Unitree G1 review: price and what it really does (2026)

The Unitree G1 is the most widespread humanoid a private buyer can get today: it costs $13,500 (about €12,400) on the official Chinese store and from €27,000 incl. VAT from European resellers (verified on 18 September 2026). Out of the box it walks, keeps its balance, gets back up and runs its stored demonstrations, driven by the included remote control. But the base version cannot be programmed and has no hands: to write code you need the EDU, sold only on quotation. It is worth it for research, shows and content; not for anyone looking for help at home or at work.

In short: a real, production humanoid with support in Europe. The base model is a demonstration platform; programming it costs a great deal more.

What the Unitree G1 is and why it is the reference humanoid

The G1 is a bipedal humanoid from China's Unitree, on sale since 2024. It stands 1.32 m tall (69 cm folded), weighs about 35 kg with the battery and has 23 degrees of freedom: 6 per leg, 1 at the waist, 5 per arm. Its head carries a 3D LiDAR and a depth camera, plus 4 microphones and a 5 W speaker. The onboard computer is an 8-core CPU; the 9,000 mAh battery releases by hand and lasts about 2 hours. Each arm lifts about 2 kg (Unitree data, 18 Sep 2026).

The reason it is "the reference" is a number: Unitree says it shipped over 5,500 humanoids in 2025 (units delivered to end customers, all series), out of more than 6,500 products (Unitree statement, 22 Jan 2026). According to humanoid.guide (5 Sep 2026), 74% of 2025 sales went to universities, research centres and developers: that is the audience the robot is built for.

Versions and prices

VersionPrice on the Unitree storeWhat changes
G1$13,500 (about €12,400)23 degrees of freedom, 3D LiDAR, depth camera, remote control. Not programmable. 8-month warranty
G1 Pro$21,500 (about €19,800)29 degrees of freedom, geared towards entertainment (Generation Robots data). Development remains reserved for the EDU
G1 EDUOn quotation (sales_global@unitree.cc)Secondary development, NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX with 100 TOPS, up to 43 degrees of freedom, 120 N·m knee, 3 kg arm, optional Dex3-1 hands. 18-month warranty

Official store prices (shop.unitree.com, 18 Sep 2026) converted at 0.92: "bare" figures, without shipping ($300–1,200 according to the store), duties and VAT. In Europe:

ResellerPriceNotes (18 Sep 2026)
Generation Robots (France)from €27,000 incl. VAT (€22,500 excl. VAT)Configurator with over twenty variants, from Basic to EDU Ultimate
Eagle Robots (Perugia, Italy)On quotationG1 Air, EDU Std, EDU Plus, EDU Ultimate; delivery in 90 days

An EDU costs considerably more than the base model: resellers do not publish uniform price lists, and the review by There's a Robot for That (6 Sep 2026) reports from $43,500 (EDU Standard) to $73,900 (Ultimate D).

What it does out of the box

Switched on and paired with the Unitree app, the G1 stands up on its own from the folded position, walks, turns, withstands a push and gets back up after a fall. With the included remote control you drive its walking and its stored demonstrations: gestures, greetings, choreographies. Microphones and speaker are there for voice interaction. In the lab, on an EDU, comfortable walking speed is around 1.5 m/s and household stairs are not a problem (Robotics Center, 31 Mar 2026); Unitree does not publish a top speed.

Two caveats. The videos with somersaults and martial arts are the result of development on the EDU, not standard features (botinfo.ai, field test, September 2026). And on flat asphalt its path is not perfectly straight: it has to be corrected with the remote (same source).

The hands: the base model has none. The arms end in fixed end pieces, good for gesturing, not for grasping; the three-finger Dex3-1 hands (7 degrees of freedom each) are an option for the EDU only. The G1 is neither waterproof nor dustproof and, with 35 kg that can fall, the manual forbids touching it while it moves and advises against using it near children without supervision.

The point nobody mentions: the base version cannot be programmed

Unitree says so on the product page: the base G1 "does not support secondary development". No SDK, no ROS 2, no access to the joints: you use it with the app and the remote, full stop. To program it you need the G1 EDU, with the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX module and the control interfaces. And the base model cannot be turned into an EDU later (botinfo.ai, September 2026): the choice has to be made at purchase.

