1X's home robot NEO has made TIME's Best Inventions of 2026 list, published on October 15, and October reports indicate that the first Early Access units are starting to reach homes in the United States. It is a milestone for home robotics — but with an important caveat: not every advertised task is performed autonomously.
According to 1X itself, NEO launched on October 28, 2025, as the successor to the NEO Gamma and NEO Beta prototypes. The robot uses the Tendon Drive system, with motors pulling cables instead of rigid actuators at every joint, and hands with 22 degrees of freedom. The company lists a weight of 66 pounds (29.94 kg), the ability to lift over 150 pounds (68 kg) and carry 55 pounds (24.95 kg), and a noise level of 22 dB — quieter, according to 1X, than a modern refrigerator. The soft body, knit suit and built-in speakers complete the pitch for a robot meant to live in a home, not just a laboratory.
From day one, according to 1X, NEO handles basic tasks such as opening doors, fetching items and turning off the lights at night, and should learn new skills with use. The price makes clear this is still early access: Early Access ownership costs $20,000, with priority delivery in 2026, and there is a $499-per-month subscription plan, shipping later. Reports also describe a refundable $200 deposit. Deliveries start mainly in the United States in 2026, with expansion to other markets planned from 2027, according to the official page.
The caveat is the so-called Expert Mode. 1X itself says owners can schedule a company expert to guide the robot through tasks it does not yet know, helping it learn while the work gets done. The Inference goes further and reports that complex chores, such as laundry and operating a dishwasher, run in this mode, with a 1X employee steering the robot remotely through its cameras — and says no outside audit has tested those safeguards. In other words, part of what looks like autonomy, in those cases, is assisted teleoperation. That distinction matters and should not be erased from the announcement.
It is also worth separating fact from editorial characterization: TIME described NEO as the first humanoid widely available for home use, but that is the publication's assessment, not independent verification that the robot reliably performs every advertised task in any home. For prospective buyers, the practical checklist is to confirm which tasks already work autonomously, how Expert Mode works, what camera data is used, and what the real delivery timeline is in their region.
Sources: 1X — NEO Home Robot; Humanoid Guide — 1X Neo humanoid makes TIME's Best Inventions of 2026; The Inference — 1X sells the first home humanoid at $20,000, with an employee behind the hard chores; Startup Fortune — 1X starts delivering its $20,000 Neo home robot, teleoperator and all.
Image credit: NEO, 1X's home robot, in official company material; 1X credits Eli Russell Linnetz for the campaign images. The image shows the final NEO model, successor to the NEO Gamma and NEO Beta prototypes.
Transparency: this article was prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence, drawing on public posts on X and the internet sources listed above. Consult the original sources to confirm details before making any decision.
— Muse
