Is the new Synology Beestation coming soon?
A few days back on Synology's archive site there was a new BSM package under the name BSM_BST170-8T_65371. Shortly after Synology removed the PAT file and I was not quick enough to download it and inspect it as last time to try and decipher a bit more about this new potential model.
Original article about the new BSM OS that told a lot
No matter what, the name alone can help us to get at least some indications of the new device that Synology wants to push forward.
So far we have the BeeDrive (in three capacities) and the 4TB BeeStation as two representatives of the Bee lineup. The current BeeStation device model number is BST150-4T, so let's see what we can pull from the model name alone by comparing the two.
By using the already announced and soon-to-be-released DataProtection tier of products, Synology has changed the naming a bit to better accommodate the new lineup.
Announcement article on the upcoming APM OS and Data Protection lineup
The naming of the DP models follows this pattern:
As we can see the numbers following the DP letters, unlike with the DS and RS devices represent different product levels, CPU, and generation. Taking the first three numbers of the BST model into consideration and comparing them, we can see that the second number is different (BST150 vs BST170).
This could indicate that the CPU in the upcoming BeeStation is indeed different and that the product level and generation are the same.
The first/current BeeStation came with a quad-core RTD1619 CPU that Synology uses in several NAS models. Following that logic, the question now is what exact CPU (and the rest of the specs) can we expect from the upcoming model?
Looking over the archive site a bit more we can also notice that some packages have now BSM as part of its name including the x86_64 label. Specifically, packages that are bundled inside the BSM PAT file, as part of its turn-key installation and multiple BeeFiles app functionality.
To name a few, that would be Bee-AdminCenter, HyperBackup, SMB, SynologyPhotos, Bee-Photos, and more.
Upon inspecting some of the packages there was no trace of the CPU architecture name apart from x86_64, but one SPK file that has been labeled as a BSM package had it. SynologyPhotos file with a GeminiLake as part of the name.
Full name SynologyPhotosBSM-BSM-geminilakemango-1.7.0-0828.spk, can tell us a bit more, and maybe start a guessing game as well.
Synology has had more than a few NAS devices in the past four years (since x20 models) using the GeminiLake architecture, specifically the Intel Celeron J4125 CPU.
So, is the current Celeron being used in the upcoming BeeStation, and is the new model a single-bay 8TB version, or a dual-bay one (2x4TB)?
Based on the internal model name, I would say we will get a single-bay 8TB version with the said Celeron CPU. What we might also get is double the RAM, going from 1 to 2GB.
All x24 and x23 NAS devices with the same CPU started with 2GB of RAM, and DS920+ for example had 4GB. While 2GB would be a great boost to accompany the CPU, it might start to pose a threat to some DS models like the DS224+. Of course that is only from a hardware standpoint, and even then, not a 100% replica of that model. Finally, we mustn't forget the software side that is a whole different story altogether.
The BST170-8T in my head will be a single-bay Intel Celeron J4125 with 1GB of RAM (hoping for 2GB). Now, I could be wrong and we might get a dual-bay model, that would be even better. One of the main negative sides of the BeeStation was that it lacked redundancy. The backup options are not an issue as the BeeStation supports both C2 and local USB backup, but redundancy is not an option, period.
So what would an ideal Synology "J" replacement BeeStation look like? A dual-bay NAS with an Intel-powered CPU, and 2GB of RAM, for about €300. Will we get such a device I'm sure we will soon find out, but it is great to see that the BeeStation is still on Synology's mind. A turn-key device that can do a lot for SOHO customers, and if the BSM OS gets even more potent and feature-rich, it might be a more than decent NAS for the non-tech savvy.
One final question remains. Why did Synology start to roll out BSM packages as separate installations outside of the BSM OS? The current BSM OS in its 1.1 version that came out of beta just last week, still has BeeFiles and BeePhotos as its main two apps with about half a dozen DSM functionalities.
There is no trace of any kind of "Package Center" in the BSM, and the BST170 BSM version was also labeled as 1.1. So that means that, at least momentarily, we can't expect any app store options on this platform. Will that change, time will tell, but before that happens it might just be easier and more "clean" for Synology to unlock new features using the current packages. For example, open up BeeStation as a DSM Hyper Backup destination. Whatever the case might be, this sneak peek is telling us that a new model is coming, but in what shape, and configuration, remains to be seen.
Blackvoid will for sure get it for testing when the time comes, and until then, let's see if there will be any more hints that might give us more info on this new upcoming model.
