The UGREEN iDX6012 6-Bay NAS – New AI NAS Revealed

New AI Powered NAS from UGREEN for 2025 – The iDX6012 NAS

After making quite a splash with their NASync series of devices in the first half of 2024, it doesn’t look like UGREEN are planning on slowly down its expansion into private server solutions, with the reveal of a new 6-Bay iDX6012 NAS device that they unveiled during IFA 2024. Alongside a keynote speech that covered a lot of their other solutions slated for 2024 (improved power adapters, a Thunderbolt 5 Adapter, among others), they made a small statement towards their existing NAS solutions and roadmap. It was already pretty clear from their approach to the marketing and software development on the UGREEN NASync series that they were clearly planning to expand further into the world of NAS, but many (myself included) were surprised that they had already started revealing their next hardware plans, when their current DXP series had only JUST hit traditional retail on their official sites (after $6Million Dollars raised on Kickstarter) and on Amazon “soon”.

IMPORTANT tl;dr about the UGREEN iDX6011 and iDX6012 NAS:

Here is the list of TL;DR points in bullet format:

• The USP of these devices is that they promise to allow the use of LLM AI tools without the need for an internet connection or an API/connection to third-party LLM platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
• This is the second wave of NAS solutions by UGREEN, following a successful Kickstarter campaign in the first half of 2024 with their NASync DXP series.
• The system is expected to launch in Q1 2025.
• No demonstration or software demo was shown. All information about the device comes from the UGREEN team at their stand at the IFA 2024 event in Berlin.
• Local AI Integration: The iDX6012 and iDX6011 NAS systems are designed to enable private, local use of AI tools to assist with tasks like data management, photo recognition, and document analysis, without relying on cloud-based services for processing.
• Enhanced Database Queries: These systems allow users to query extensive databases using natural language, making it easier to extract complex information from large datasets without the need for extensive spreadsheet manipulation or technical expertise.
• No confirmation of regional availability, pricing, whether it will be on kickstarter or traditional retail etc
• AI-Powered Photo & Document Organization: Built-in AI tools offer advanced capabilities such as contextual photo sorting and document search, improving efficiency in managing large media and text file collections through intuitive, language-based queries.
• Data Security Focus: UGREEN emphasizes security by ensuring that AI tools operate locally, keeping sensitive data offline and minimizing the risk of third-party access or data breaches common with cloud-based AI services.

What ARE the UGREEN iDX6012 and iDX6011 NAS?

It is still a little unclear if the iDX6012 NAS is intended as the new hardware refresh of the existing series, or a completely separate line of solutions – I got the impression however that this is the latter –  with expansion towards AI solutions, as well as expansions into rackmount solutions already in post-discussion. The iDX6012 is a 6-Bay solution that uses the familiar chassis design of the DXP6600 Pro. UGREEN has been especially tight-lipped about this new system in development. However, they were keen to highlight that the main feature is its ability to deploy a local LLM in conjunction with your data. By “local,” they mean the system is chiefly designed to use AI-assisted tools with your secure data, without relying on web-based LLMs like ChatGPT or Google Gemini.

Why WOULD anyone WANT an AI LLM Service on their NAS?

It’s fair to say that there are mixed feelings about integrating AI services into privately hosted servers, particularly around security concerns. A key driver behind users wanting to move their data away from cloud services (aside from space and subscription limitations) is the desire to avoid exposing their data to external third-party access. Confidential information, if illegally obtained, could compromise the integrity of any individual or organization. Nevertheless, some users are eager to take advantage of LLMs in conjunction with the larger databases they have accumulated over years or decades.

For example, imagine you have a customer database accumulated over 10 years, digitally maintained. This database likely contains information on purchases, customer locations, order frequency, and value, creating a large data footprint of thousands, if not millions, of variables. You could filter this information via traditional fields, but sometimes you’d want to ask more human-like, natural-language questions, such as:

• “Provide me with a list of customers who spent more than $5,000 over two years and who live in America.”
• “How many previous customers ordered the same product more than once in a year, above the value of $150?”
• “Who spends more in a calendar month on computer accessories, men or women?”

While these questions could still be answered creatively with spreadsheets, it would be time-consuming and require a solid understanding of Excel and the relevant variables. An LLM, however, would understand the question in natural language and apply it against the database within the system.

The crucial point here is that UGREEN is promising that users will not need to pay for, nor connect to, third-party LLMs like ChatGPT or Google Gemini in order to benefit from AI tools that enhance data management.

Another great example of AI improvements is in photo recognition, already common in modern NAS systems. Many NAS devices use AI to scan photos and create categorized directories (such as facial or object recognition). Integrated LLM tools in NAS systems could build on this, allowing users to ask contextual questions about their photo collections. For instance:

• “Show me photos of people driving cars on the motorway.”
• “Show me pictures of men wearing ties in the office.”
• “Show me photos of brides and grooms at their wedding.”

The key takeaway here is that users will be able to interact with their data using natural language, rather than restrictive and rigid commands. And most importantly, this will be done without an internet connection—if UGREEN can deliver on this promise.

Additionally, integrating an LLM with text documents will allow users to ask contextual questions that can be answered natively based on the content of their documents. For example, if you have a database of user reports (e.g., school reports, medical records, HR documents), you could ask:

• “Provide a summary of David Kent, including his employment history and time with the company.”
• “Provide a list of clients currently receiving pain relief medication from X pharmaceutical company.”
• “What percentage of currently subscribed users have been with our company for more than six months?”

While analytical methods can be used to find this information in a database, achieving the required details typically requires specific searches. An LLM could streamline this process by accessing and analyzing the data organically.

The challenge, however, is that an LLM requires full access to your existing database to build a reference point and apply its language understanding. This level of access to confidential information is what creates apprehension among users regarding AI integration into private databases. Users of cloud-based LLM services must trust that companies like Google and Microsoft aren’t misusing their data for their own benefit.

Realistically, UGREEN has yet to confirm whether they can provide a 100% local, fully offline LLM-based service for data stored in their NAS systems. They have simply stated that this is the direction they are heading.

I have some doubts about whether they will be able to achieve this, especially considering the ambitious plan to roll this out in Q1 2025. Users who have deployed local LLMs have generally done so with more powerful, GPU-equipped systems to support the resource-intensive requirements. This is why it’s often easier and cheaper to use remote LLM services, where the hard work is done remotely while still accessing user data.

I will reserve full judgment until I see the system in action.

Price, Release, and Availability of the iDX6012 6-Bay NAS and the iDX6011 6-Bay NAS?

UGREEN has remained quiet about whether this system will be launched on Kickstarter, as they did with their previous DXP NAS series. Similarly, while they highlighted that the system is scheduled for early 2025, they did not disclose any pricing for either system.

Regarding availability, the NASync DXP series was only recently made available for traditional retail after its Kickstarter success. Even then, it is only available on their own website and in select regions like Germany and the US. This may be the same strategy UGREEN will follow for the new system. While this wasn’t confirmed at IFA 2024, I suspect it could be the case.

No doubt, we will discuss this system more in 2025 and whether it can achieve its ambitious goals.

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