The UnifyDrive UP6, with its built-in battery and on-device screen, is ideal for remote location use.
At the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, UnifyDrive has announced a new network attached storage device featuring a built-in tablet-style display, and AI-powered features in the operating system.
CES is underway, and artificial intelligence (AI) is once again the key phrase for the event in 2025. Everything is packed with AI technology, including network-attached storage (NAS).
The UnifyDrive UP6 was revealed on Monday, and includes a built-in rechargeable battery for on-the-go transfers. The new battery should be an improvement on the previous UT2 drive’s battery, which was only good for up to an hour in our testing.
It can read from SD, TF, and CFe cards directly. Video recorded on a camera’s SD card can be transferred to the drive via its card slots, and is then available to other devices connected to its network.
The portable NAS comes in configurations of up to 48TB and can connect directly to other devices via USB-C, two built-in Thunderbolt ports, or to networks via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The drive can be used as a Wi-Fi access point when it is connected to the internet via Ethernet.
The UP6 portable NAS features a screen for on-device searches, listings, and more.
The drive seems aimed directly at creatives and other users who want to capture and backup footage taken on cameras such as DSLRs, particularly in locations where access to cloud services or internet is unavailable or unreliable.
The UP6 is an upgraded successor to the UnifyDrive UT2, which we reviewed in October 2024. In that review, we found that the UT2 to sport solid hardware, but the management software was lacking.
The company refers to the new UP6 drive as delivering a tablet-like experience, allowing content creators to offload or back up content easily in almost any environment. The drive also contains its own on-screen search engine that features facial recognition, natural-language search, and video AI.
Users will further be able to search for text that appears in a video, or utilize facial recognition to find specific people on any media within the drive, thanks to the AI search features. These searches are completed with on-device models, so privacy is preserved, and no internet or cloud connection required.
UnityDrive’s UP6 can show previews of media files, among other things.
The UnifyDrive UP6 should prove handy for use in locations where reliable power is scarce or limited, such as at campsites or while traveling. It allows for sharing of content to other devices when internet access and cloud storage options are otherwise unavailable.
UnifyDrive’s founder, Bin Yuan, said in a press release that “the era of bulky, unattractive, slow, plastic NASes hidden in networking closets is over.” He noted that the UP6 “lets you bring your data with you, offering unmatched portability and power for the most demanding workflows.”
Availability and pricing for the UnifyDrive UP6 will be revealed later in 2025. Visit the UnityDrive website for more information on its products.
