It appears that Intel is planning to introduce completely redesigned boxes with plenty of new features. Codenamed Rock Canyon, the new NUC kits will feature miniHDMI and miniDP video outputs, allowing triple display support and 4K/UHD support.
In the storage department, Intel went for a standard 2.5-inch bay backed by an M.2 SSD. This means users will be able to use a small SSD as a system drive along with cheap mechanical storage. On the other hand, the M.2 form factor is anything but popular at this point. All new NUCs will feature USB 3.0 and in terms of connectivity they’ll have built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, IR sensor for HTPC remote controls and replaceable lids with NFC and Wireless Charging.
That’s not all though. Rock Canyon is the mainstream kit, but another one is on the way. Maple Canyon is a “professional” unit and it features Intel vPro technology and TPM hardware, but it does not have an IR sensor or lids with wireless charging.
So, while Broadwell probably won’t appear in the form of socketed desktop CPUs, you’ll still be able to buy a Broadwell desktop, albeit a NUC.
You can check out the leaked roadmaps over at fanlesstech.com.
