1X Technologies has opened preorders for what it calls the world’s first consumer-ready humanoid robot for homes.
As advertised, the next-generation NEO basically outperforms and undercuts everything else in its class entering the market. It’s stronger than its industrial counterparts, lighter than the average quadruped, and faster than humanoids built for endurance. As 1X reportedly raises $1 billion heading into 2026, its flagship could redefine what’s possible at home or become a flop of historic proportions.
“Humanoids were long a thing of sci-fi. Then they were a thing of research, but today, with the launch of NEO, humanoid robots become a product,” 1X founder and CEO Bernt Bornich said in a press release. “Something that you and me can reach out and touch. NEO closes the gap between our imaginations and the world we live in, to the point where we can actually ask a humanoid robot for help, and help is granted.”
Humanoid for Home
1X pitches NEO as a robot that gives people back their time. Unlike most of the companies in the humanoid robotics race, 1X has focused exclusively on household use cases since it introduced its first NEO prototype back in summer 2024.
1X is rushing NEO to market as it faces intense competition from Chinese firms like Unitree and fellow Silicon Valley startup Figure AI, which is mounting an aggressive push into homes after initially focusing on industrial applications. NEO’s pricing already matches the low-end of Tesla’s target for its Optimus humanoid robot, which just made its East Coast debut in New York City’s Times Square, handing out gummies as part of an early Halloween marketing stunt.
The latest NEO iteration inherits more than a decade of research, engineering, and design that started more than a decade ago when Bornich launched the company as Halodi Robotics in Norway. Now headquartered in Palo Alto, 1X says customers will be able to delegate daily chores to NEO, like folding laundry, organizing shelves, or tidying rooms by voice command or through an app.
Autonomous Capabilities
The robot’s built-in intelligence remembers preferences, responds naturally in conversation, and understands its surroundings. It’s powered by the company’s self-developed Redwood AI model, which learns and adapts over time, gaining new skills through updates and experiences.1X describes the vision language action (VLA) as sophisticated enough to empower NEO to enter unfamiliar spaces and get to work right away.
While its launch is a real milestone, NEO’s everyday usefulness will likely not match the marketing videos. Joanna Stern, a Wall Street Journal reporter who spent a day with a NEO robot at 1X’s HQ, said it was noticeably teleoperated for most of her visit. In an interview, founder Bornich acknowledged the robot is still a work in progress.
“There’s this powerful concept of, let’s call it, robotics slop,” he said. “It’s the most useful kind of slop because if you put all of my glasses from my dishwasher in my cabinet, I’m pretty happy. It is going to be not perfect but back to, like, incredibly useful.”
Big Catch: Teleoperation
At least initially, teleoperation will play a key role in NEO’s rollout. The robot will have an expert mode feature where a remote human operator can step in when NEO encounters an unfamiliar task. The company is reportedly setting up centers where human teleoperators will stand ready to assist.
The idea of letting strangers peep into personal spaces is a showstopper for many, but 1X insists its technology respects privacy preferences, with the option to blur faces and to not store private data. On social media, 1X’s founder emphasized that he hopes to limit the need for remote controlling as much as possible before units are shipped.
“We hope to ship a mostly fully autonomous robot in 2026, but chose to not promise anything that does not already work today,” he wrote.
Best-of-Breed Specs
In terms of raw power, NEO outranks its heavyweight contemporaries built for factories. At its core, NEO uses a patented tendon-drive system, which employs what 1X claims is the highest torque density motors on Earth to move its limbs.
It can reportedly lift up to 68 kg (150 lbs),which is more than double its weight of 30 kg (66 lbs). Its carry capacity is much lower at 25 kg (55 lbs). Standing about 165 cm (5 feet 5 inches), NEO’s body mass is less than half of what a healthy adult male of the same stature would typically weigh.
The humanoid’s five-fingered hands are washable and boast a reported 22 degrees of freedom (DoF), which is in the upper echelon of highly dexterous end effectors hitting the market today like the SharpaWave. It’s the same level of dexterity that Elon Musk says Tesla’s third-generation Optimus humanoid has.
NEO’s reported specs would also make it the fastest humanoid robot in the world, with a top speed of 6.2 m/s (just under 14 mph). That’s twice as fast as Beijing’s Tiangong, the winner of the world’s first humanoid robot half marathon, which maxes out at 12 kmh (7.5 mph). However, 1X hasn’t shown the robot running or lifting at top capacity.
Designed for Households
Its marketing focuses on tedious household tasks that people just don’t feel like doing.
The robot’s smooth, fabric like suit and footwear are intended to make it appear friendly and organic in-home settings. 1X says it engineered Neo with a focus on safety, softness, and human centered design. Its body is encased with a custom 3D-printed lattice polymer structure, which 1X describes as deformable material that cushions impacts while maintaining structural integrity.
It’s low key enough for libraries, operating at below 22 decibels, which is about as quiet as a running laptop. Neo runs on an 842Wh battery that offers about four hours of use per charge, which is about average compared to research-grade humanoids available today.
1X’s launch video shows NEO plugging itself into a wall charger. Charging it for six minutes adds about a full hour of operation. The self-charging capability isn’t particularly novel. Honda’s Asimo demonstrated it back in 2007, and it’s becoming standard among modern humanoids like Optimus, the Figure 03, and the Walker S2 by Shenzhen-based UBTECH Robotics, which can swap out its own battery. However, the way it’s presented as a consumer product feature is a new thing.
As described, the humanoid connects to 5G networks, Wifi and Bluetooth like a smartphone. Like its predecessor, NEO possesses a three-speaker sound system and smart microphones optimized to pick up on people talking.
NEO’s Pricing
1X says its pricing structure is designed to make home robotics accessible to the masses while offering options for early adopters. Customers can choose between two main plans: a standard subscription priced at $499/month or an early access ownership option that’s $20,000.
The purchase option comes with a 3-year warranty, premium support, and priority delivery. The subscription option requires a 6-month commitment. To secure a unit, buyers must submit a fully refundable $200 deposit.
It’s available in three colorways: Tan, gray, and dark brown. Stateside deliveries for both plans are scheduled to begin in 2026, with people who buy the robot outright getting first access. Shipments are expected to expand internationally in 2027.
The Future of Home Humanoids
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