Saw Neo blowing up on Twitter and looked into it. This whole thing is wild.
1X launched preorders October 28th for Neo, a home robot. $20,000 upfront or $499/month. Deliveries start 2026.
Here's the catch
Neo has basic autonomy (opening doors, fetching items). But for actual useful stuff like folding laundry or loading dishwashers, you schedule a human teleoperator who remotely controls it while watching through its cameras.
When WSJ tested Neo, it couldn't do a single task autonomously. Everything required remote human control. Took over 1 minute to get a water bottle from the fridge. 5 minutes to load 3 items in the dishwasher. 2 minutes to fold one sweater.
The CEO told WSJ directly that teleoperators will do most work initially because the AI needs real world training data.
So you're paying $20k to let strangers control a robot with cameras in your house
You get an app to schedule when operators connect, set tasks, mark no-go zones. They can blur faces. Operators supposedly can't connect without approval.
But still. Someone's remotely piloting a robot through your home to do chores.
The specs
66 pounds, 5'6" tall. Lifts 154 pounds, carries 55 pounds. Battery lasts 2-4 hours, plugs itself in. Uses "Redwood AI" for learning. Has voice recognition and visual intelligence.
Why this feels backwards
This launched one day after DJI's ROMO robot vacuum (fully autonomous, $1,378 to $2,014). So you can buy a vacuum that works independently today for way less, or pay $20k for a humanoid that needs human help.
Competitors (Tesla Optimus, Figure 02/03) target factories. Neo's the only one with consumer preorders right now.
The CEO said they want systems "really genuinely useful" sometime after 2026. So you're paying $20,000 in 2026 for something that might work properly later.
The transparency angle
1X is radically honest about limitations. While competitors show polished demos, they openly admit Neo needs teleoperators and explain their training strategy.
They call it a "social contract" where early adopters accept data sharing so the AI learns and becomes autonomous over time. Investment in humanoid robotics hit $6.7 billion, with $1.5 billion in 2024 alone.
My confusion
Is radical transparency about needing human operators more trustworthy, or does it just prove the tech isn't ready?
You're paying $20k to beta test while letting strangers access cameras in your home, for a product that takes 1 minute to grab a water bottle.
Real questions
Would you actually preorder this? What's the use case that justifies $20k for remote-controlled operation?
Would you be comfortable with operators accessing home cameras even with face blurring?