UGREEN NASync iDX 6011 reshapes how files are found

UGREEN has moved deeper into the artificial intelligence race for consumer storage with the unveiling of its NASync iDX 6011 and iDX 6011 Pro at CES 2026, positioning the devices as a rethink of how people search for and manage personal and small-business data. Rather than relying on folder structures, filenames or rigid metadata, the new network-attached storage systems introduce an AI-driven search layer designed to surface files based on vague memories, contextual ideas or spoken requests.

The iDX 6011 series builds on the company’s earlier NASync products but shifts the emphasis from raw capacity to usability. UGREEN executives described the goal as removing the friction that has long defined digital archiving, where users often know what they stored but cannot recall where or under what name. The AI engine embedded in the system indexes documents, photos, videos and audio files in the background, allowing natural-language prompts such as recalling “the presentation with blue charts from last spring” or “that family video shot at the beach before the renovation”.

At the core of the system is a locally hosted large language model tuned for semantic search across mixed data types. Unlike cloud-only solutions, processing is designed to remain on the device, addressing persistent concerns around privacy and data sovereignty. The approach reflects a broader industry shift towards edge AI, where inference is handled locally to reduce latency and exposure, particularly for sensitive personal or enterprise information.

Hardware specifications support this ambition. The iDX 6011 is built around a multi-core x86 processor paired with a dedicated neural processing unit to accelerate AI tasks. The Pro variant adds higher memory ceilings, faster networking options and expanded drive bays aimed at content creators and small teams managing large media libraries. Both models support modern file systems, snapshotting and redundancy features expected in this segment, but the headline capability remains the AI-assisted discovery layer.

Voice interaction is another defining feature. Users can query the system through a companion application, asking conversational questions rather than typing keywords. Demonstrations at CES showed the NAS retrieving contracts, design drafts and photographs using incomplete descriptions, with the system ranking likely matches rather than returning a blunt list of exact hits. Industry analysts view this as an attempt to close the gap between consumer expectations shaped by web search engines and the far more limited tools traditionally bundled with local storage.

The launch arrives as the global NAS market undergoes a period of reinvention. While demand for centralised storage continues to grow among home offices, creators and small enterprises, differentiation has become harder as capacities increase and prices compress. Vendors are increasingly turning to software and AI features to stand out. Synology and QNAP have invested heavily in ecosystem services and hybrid cloud tools, while others have explored image recognition and media tagging. UGREEN’s bet is that memory-based and idea-driven search represents the next logical step.

There are, however, challenges ahead. AI indexing of large and constantly changing datasets can be resource-intensive, raising questions about performance under heavy workloads. Long-term accuracy will depend on how effectively the model adapts to individual users’ habits and vocabularies without extensive manual training. Experts also note that expectations shaped by generative AI chatbots may outpace what local models can reliably deliver, particularly when dealing with ambiguous or subjective queries.

Pricing and availability details released alongside the announcement suggest UGREEN is targeting the upper mid-range of the market rather than entry-level users. This positions the iDX 6011 against established brands with loyal followings, making real-world reliability and software polish critical to adoption. Early hands-on impressions at CES highlighted the promise of the concept, though reviewers cautioned that sustained performance outside controlled demonstrations will determine its success.