Index score 76.6 (#34 overall)· Pre-orders open since October 2025 ($200 deposit); 1X promises first US consumer deliveries in 2026 from its new Hayward, CA factory, but no customer delivery had been verified as of mid-2026.· Last verified 2026-09-01
NEO is 1X Technologies' soft-bodied home humanoid and the first ever offered directly to consumers: $20,000 to buy or $499/month, reserved with a $200 deposit. At 1.68 m and just 30 kg, with a 22 dB noise level and tendon-driven design, it is built to be safe around people. 1X opened a Hayward, California factory in April 2026 and promises first US deliveries in 2026 — none had been verified by mid-year.
First humanoid offered directly to consumers, at $20,000 or $499/month [source]
Opened a vertically integrated NEO factory in Hayward, California in April 2026 [source]
At 30 kg and 22 dB, NEO is dramatically lighter and quieter than industrial humanoids [source]
Every spec is cited to its source with a retrieval date. verified = manufacturer-published · reported = reputable press/analyst. Verify with the manufacturer before purchase decisions.
Change timeline
milestone
NEO factory opens in Hayward, CA — billed as America's first vertically integrated humanoid factory [source]
launch
NEO pre-orders open: $20,000 purchase or $499/month, $200 deposit [source]
funding
$100M Series B led by EQT Ventures, with Samsung NEXT participating [source]
Our take
NEO's bet is the opposite of everyone else's: a light, quiet, deliberately weak-motored robot for homes rather than factories. The engineering trade-offs are honest — 8 kg arm payload won't move totes, but it can't hurt your kid either. The open questions are autonomy (early tasks may lean on teleoperation, with its privacy implications) and whether deliveries actually happen this year. A $200 refundable deposit is a cheap option on an ambitious promise.
NEO costs $20,000 to buy with Early Access priority, or $499 per month on subscription. Reserving either option takes a $200 deposit.
When will NEO be delivered?
1X says first consumer deliveries begin in 2026 in the US, expanding to other markets from 2027. As of mid-2026 no customer delivery had been independently verified.
Is NEO safe to have at home?
Safety is NEO's core design goal: it weighs about 30 kg (66 lb), uses a soft-bodied tendon-driven design, and runs at 22 dB. It can still lift up to 70 kg (154 lb) and carry 25 kg (55 lb).
What AI does NEO run?
NEO runs 1X's Redwood AI vision-language model with a built-in large language model, processed on the 1X NEO Cortex compute platform built around NVIDIA's Jetson Thor.
NEO vs Tesla Optimus for the home?
NEO is the only one you can actually order today, and it is purpose-built for homes — light, quiet, soft-bodied. Optimus targets a lower eventual price at huge scale but is not for sale and is factory-focused first.