NEO, the humanoid home robot, finally has a ship date—what India should know
You’ve seen humanoids in demo videos. NEO is different: it’s a real consumer product you can pre-order today—$20,000 upfront or $499/month—promising to tackle the boring stuff at home: laundry, tidying, fetching items, even door duty. U.S. deliveries are slated for 2026; India availability isn’t disclosed yet.
What exactly is NEO?
NEO is a 5’6” bipedal humanoid from 1X (an OpenAI-backed startup) designed for domestic work. It blends a “soft body” polymer suit with tendon-drive actuators for safer, precise movement in tight home spaces. Think assistant, not Terminator. Its AI stack includes a built-in large language model for conversation plus “Redwood AI,” a vision-language model for learning and repeating chores.
Headline features & specs (quick)
- Form & motion: 5’6”, ~30 kg (66 lb), tendon-drive actuation; pinch-proof joints; 22 dB quiet operation.
- Payload: lifts up to 70 kg (154 lb), carries 25 kg (55 lb), 22 DOF per hand.
- Compute: “NEO Cortex” (NVIDIA Jetson Thor), up to 2,070 FP4 TFLOPS; stereo fisheye cameras; 4-mic array.
- Battery: 842 Wh, ~4 hours runtime; quick charge “6 minutes per hour of runtime.”
- Interfaces: voice (Companion), mobile app, and optional remote piloting via app/VR; self-charging.
- Ingress: hands IP68 (submersible); body IP44 (splash-proof).
How “autonomous” is it today?
Early units ship with basic autonomy for routine tasks and a notable twist: Scheduled Expert Mode—vetted human operators can (with your permission and at scheduled times) remotely supervise complex chores so the robot learns and gets the job done. This hybrid model is why some coverage argues NEO is “part human” for now—useful, but raises privacy questions.
Price, plans, and timelines
Two ways to get in:
- Buy: $20,000 with 3-year warranty, premium support, priority delivery.
- Subscribe: $499/month; shipped later than early-access units.
- Deposit: $200, fully refundable.
- Shipping: U.S. consumer deliveries start in 2026. India timeline: not disclosed as of Oct 31, 2025 (IST).
What it can (and can’t) do—right now
NEO demonstrates folding laundry, organizing shelves, fetching items, opening doors, turning off lights, and becoming a Bluetooth speaker. It self-docks to charge and converses naturally via the onboard LLM. Current limits: cooking isn’t supported yet; body isn’t waterproof (hands are), and certain risky tasks (sharp/hot/heavy) remain off-limits until capabilities mature. Expect over-the-air improvements.
India analysis: should you care yet?
- Pricing reality: $20,000 roughly translates to ₹16–17 lakh before import duties, shipping, and 18% GST. That’s easily ₹20 lakh+ landed for early owners—if/when India units are offered. Media in Hindi already pegs the sticker shock at “₹16 lakh+,” which tracks the base conversion.
- Availability: 1X explicitly lists U.S. deliveries in 2026; it has not confirmed India shipments or dates. If you’re in India, treat this as a tech preview rather than a 2026 purchase plan.
- Use cases: Households with elderly care needs or busy professionals may find long-term value if autonomy improves and service support reaches India. For most, waiting for Gen-2/Gen-3 pricing and local service is prudent. (1X previously previewed “Gamma” updates, suggesting a fast cadence.)
Pros and cons (today)
Pros
- Real consumer pathway (pre-order open), not just a lab demo.
- Strong safety-first design (soft suit, pinch-proof, low-inertia drives).
- Hybrid capability: autonomy + supervised Expert Mode for complex chores.
- Serious hardware (Jetson Thor), clear spec sheet, self-charging.
Cons
- High total cost; India taxes/imports could push it far higher than ₹16–17 lakh.
- Privacy trade-offs with remote supervision, even if scheduled/consented.
- Limited risky tasks (no cooking yet; body isn’t waterproof).
- India availability unknown; service/warranty logistics here unannounced.
Risks & unknowns
- Autonomy gap: How quickly will Expert Mode hand-offs shrink?
- Service in India: No details on local support, spares, or warranties domestically.
- Regulatory: Import, privacy, and data transfer norms will matter if remote operators are outside India. (Company says user control/permissions apply, but specifics per country are TBD.)
FAQs
Is NEO really the first “consumer-ready” humanoid for homes?
That’s 1X’s positioning; pre-orders and a 2026 consumer ship window back it. Other humanoids exist, but none with this consumer pre-order push and detailed home spec sheet.
How much does NEO cost?
$20,000 to own (3-year warranty) or $499/month subscription; $200 refundable deposit.
When will it ship to India?
Not disclosed as of Oct 31, 2025 (IST). U.S. deliveries start 2026.
Can NEO cook or work around water?
Cooking: not supported yet. Hands are IP68; body is IP44 (splash-proof only).
Is NEO fully autonomous?
It ships with basic autonomy and Scheduled Expert Mode for complex tasks (with your consent). Expect capability to improve over time via updates.
How do I order from India?
Pre-orders are open on 1X’s site with a $200 refundable deposit—but shipping is U.S.-first. If you’re in India, you can still register interest; just note the delivery limitation.
How to pre-order (and what to expect)
- Go to 1X’s official order page.
- Choose Early Access (ownership) or Subscription.
- Pay a $200 refundable deposit.
- Expect updates on configuration (color options: tan/gray/dark brown) and delivery. U.S. deliveries target 2026; later regions not announced.
If you’re reading this in India, the smart move is to watch—closely. If NEO’s autonomy jumps and India support is announced, the category could go from sci-fi to household line-item faster than you think.