China’s answer to The Terminator has a Buy It Now button.
After months of buildup, the Shenzhen startup EngineAI is taking orders for its new T800 humanoid, named after the iconic synthetic human from the sci-fi franchise. The startup launched the heavyweight humanoid on JD.com, a popular Chinese ecommerce site.
It’s gearing up for battle, quite literally, as the startup aims to end Unitree’s hot streak heading into 2026. As it races toward an initial public offering, Unitree is also busy toughening up its new adult-sized humanoid. A showdown appears inevitable.
T800 Humanoid Worker
EngineAI is pitching the robot as a full-scale labor replacement platform capable of handling industrial, commercial, and even public-service tasks. In its messaging, EngineAI claims the T800 offers performance above most adult human workers in both strength and endurance at about one-third of the cost.
According to EngineAI, the T8000 stands 173 cm (5 feet 8 inches), which is slightly shorter than the reported height of the prototype the startup showcased during the 2025 World Robot Conference (WRC) in Beijing. Weighing 75 kg (165 lbs), the robot features a magnesium-aluminum alloy exoskeleton, 29 degrees of freedom (DoF), and three-fingered hands with 7 DoF each. It’s noticeably shorter than the movie T800 which is 203 cm (6 feet 7 inches).
Strongest Humanoid Yet?
Its peak joint force reaches 450 Nm, which on paper surpasses 90 percent of men in their prime. However, it’s below another recently unveiled Chinese humanoid, the Phybot M1.That robot reached 530 Nm in lab tests, which Beijing-based Phybot says makes it the world’s most powerful humanoid.
With the higher torque, robots like the M1 and T800 could in theory outperform their peers and even some industrial robot arms in strength-based tasks. However, that assumes its balance and control systems, its sensors, and its build quality matches its contemporaries. Mobility, agility, and efficiency still depend on many other sub systems beyond torque.
EngineAI T800 vs. Unitree H2
EngineAI is preparing its T800 humanoid for its inaugural Mecha King robot boxing event scheduled for late December 2025 in Shenzhen. A match up with Unitree’s new full-sized H2 humanoid appears inevitable.
Unitree just shared footage of the robot delivering a knee strike strong enough to knock a much smaller G1 robot’s chest plate off. The robot is also shown sharpening its kickboxing skills with a humanoid and a person closer to its own size.
There’s growing interest in robots in the ring, with UFC and Unitree teasing a collaboration after the Hangzhou-based robotics leader held its first humanoid kickboxing tournament earlier in 2025. The company is preparing for another blockbuster coming year but there’s no shortage of competitors seeking to slow their momentum.
T800 Pricing
The T800’s pricing starts at $25,000 for the basic configuration. The entry pricing is comparable to other full-sized humanoids that have hit the market in 2025 like Dobot’s Atom ($27,000), LimX Dynamics’ Oli ($22,000), and Unitree’s H2 ($29,900).
An open-source ecosystem edition with dexterous five-fingered hands starts around $33,000. A pro version with an upgraded NVIDIA Thor GPU begins at $38,500, while the ultimate industry-grade edition begins at $50,000. As reported by XRoboHub on X, orders require a $700 deposit and shipments are expected to commence around June 2026.
The T800 is one of the first humanoids to run on a solid-state battery, which EngineAI says powers the humanoid for 4-5 hours power charge. The batteries replace the liquid electrolyte in typical lithium-ion packs with solid material for better safety, more energy density, and more charge cycles. The tech is still emerging, but industry analysts expect solid-state batteries will become the default choice for humanoids in the future. EngineAI’s home city of Shenzhen is particularly far along in solid-state R&D; BTR New Material Group has launched a line of solid-state packs specifically for fake humans.
EngineAI rocked the robotics world when it emerged from seemingly out of nowhere in fall 2024 with its first full-sized robotic humanoid, the SE01, and its freakishly lifelike walking gait. Zhao Tongyang, who previously founded the Shenzhen startup Dogotix, launched the robotics firm in 2023 after leaving XPeng, where he led the Guangzhou-based EV maker’s humanoid program.
The startup also offers a compact humanoid, the PM01, whose pricing initially started under $15,000 to undercut Unitree’s G1. With the PM01, EngineAI gained exposure far outside the usual tech echo chambers, going viral with a dancing homage to the 2004 cult classic Kung Fu Hustle and an encounter with popular streamer IShowSpeed.
EngineAI is scaling production of its suite of humanoids and quadrupeds after securing nearly $140 million in funding earlier in 2025. Its lead investor is JD.com. Through the partnership, EngineAI and JD have launched a cyberpunk flagship storefront under the JD Home umbrella in Shenzhen.