China’s Unitree to debut cheapest humanoid robot globally on Alibaba site: sources
SCMP Tech / 4/9/2026
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Key Points
- Unitree plans to debut what it claims will be the cheapest humanoid robot globally via an Alibaba listing next week, according to sources.
- The international rollout is expected to span North America, Europe, Japan, and Singapore.
- The move signals accelerating price competition and wider commercial availability for humanoid robotics.
- Alibaba is positioned as a key channel for distributing robotics hardware across multiple major markets.
- If the pricing and availability hold, downstream buyers in robotics and automation may be able to pilot humanoids at lower cost and faster timelines.
Unitree Robotics, one of China’s largest robot makers, will debut the R1, its cheapest humanoid model, on the international market via Alibaba Group Holding’s AliExpress marketplace next week, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Thursday.
The launch would cover major overseas markets including North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore, one of the sources said. The product would later be available on other channels, the second person said.
The R1, launched in mainland China last...
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