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Specifications

Click the icon next to each item to see the available options and their pros and cons.

Processor: ESP32-S3
Battery: No
Connectivity: LoRa, Wi-Fi, BT
Display: OLED 0.96 pol
Case: No
Expandable: Yes
Built-in GPS: No
Buzzer: No

Estimated price (USD)

$20.02

Processor

The processor (microcontroller) is the device's "brain": it runs the Meshtastic firmware and drives the LoRa radio, GPS, screen and other peripherals. The most common ones on Meshtastic devices:

Chip	Built-in radio	Power draw	Best for
ESP32 (all variants)	Wi-Fi + Bluetooth	Higher	Powered fixed nodes, MQTT gateways, bigger/touch screens
nRF52840	Bluetooth (no Wi-Fi)	Very low	Battery-powered portable nodes, long runtime
RP2040 / RP2350	None (USB only)	Low	Low-cost DIY boards (Pico, RAK11310) or as a dedicated sensor co-processor on more capable nodes (e.g. SenseCAP Indicator)

ESP32 variants found on Meshtastic devices:

ESP32 (original): dual-core, Wi-Fi + classic Bluetooth/BLE - the base for early nodes like the T-Beam, Heltec V1/V2 and T-LoRa V1/V2.
ESP32-S3: dual-core with more RAM/GPIO and native USB - today the most common variant, found on bigger screens and touchscreens like the Heltec V3/V4, T-Deck, T-Watch S3, Vision Master and Station G2/G3.
ESP32-C3: single-core RISC-V, smaller and cheaper - used on the Heltec HT62.
ESP32-C6: RISC-V with Wi-Fi 6 and Zigbee/Thread (802.15.4) support - used on the LilyGo T-Lora C6 and M5Stack Unit C6L.

In practice: among ESP32 variants, the S3 is now the most common on new devices (especially ones with a screen); the nRF52840 wins on battery life; and the RP2040 shows up both on cheap DIY boards and as a dedicated sensor co-processor on more capable nodes - on the SenseCAP Indicator, for example, the ESP32-S3 drives the 4" touchscreen and connectivity while a separate RP2040 processes the sensors, a division of labor typical of devices that need more processing power.

Resources

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