1X’s next-generation humanoid robot, the NEO Gamma, played a prominent role in Nothing’s new smartphone rollout.
A few days after 1X Technologies introduced the robot, the NEO Gamma appeared in an unboxing video for the British company’s Nothing Phone (3a). In the 40 second promo, the humanoid wears a white lab coat in what looks like a futuristic sterile environment.
The robot gives a peace sign, walks to a table, and slowly slides open the device’s box. The robotic hand gently opens it and removes a sticker. NEO Gamma picks the phone up and observes it.
The video ends with the humanoid sitting cross legged, moving its head while looking at the phone’s screen.
Both 1X and Nothing teased a potential collaboration since the Gamma robot’s unveiling. 1X Technologies, which operates out of Norway and California, says it’s preparing to test its second-generation bipedal robot in a limited number of real homes.
Leading up to the unveiling, NEO Gamma robots were tested at the homes of several 1X employees.
The unveiling surfaced tension between 1X and fellow Silicon Valley robotics startup Figure AI.
Figure founder Brett Adcock subtly called out 1X on social media, leaving his competitor out of his weekly AI and robotics roundup. From now on, he said, he’s excluding all robot updates that are teleoperated by a human with the intention of tricking the viewer.
“It’s misleading for the general public and not fair to those making real end-to-end progress,” he wrote.
It was an obvious reference to 1X’s 37 second video introducing NEO Gamma. Replying to a user on X, 1X founder Bernt Bornich said the robot’s actions in the video are a mix of autonomous and teleoperation control.
When asked whether he was referencing 1X in his post, Adcock said as far as he knows Figure and Agility Robotics are the only companies whose bipedal humanoids are performing real-world tasks. A small fleet of Figure 02 robots have been working full-time at the BMW plant in Spartanburg South Carolina since January.
Both Figure and 1X plan to sell their AI-powered humanoids for home use, but they’re taking different approaches. While Figure has been focused on industrial tasks for initial deployments, 1X is aiming for the consumer market right away. Both companies are targeting pricing around the cost of a modest vehicle.
They’re both seen as serious competitors to Tesla, which plans to manufacture 10,000 Optimus humanoid robots this year for internal use. Since Tesla’s fall 2024 We, Robot event, the company has emphasized the Tesla Bot’s potential usefulness in households.
A day before the NEO Gamma’s unveiling, Figure announced its self-developed AI model called Helix. Like 1X, Figure says its technology will enable autonomous humanoid robots to enter homes at scale. Figure shared demo footage showing two Figure 02 robots teaming up to put away groceries after being given verbal instructions.
Bornich said 1X will showcase its next-generation robot at a lot of large events in the coming months.