What I’d like to see is something like an updated and optimised ~pi3-spec device with EMMC or an m.2 sata slot. Yes I know I can put a pi zero2 into a breakout board, but they connect via USB and that severely limits performance.
I recently decommissioned my pis (2x 3b and 1x 4b) and replaced them all with a single intel n95 based NUC (which cost less than a single pi4 8gb at the time) and I didn’t need any real gpio other than some serial ports, but if the right device came along with reliable storage I’d consider moving back to pis.