Galbot announced pricing for its ET1 bipedal humanoid on 2 October 2026, across three tiers — from 79,000 yuan for the Standard to 179,000 for the Flagship. The tiers do not differ in looks, but in on-board compute and how much autonomy the robot gets. The cheapest ET1 dances and talks. The priciest is meant to learn new movements by interacting with people.
Key takeaways
- Standard 79,000 yuan (roughly $11,100), Pro 139,000 (roughly $19,500), Flagship 179,000 (roughly $25,100) — conversions approximate
- Standing height 1,250 mm, weight 32 kg with battery, 26 degrees of freedom in the base build
- Pro and Flagship can add dexterous hands: 12 extra degrees of freedom as an option
- Main processors are RK3588 and RDK X5, plus 40 TOPS (Orin Nano) in Pro and 100 TOPS (NX) in Flagship
- Motion is driven by a 100-million-parameter Transformer foundation model
What separates the three tiers
| Tier | Price | Added compute | Degrees of freedom | Claimed capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 79,000 CNY | none | 26 | dancing, performance, conversation |
| Pro | 139,000 CNY | Orin Nano, 40 TOPS | 26 (+12 optional) | active learning, action planning |
| Flagship | 179,000 CNY | NX, 100 TOPS | 26 (+12 optional) | as Pro, wider customisation |
The shared base is identical across all three: same mechanics, same stereo cameras, same RK3588 and RDK X5 pairing. The difference sits in the bolted-on compute module. That matters, because the line between tiers is drawn in hardware, not in licensing — a Standard unit will not gain Pro features through a software update.
A robot for entertainment, not the factory floor
Galbot places ET1 outside industry. Its official product page lists theme-park interaction, storefront greeting, stage dancing and live comedy as the target scenarios. That is a very different market from the humanoids being parked next to assembly lines today.
With that positioning, price carries different weight. For comparison: Astribot is bringing its T1 to North America at $18,000, roughly what a Pro costs.
Learning through interaction is still a claim
The strongest claim here concerns learning. Galbot states that ET1 picks up new movements without motion capture and without motion videos — directly from human interaction. If that holds outside the stage, it removes the most expensive part of preparing a humanoid for a task.
The price list does not prove it. We know what Galbot charges for each tier. We do not know how reliably the robot masters a movement nobody showed it first.
Why it matters
ET1's pricing shows how Chinese manufacturers are carving up the humanoid market: not by size, but by on-board compute. Autonomy becomes a line item in a configurator. For buyers, it is a clear signal that the cheapest humanoid is animatronics with conversation, not a learning machine. For the industry, it is evidence that the entertainment segment is reaching affordable pricing ahead of the industrial one.
What's next?
- ET1 pre-orders opened on 5 September 2026 — first deliveries will show whether interaction-based learning works outside demos
- Dexterous hands remain a paid option, so the real cost of manipulation-capable builds will exceed list price
- The tier split is physical, which closes off any later unlock of Pro features on a Standard unit
Sources
- Galbot — Galbot ET1
- Humanoids Daily — Galbot Prices ET1 Humanoid From 79,000 Yuan Across Three Versions
