Google launches Gemini 4 Argon with paid access and introductory API pricing
Google has begun rolling out Gemini 4 Argon worldwide, with access for Pro and Ultra subscribers and developers using its paid API. Google claims gains in reasoning and coding, though independent overall rankings place it behind some rivals. Introductory API prices are set to double after November.
theverge.comGoogle finally releases Gemini 4 Argon
arstechnica.comGemini 4 Argon begins rolling out in Gemini app and Antigravity, but only if you pay
the-decoder.comGemini 4 Argon is now available worldwide as Google's most capable frontier model
Who gets access
Google has launched Gemini 4 Argon globally through its API, the Gemini app and other Google AI products. Pro and Ultra subscribers can use it in the Gemini app and Search’s AI mode, while access through the Antigravity development platform is limited to Ultra subscribers.
Pro subscribers can also generate code with Argon in the Gemini app’s Canvas mode. Google has not clarified whether or when other subscription tiers will receive access through Antigravity.
Performance claims and rankings
Google says Argon improves reasoning and complex workflows while reducing hedging and repetition. The company claims it outperforms GPT-6 Astra, Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Opus 5.5 across a range of benchmarks covering coding, cybersecurity, science, finance and law.
Those claims do not amount to a lead across all independent assessments. The Decoder reports that Argon tops the Vals Index but trails Claude Opus 5.5 and Meta’s Muse Wonder Full in independent overall rankings.
Google also reports internal coding gains: agent-driven code submissions increased by more than 35 percent, while rollbacks fell by nearly a third. It says Argon helped complete a Chromium architectural refactor in weeks rather than months. These results are self-reported.
Introductory API prices
Paid API access starts at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens, with a 95 percent discount on cached inputs. The introductory rates run through November 30, then rise to $4 and $20 respectively.
The Verge reports that Argon’s per-token prices are substantially lower than those of rival frontier models, but cautions that this does not necessarily mean lower total costs: different models can consume different numbers of tokens for the same task.
Testing and research access
The public rollout follows a limited release to selected cybersecurity defenders for risk testing. Google says Argon is its strongest architecture to date on safety, citing external testing and reduced violations compared with earlier Gemini models.
Google is offering 10,000 researchers six months of free access to Antigravity’s highest usage tier, subject to eligibility, capacity and selection. Cybersecurity defenders can separately apply to the Fairwind program for access to Argon without cyber safeguards.
