Arduino just announced a new board based on the RP2040. Not competition, collaboration. https://blog.arduino.cc/2021/01/20/welcome-raspberry-pi-to-t...

They're not just competing with Arduino. They're also making their own silicon!

This doesn't do wireless, so you shouldn't use it over an ESP, generally. What you should use is Nordic nRF52 :)

But for things that don't need wireless connectivity, it's pretty cool, the Programmable IO looks very interesting.

You can buy an ESP8266 and a bunch of sensor boards from China and you'd know how to connect them up and get them working.

This device is for schools, and it's the thing that happens after BBC Micro:Bit and MakeCode, but before full Python on a PC.

It will have very much better documentation than a DIY ad-hoc collection of sensors.

ARM vs xtensawhatever

They compete with stm32 and teensy