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A $20K Humanoid Robot to Help Around the House? The Price Isn't the Only Caveat

Next year, 1X Technologies opened preorders for Neo with a $20,000 full purchase or $499 monthly subscription and a $200 refundable deposit, with first US units shipping in 2026.
Framed as a household aid, 1X Technologies pitches Neo as automating chores to free users' time, while a World Economic Forum report warns robotics could create 170 million roles but eliminate 92 million jobs.
The Wall Street Journal observed teleoperation during demonstrations, finding Neo largely controlled by a 1X Expert using a virtual-reality headset; Joanna Stern wrote, `I didn't see Neo do anything autonomously, although the company did share a video of Neo opening a door on its own.`
Customers must accept a 'social contract' permitting company operators access to homes; 1X Technologies says operators are US-based, monitored, and human images will be blurred before teleoperation.
Technically, Neo offers a 4-hour runtime, IP68 hands, and can lift 154 pounds, but hands-on testing showed task struggles; 1X Technologies expects most tasks to be autonomous by 2026.

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The year is 2026. You’ve been tearing your hair out keeping up with your 1,800 square foot Bay Area bungalow: picking up items and setting them back down, turning lights on and off, and even opening doors has become too much of a burden. That’s when it arrives: a big bulky box on the front porch. You quickly drag it in off the stoop and into the living room. Tearing open the package reveals your NEO robot from Palo Alto-based startup 1X, a dull …

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