A base G1 is therefore a machine for demonstrations and events. If the idea is "I'll buy it and then develop on it", the budget is the EDU's, a multiple of the headline price.

Cybersecurity: UniPwn, the 2026 CVEs and telemetry

This is the most delicate chapter, because a connected humanoid is also a computer with microphones, cameras and 35 kg of motors.

Note: CVE-2026-8153, cited in several 2026 articles, concerns Universal Robots cobots, not Unitree robots (RoboticsBiz, 11 Aug 2026).

In practice: update the firmware straight away, use a separate Wi-Fi network, switch Bluetooth off when you don't need it, don't keep the robot on where confidential matters are discussed. Unitree exhibited the G1 at IFA in Berlin (September 2026) with these questions still open.

Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

How much it costs in Italy and where to buy it

European reseller. Generation Robots starts from €27,000 incl. VAT; Eagle Robots (EagleProjects, Perugia), Unitree reseller and service centre in Italy, sells on quotation with delivery in 90 days. You pay more, but VAT, duties and compliance are taken care of and there is someone in Italy to talk to if something breaks.

Official Unitree store. $13,500 plus $300–1,200 shipping; duties and VAT are the buyer's responsibility. With €700 of shipping, duty from 1.7% to 4.7% and VAT at 22%, a base G1 comes to about €16,300–17,300 in Italy. The saving is real, but by importing you become responsible for CE marking, and for a repair the robot has to be shipped to China at your expense (see the import guide and the calculator).

Used. Robolero estimates a base G1 in good condition at €7,690 to €10,540. Before paying: test the battery (replacement €644–900), have the robot walk for 10–15 minutes while watching joint temperatures in the app, ask for the Unitree account to be unlinked in front of you, check that the firmware is at least 1.5.5.0 and whether it is a base or an EDU. With invoice and customs documents it is worth more; you can value a G1 for free on Robolero.

Running costs: the battery ($700 official, €900 incl. VAT from Generation Robots, 18 Sep 2026), a spare charger at €149.90 (Funduinoshop, 17 Sep 2026); the app is free, with no subscriptions.

Verdict: who it is for and who it is not for

Worth it for labs and universities (with the EDU), for event and show organisers, for creators and companies that want a real humanoid for demonstrations. In this price bracket there is no other production biped with LiDAR, support in Europe and such a large installed base.

Not worth it for anyone picturing it at home doing the chores, wanting help in a shop or a warehouse, or planning to program the base model. It does not carry loads, has no hands as standard, has no certification to work alongside people and remains a consumer product as far as warranty and support go. For practical use at home, today a quadruped robot dog is more mature; the full picture is in the guide to humanoids for sale.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Unitree G1 cost? $13,500 (about €12,400) for the base G1 and $21,500 for the G1 Pro on the official store; the EDU is on quotation. In Europe it starts at €27,000 incl. VAT (Generation Robots, 18 Sep 2026); importing it from China, shipping, duty and VAT bring the base model to about €16,300–17,300.

Can the Unitree G1 be programmed? Only the EDU version. The base G1 and the Pro do not support secondary development, and the base model cannot be converted into an EDU after purchase.

How long does the G1's battery last? About 2 hours claimed, with the 9,000 mAh quick-release battery. The replacement costs $700 on the Unitree store and €900 incl. VAT in Europe.

Is the Unitree G1 secure from a cybersecurity point of view? It has had documented flaws: UniPwn (Bluetooth, September 2025), CVE-2026-76639/76640 (August 2026) and the periodic telemetry to servers in China detected by Alias Robotics. Unitree says it has fixed them and released firmware 1.5.5.0 on 1 September 2026, not verified by third parties. Updating, isolating the network and switching Bluetooth off reduce the risk.

How much is a used Unitree G1 worth? Robolero estimates a base G1 in good condition at €7,690 to €10,540. Battery, hours of use, accessories and documents move the figure: the free valuation takes them into account.

Sources

Thinking of buying or selling one? On Robolero you'll find the Unitree G1 sheet with new price and used value, the free valuation of your robot and the marketplace with the deal rating on every listing.

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