Xiaomi has officially entered the network-attached storage market with the announcement of its first NAS device, the Xiaomi Smart Storage, in China.
The product had been rumored for about a year and fits naturally into Xiaomi's expanding ecosystem of consumer and home electronics.
Instead of a full retail launch, Xiaomi has chosen a crowdfunding route.
The campaign runs from July 1 to July 8, and the product will only proceed if the funding goal is met.
Xiaomi has not yet revealed full technical specifications, but confirmed the Smart Storage will be available in three configurations, all built around a dual-bay design.
The entry-level Beginner version offers 4TB of storage (2TB x 2) at a crowdfunding price of ¥2,299 (around $338), against a suggested retail price of ¥3,499 (around $514).
The Advanced version steps up to 8TB (4TB x 2) at ¥2,899 (around $426), with a retail price of ¥4,499 (around $661).
At the top end, the Professional version with 16TB (8TB x 2) is available on crowdfunding for ¥4,699 (around $690), compared to a retail price of ¥6,999 (around $1,028).
The dual-bay setup across all three tiers suggests the device can serve both home users looking for local media storage and small office users wanting a self-managed backup solution.
The crowdfunding discounts make the Xiaomi Smart Storage a good deal for early backers.
Full specs, software features, and connectivity details are expected to follow as the campaign launch date approaches.
Xiaomi has not confirmed whether an international release is planned.
