Product evaluation — Humanoid Robotics

1X NEO Humanoid Robot

Reviewed by Product Call  ·  June 2026  ·  Based on publicly available manufacturer information, independent research, and direct contact attempts with 1X Technologies

Overview

The 1X NEO is one of the most anticipated consumer products in the world right now — and possibly the most honest attempt yet to bring a genuinely useful humanoid robot into the home. Developed by Norwegian-American company 1X Technologies, which was founded in 2014 by CEO Bernt Børnich and is backed by OpenAI, NEO was unveiled for pre-order in October 2025 and is scheduled to begin shipping to US households throughout 2026, with international markets including Australia following in 2027.

At $20,000 USD, NEO is priced at roughly three and a half times the Unitree R1 — but unlike the R1, which Product Call found to have no pre-installed language model and no meaningful out-of-box conversational capability, NEO is designed from the ground up as a home companion with onboard AI, natural language conversation, and the ability to learn new tasks continuously via software updates. Whether it delivers on those promises is the central question this review sets out to answer.

Pricing & purchase options

All prices in USD. Australian pricing has not been announced. International availability is confirmed for 2027 at the earliest. The subscription model includes Expert Mode teleoperation services — it is important to note that Expert Mode is not an optional add-on but an integral part of how NEO currently operates, raising questions about what the robot can do independently without the subscription service running.

Technical specifications

What NEO can do — and what it cannot

NEO’s marketing positions it as a capable home assistant from day one. According to 1X, from the moment NEO is unboxed it can open doors for guests, fetch items, turn off lights, fold laundry, load and unload dishwashers, tidy rooms, organise shelves, and hold natural voice conversations. These are meaningful, genuinely useful household tasks — and demonstrations involving celebrity chef Nick DiGiovanni assisting in the kitchen have attracted significant attention.

However, there is a critical caveat that 1X is admirably transparent about: NEO is not fully autonomous in 2026. The first wave of robots relies on a human-in-the-loop system called Expert Mode, where trained 1X teleoperators remotely guide the robot through complex tasks while NEO’s AI learns from the experience. This is an honest and pragmatic approach to bridging the gap between current AI capability and genuine home autonomy — but it raises an important question for consumers: what exactly can NEO do on its own, without a teleoperator?

The Expert Mode question

Expert Mode is both NEO’s most innovative feature and its most scrutinised. When NEO encounters a task it cannot handle autonomously, a trained 1X expert can remotely access the robot to complete the task — while NEO’s AI simultaneously learns from the expert’s actions, gradually reducing the need for human intervention over time. All teleoperators undergo background checks and sign confidentiality agreements. Owners can designate no-go zones where teleoperation is never permitted, and audio masking protects private conversations.

This is a genuinely clever solution to the autonomy gap — but it also means that a meaningful portion of NEO’s day-to-day capability in 2026 is dependent on human operators working remotely. For consumers paying $20,000 or $499 per month, understanding the balance between autonomous operation and teleoperation-assisted operation is essential before purchase. 1X has not publicly disclosed the percentage of tasks currently requiring Expert Mode intervention.

The EQT industrial pivot — a consumer concern

One of the most significant findings in Product Call’s research is that 1X has struck a side deal to ship up to 10,000 NEO robots to portfolio companies of private equity firm EQT — primarily for industrial and commercial use — by 2030. This is the same robot marketed to consumers as a home companion.

1X has framed this as a smart strategy, noting that industrial customers pay full price for early units while allowing the home model to scale down in cost over time — drawing comparisons to the early electric vehicle playbook. That rationale is reasonable, but it raises a legitimate concern: if industrial orders take priority, what does that mean for the delivery timeline of consumer pre-orders? 1X has not publicly clarified whether consumer or enterprise orders take delivery priority.

Australian consumers — specific considerations

For Australian readers considering a NEO pre-order, the following is critical: NEO deliveries begin in the United States and Canada in 2026. International expansion including Australia is confirmed for 2027 at the earliest. No Australian pricing, no Australian distributor, and no Australian after-sales or warranty support has been announced. Consumers placing a pre-order deposit of $200 USD today should be aware they are looking at a minimum 12–18 month wait before any possibility of delivery, with no guarantee of Australian service infrastructure at that point.

Performance ratings

Positives & negatives

Comparison with alternatives

The 1X NEO sits in a unique position in the 2026 humanoid robot market. At $20,000 USD it is significantly more expensive than the Unitree R1 ($5,900), which Product Call previously reviewed, but far more capable as a home AI companion — the R1 has no pre-installed language model and requires the EDU version at $16,000+ for any meaningful AI customisation. Against the Figure 03, NEO compares favourably on availability — NEO is actually shipping in 2026, while Figure 03 remains at the prototype stage. Tesla Optimus similarly remains unavailable for consumer purchase. In terms of home-readiness, genuine AI conversation capability, and honest marketing, NEO is the most credible consumer humanoid robot available today — even if full autonomy remains a work in progress.

ⓘ This evaluation is based entirely on publicly available information including 1X Technologies’ official website, verified third-party specifications, industry publications, and independent research conducted by Product Call in June 2026. Product Call contacted 1X Technologies directly via their official press email address and received no response. 1X Technologies did not participate in this evaluation. Product Call has no commercial relationship with 1X Technologies, OpenAI, NVIDIA, or any associated entity.