Unitree G1 vs H2: compact or full size?
The G1 is a 1.32 m, 35 kg compact humanoid in UAE stock at AED 89,999 (about $24,500); the H2 is a 1.82 m, 70 kg adult-size humanoid at $29,900 on Unitree's own store, about AED 110,000 plus shipping, duty and VAT, and not yet on a UAE dealer's shelf. The H2 lifts 7 kg per arm rated and 15 kg peak against the G1's 2 kg, runs about three hours against two, and has a face; the G1 has more hand articulation per dirham, fits in a car boot, and can be bought this week with a local warranty. For reach, presence and payload, the H2; for manipulation research, portability and availability, the G1. Prices checked 6 September 2026.
How do the G1 and H2 compare on the six numbers?
| Unitree G1 | Unitree H2 | |
|---|---|---|
| UAE availability | in stock, E-CITY AED 89,999; Ednex AED 92,000 | not listed by a UAE dealer; import only |
| Maker's price | $13,500 (about AED 49,600) | $29,900 (about AED 110,000); H2 Plus $100,000 |
| Landed import estimate | about AED 56,000 to 59,000 | about AED 124,000 to 128,000 |
| Height and weight | 1.32 m, about 35 kg | about 1.82 m, about 70 kg |
| Degrees of freedom | 23 base, up to 43 with dexterous hands; 7 per arm | 31 body (6 per leg, 7 per arm, 3 waist, 2 head); 75 with H2 Plus hands |
| Payload | about 2 kg per arm | 7 kg rated, 15 kg peak per arm |
| Runtime | about 2 hours | about 3 hours, quick-swap battery |
| Sensing | 3D LiDAR plus depth camera | binocular wide-field camera; wrist cameras on H2 Plus |
| Software access | EDU tier from $43,900 | EDU $68,900 international; only EDU supports secondary development |
| Face | none | bionic head with animated eyes |
Two things to read carefully. The H2's 31 DoF is a body count without hands; the G1's 43 includes dexterous hands, which is why Unitree's own material says the G1 gives more hand articulation per dollar for bench-scale manipulation. And the H2's international prices are higher than the store price: Unitree's regional partners list it from $40,900 and the EDU from $68,900, with phased deliveries from April 2026.
Which jobs does the G1 fit?
Everything that needs a humanoid this month with a warranty in the country: events, showrooms, schools, content, and research at bench scale where hands matter more than reach. It is the robot Dubai Future Labs put in the Museum of the Future and the one every UAE rental company runs. Its limits are physical: at 1.32 m it cannot reach a counter or a shelf built for adults, and 2 kg per arm rules out carrying.
Which jobs does the H2 fit?
Anything where the robot has to be human-sized. Reception and hospitality, where a 1.82 m machine with a face is a presence rather than a novelty. Tasks with real payload: 7 kg rated per arm covers trays, boxes and bags. Longer sessions, with about three hours per swappable pack. Industrial and research programmes that need adult-scale reach, which is the H2 Plus's purpose as NVIDIA's reference humanoid with tactile five-finger hands and Jetson Thor compute, shipping late 2026 at $100,000.
Its limits in the Emirates are practical rather than technical: no UAE stock, no local warranty yet, import paperwork, a 70 kg two-person lift, a van rather than a car, and, like every humanoid here, indoor use for half the year. The climate side is in Can a humanoid robot handle Gulf heat and dust?.
What about the H1?
The Unitree H1, on request from Ednex at around $90,000 (about AED 330,000), is the older full-size platform: faster (it holds the humanoid speed record at 3.3 m/s) but with roughly 19 DoF against the H2's 31 and none of the H2's articulation or face. For a new buyer in 2026 the H2 supersedes it at a third of the price; the H1 remains a research machine for locomotion work.
How do you decide, in dirhams?
Add the two gaps. The price gap between a stocked G1 and an imported H2 is about AED 35,000 to 40,000 at landed cost, plus the wait and the warranty question. The capability gap is reach, payload, runtime and presence. If the first job is "greet, film, teach, demonstrate", the G1 does it now and the AED 40,000 buys a year of everything else. If the first job is "carry", "reach" or "stand at a reception desk as if it belongs there", only the H2 does it, and the honest advice is to wait for it to reach a UAE dealer, which the Gulf List will report. We compared the maker's store, its international partner listings and the UAE dealers in early September 2026: the G1 is sold in the Emirates, the H2 is not, and that fact settles most decisions until it changes. The compact pair is in Unitree G1 vs R1: which one for the UAE?, and both pairs sit on our compare page; the dirham arithmetic is in How much does a humanoid robot cost in Dubai, in dirhams?.
Specs and prices checked 6 September 2026; this page is updated when a UAE dealer lists the H2 or Unitree changes its pricing.
Questions people ask
- What is the difference between the Unitree G1 and H2?
Size and payload above all: the G1 is 1.32 m and lifts about 2 kg per arm; the H2 is about 1.82 m and lifts 7 kg rated, 15 kg peak. The H2 runs about three hours, the G1 about two. The G1 has more hand articulation; the H2 has a face.
- Can I buy a Unitree H2 in the UAE?
Not from a UAE dealer as of 6 September 2026. It can be imported from Unitree's store at $29,900 (about AED 110,000) plus shipping, duty and VAT, or from international partners from $40,900.
- How much does the Unitree H2 cost in dirhams?
About AED 110,000 at the maker's price, roughly AED 124,000 to 128,000 landed as an estimate; the EDU version is $68,900 internationally, about AED 253,000.
- Is the Unitree H2 better than the H1?
It is newer, more articulated (31 DoF against about 19), has a face and costs a third as much; the H1 is faster. For a 2026 buyer the H2 is the current platform.
- Which is easier to transport, G1 or H2?
The G1: 35 kg, folds into a crate that fits a car boot. The H2 at 70 kg is a two-person lift and needs a van.
Sources
- Unitree official store, H2 page ($29,900; H2 Plus $100,000; H1 $90,000; only EDU supports secondary development), checked September 2026.
- RoboZaps, "Unitree H2 review", 1 August 2026, and product record, 13 July 2026 (about 1.8 m, 70 kg, 31 DoF, 7 kg rated and 15 kg peak arm payload, about 3 h runtime; international $40,900 and EDU $68,900; deliveries from April 2026; H1 3.3 m/s and about 19 DoF).
- BotInfo, "Unitree H2 price 2026", 4 July 2026 (H2 Plus at Computex, NVIDIA Isaac GR00T, 75 DoF; G1 hand articulation per dollar).
- Robots International, Unitree H2 profile (6-7-3-2 DoF layout, binocular camera, quick-swap batteries).
- E-CITY (Ecity Electronics), Unitree category page, 22 May 2026; Ednex Automation, 10 May and 21 June 2026 (UAE prices, H1 on request).
- There's A Robot For That, 14 July 2026 (G1 specs).