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Anthropic has introduced its newest Claude 4 model family, appearing to be a significant advancement for those developing next-generation AI assistants or programming. The highlights are Claude Opus 4, the new powerhouse, and Claude Sonnet 4, crafted to be a versatile all-rounder.
Anthropic is straightforward about its goals, asserting these models are designed to “enhance our clients’ AI strategies across the spectrum.” They’re promoting Opus 4 as the tool to “expand boundaries in programming, research, writing, and scientific exploration,” while Sonnet 4 is presented as an “immediate upgrade from Sonnet 3.7,” set to bring “cutting-edge performance to everyday applications.”
Claude Opus 4: The new coding champion
When Anthropic describes Claude Opus 4 as its “most potent model yet and the finest coding model globally,” you take notice. They possess the data to support this claim, with Opus 4 leading the rankings on essential industry assessments, achieving 72.5% on SWE-bench and 43.2% on Terminal-bench.
However, it’s not solely about quick bursts. Opus 4 is engineered for longevity, intended for “consistent performance on prolonged tasks that necessitate focused effort and numerous steps.” Envision an AI that can “operate continuously for several hours”—that’s what Anthropic asserts.
This represents a substantial enhancement from prior Sonnet iterations and could broaden what AI agents can accomplish, addressing challenges that necessitate true persistence.
Claude Sonnet 4: For everyday AI and agentic tasks
While Opus 4 is the heavyweight champion, Claude Sonnet 4 is cultivating a reputation as the adaptable workhorse, pledging a notable elevation for a wide variety of applications. Initial impressions from those who’ve encountered it are highly favorable.
For example, GitHub “claims Claude Sonnet 4 excels in agentic scenarios” and is so impressed they “intend to utilize it as the foundational model for the new coding agent in GitHub Copilot.” That’s a considerable endorsement.
Tech commentator Manus is also impressed, emphasizing its “enhancements in following intricate instructions, sound reasoning, and aesthetically pleasing outputs.”
The positive sentiment persists with iGent, which “reports Claude Sonnet 4 thrives at independent multi-feature app development, along with significantly improved problem-solving and codebase navigation—reducing navigation errors from 20% to nearly zero.” That’s transformative for development workflows.
Sourcegraph is equally hopeful, viewing the model as a “significant advancement in software development—maintaining focus longer, grasping problems more profoundly, and providing enhanced code quality.”
Augment Code has reported “higher success rates, more precise code modifications, and more meticulous performance through complex tasks,” prompting them to select Sonnet 4 as their “preferred choice for their primary model.”
Hybrid modes and developer advantages
One of the truly ingenious aspects of the Claude 4 family is its hybrid capability. Both Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 can function in two modes: one for the near-instant responses we often require, and another that facilitates “extended contemplation for deeper reasoning.”
This enhanced thinking mode is part of the Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise Claude 4 plans. Great news for all – Sonnet 4, equipped with this extended reasoning, will also be accessible to free users, representing a fantastic initiative for making top-tier AI more attainable.
Anthropic is also launching some intriguing new tools for developers on its API, clearly aiming to accelerate the creation of more advanced AI agents:
Code execution tool: This allows models to execute code, opening up numerous possibilities for interactive and problem-solving applications.MCP connector: Launched by Anthropic, MCP standardizes context exchange between AI assistants and software environments.Files API: This will facilitate AI in working directly with files, which is critical for various real-world tasks.Prompt caching: Developers will have the ability to cache prompts for up to an hour. This may seem minimal, but it can substantially enhance speed and efficiency, particularly for frequently used requests.
Leading the pack in real-world performance
Anthropic is eager to stress that its “Claude 4 models excel on SWE-bench Verified, a benchmark for performance on genuine software engineering tasks.” Beyond programming, they highlight that these models “provide strong performance across coding, reasoning, multimodal capabilities, and agentic tasks.”
Despite the advancements in capability, Anthropic is maintaining its pricing structure. Claude Opus 4 will cost $15 per million input tokens and $75 per million output tokens. Claude Sonnet 4, the more accessible alternative, is priced at $3 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. This consistency will be appreciated by current users.
Both Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 are available through the Anthropic API, and they’re also appearing on Amazon Bedrock and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI. This widespread availability means businesses and developers globally can begin experimenting and integrating these fresh tools fairly effortlessly.
Anthropic is evidently committed to enhancing AI’s capabilities, particularly in the challenging areas of programming and autonomous agent behavior. With these new models and developer instruments, the potential for innovation has just received a major uplift.
(Image credit: Anthropic)
See also: Details leak of Jony Ive’s ambitious OpenAI device
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