Intel's "Next Unit of Computing" (NUC) mini desktops are apparently one of the few segments in the PC industry seeing some growth. A new roadmap leaked by FanlessTech shows that Intel is already planning three new NUC models based on next-generation Broadwell chips, all scheduled to launch toward the end of 2014.

Two of the new NUC models are targeted at consumers, and will use next-generation Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs codenamed "Rock Canyon." Like the current Haswell NUCs, they will include USB 3.0, mini HDMI, and mini DisplayPort outputs. The mini DisplayPort ports can power either a 4K display or three lower-resolution displays simultaneously. The mSATA slot that current NUCs use for their SSDs will be replaced by an M.2 slot , which can provide faster storage speeds via the PCI Express bus. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an IR sensor will all be built in, as will a bay for a standard 2.5-inch hard drive.

The most interesting departure from current NUCs will be swappable lids that add either NFC or wireless charging capabilities. The idea of using a desktop as a wireless charging pad isn't entirely new—we saw a desktop or two that offered this capability at this year's CES—but a NUC-sized wireless charging pad could work nicely for smartphones and tablets.

Finally, there's one "commercial" NUC model, codenamed "Maple Canyon." This Core i5-based box loses the HDMI port in favor of dual mini DisplayPorts, supports Intel's vPro technology, and will include a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to provide better security and full support for Windows' BitLocker disk encryption feature. This NUC will also support M.2 and 2.5-inch drives, USB 3.0, and swappable lids (NFC is the only lid variety mentioned, so it's possible that the wireless charging version will be restricted to the consumer models). All of these features should make this NUC more desirable to businesses that need to lock down their desktops.

We don't know a whole lot about the Broadwell architecture that will power all of these boxes except that the architecture is a "tick" on Intel's roadmap, and that it's currently running a little behind its original schedule. Broadwell will be a refinement of the current Haswell architecture built on Intel's new 14nm manufacturing process, and Intel has said that Broadwell chips will use about 30 percent less power than Haswell.