Review on M5Stack Core2 ESP32 Development Kit 2nd Gen Core Device CP2104 MPU 6886 BT WiFi Dual Core 32-bit 240Mhz LX6 CPUs 16M Flash 8M PSRAM for UIFlow MicroPython Arduino by Eric Garron

I've been a big fan of m5stack modules for a while. These are very handy products for applications where you need more than one breakout board but don't want to go through the hassle of building a case etc. I have several early versions of this product - m5stack "basic" . The original was always a really good product for management projects, but this beautiful color screen was dying to go touchscreen. Core2 solves this problem. Gone are the three tactile buttons on the front. They have been replaced with a larger and brighter capacitive touchscreen. The touchscreen is exactly what this module needs to become a full-fledged control panel for your IoT and robotics projects. I've only made a few small apps so far, but they were easy to make with UIFlow. M-Bus interface and standard kit configuration. The original "Base" kit comes with m5base compatible M-Bus base board. This base board breaks down all the GPIOs into pins and headers, and the base kit actually comes with jumpers to pass signals to the breadboard. Core2 eliminates the base board and I/O while maintaining the same thickness (see photos). As a consolation prize, they include a small expansion board to fill the hole in the M-Bus connector until you expand. The expansion board has a microphone and an IMU - both absent from the original m5 stack, giving you more sensors. The downside is that when fitting an M-Bus peripheral you have to pull out the expansion board. As this is not a full size base, installing on an additional base would be cumbersome; it seems to be an either/or, at least from a mechanical point of view. I'm a little conflicted about this compromise. While the mic and IMU are good, I've always enjoyed breaking out these pins for a quick interface when I don't want to use the Grove and i2c connector. Other upgrades include a significantly larger battery (390mAh vs. the original's 110mAh), a vibration motor, improved sound (much better), and a larger power button that doesn't feel as soft as the original. I'm a big fan of this update. While I wish they had kept some of the raw pin I/O capability (hence the 4 stars instead of 5), I think the consolation prize for the mic and IMU was a good deal. If you are new to the m5stack system, this is a great device to start with. If you're upgrading an existing m5stack, I think your main deciding factors will be the extra battery life and the touchscreen. Otherwise, the existing m5stack is still a decent product. The m5stack system is fun and a great option.