Unitree G1+: a $14,000 humanoid robot with cooler motors and a movable head
Unitree has unveiled the G1+, an upgraded version of its G1 humanoid robot, priced at $14,000 for the base model. That's cheaper than the G1 Gen 1's UK list price of £20,999 and the $17,990 that US dealers charge for the outgoing model with local support. The G1 remains the only humanoid you can buy for under $20,000 today — and the G1+ makes a credible case that the hardware is finally catching up with the ambition.
The upgrades
Six changes define the G1+. The headline addition is a two-degree-of-freedom neck: the robot can now tilt its head between -25° and +36° and rotate it ±110°. That sounds minor, but it means the robot no longer has to turn its whole torso to look sideways — a meaningful step toward natural movement.
The bigger engineering story is thermal management. Unitree has overhauled the motors throughout the body. Peak torque on the shoulder and waist drives is up 110%, while heat generated under the same load drops 72%. Arm motors gain 43% more torque with 30% less heat; leg motors run 28% cooler. Both Tesla Optimus and Boston Dynamics' Atlas have faced heat-shedding problems during sustained real-world operation — this kind of improvement directly addresses that bottleneck.
Unitree G1+ humanoid robot
Runtime comes from a 9,000 mAh battery good for roughly two hours of active use. The battery is hot-swappable, so downtime is measured in seconds rather than hours at a charging dock.
Sensors and specs
The G1+ packs a binocular camera, a wide-angle camera, a 3D LiDAR, and an additional belly-mounted camera for close-range tasks. Five sensors sit in the head. A six-microphone array handles voice commands, with direction-finding, noise cancellation, and echo suppression built in. Two 10W speakers handle audio output. Connectivity is Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, with over-the-air software updates.
The robot weighs around 35 kg and can carry up to 3 kg per arm.
Two versions, one mystery price
Unitree offers two configurations. The standard G1+ has 25 degrees of freedom (DOF) and costs ¥95,000 — roughly $14,000 — and comes with a handheld remote. The G1+ EDU steps up to 70 DOF, with seven-DOF hands capable of complex manipulation; Unitree hasn't disclosed its price.
Neither version has a confirmed US or UK release date beyond general availability in China. If the G1 Gen 1's trajectory is any guide, international listings typically follow within months. Unitree's track record on shipping is credible: the company delivered more than 5,500 G1 units in 2025, compared to Tesla's reported 150 — all kept in-house.
The G1 series has already logged some headline moments: a Pemba variant climbed the 6,200-metre Chimborazo volcano in June 2026, and a Unitree humanoid hit 46 km/h and jumped two metres from a standing start in August. The G1+ is the platform those records were built on, now refined for longer, cooler operation.
