Three maturity tiers
The market now separates into mature single-purpose robots, mobile AI companions and emerging general-purpose manipulation. The last category is moving quickly but availability and reliability still vary by product, market and task.
Humanoids enter early consumer deployment
1X lists NEO with U.S. deliveries beginning in 2026 and a mix of autonomy plus scheduled Expert Mode. Figure 03 is explicitly designed for the home and Figure has demonstrated Helix 02 completing long household sequences. These are milestones, not evidence that every home chore is solved.
Companions solve a different problem
Samsung Ballie is oriented toward conversational assistance and smart-home orchestration rather than human-like manipulation. That distinction matters when comparing products: a mobile interface and a humanoid chore worker are different purchases.
The AI layer is accelerating
Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics and NVIDIA GR00T illustrate the shift toward general robotics models that connect language, vision and action. Figure’s Helix follows the same broad direction. Faster skill learning does not remove the need for safety, recovery logic and hardware engineering.
Read announcements precisely
Distinguish preorder, early access, developer access, controlled demonstration and retail availability. A buyer should verify region, warranty, supervision model and which functions are guaranteed rather than demonstrated.